Get hungry. Get curious. Get ready for an Anthony Bourdain summer! An Anthony Bourdain summer in Los Angeles doesn’t require a passport. The only real requirement is a willingness to explore with curiosity and an open mind.
What is an Anthony Bourdain summer?
An Anthony Bourdain summer is about embracing curiosity, grit, and spontaneity. It means saying yes to street food over fine dining, exploring unfamiliar neighborhoods, and striking up conversations with strangers. It’s about traveling with your senses, even if you never leave your hometown. It’s about skipping the polished and seeking the raw. It’s about living deeply, eating boldly, and refusing to play it safe.
An Anthony Bourdain summer is driven by a desire to connect with people and places in a real, unfiltered way. The best stories unfold not in trendy L.A. hotspots, but in hole-in-the-wall diners, conversations with strangers, and impromptu detours.
How to have an Anthony Bourdain summer in L.A.
Having an Anthony Bourdain summer in Los Angeles means ditching the glossy curated version of the city and diving into the raw, delicious, and diverse reality that lives in its side streets, strip malls, and cultural mashups.
- Dine at Tony’s favorite L.A. spots: From Randy’s Donuts to Pink’s, here’s the full list of the best restaurants across L.A. that Bourdain loved and frequented.
- Eat adventurously: Skip the fancy hotspots and dig into Oaxacan tlayudas in Koreatown, Thai noodles in East Hollywood, pupusas in Pico-Union, or smoky Armenian barbecue in Glendale. Bourdain loved food that told a story, and L.A. is filled with stories.
- Get lost on purpose: Walk neighborhoods you’ve never explored like Little Ethiopia, historic Filipinotown, Leimert Park, and San Pedro’s port markets. Be the kind of traveler in your own city who lets the day unfold without a plan.
- Talk to people: Sit at the counter. Ask the cook about the dish. Take recommendations from strangers. Bourdain wasn’t just about food. He was about connection.
- Go where the culture lives: Hit backyard music shows, community film nights, taco stand gatherings, swap meets, and locally-owned bookstores. L.A. is overflowing with soul if you know where to look.
- Be curious, not critical: Bourdain believed in observing without judgment. L.A. can be chaotic and overwhelming, but it’s also raw, real, and absolutely unforgettable.
In a city layered with cultures, flavors, and contradictions, an Anthony Bourdain summer in L.A. is about tasting everything and judging nothing. Let your appetite and curiosity lead the way!