5 Chicago Restaurants Anthony Bourdain Loved

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Anthony Bourdain had major respect for the food haven that is Chicago. In his voiceover for its episode of "Parts Unknown," Bourdain praised it as a city "other places have to measure themselves against." In fact, all his most popular food tourism shows featured Chicago episodes, including "The Layover" and "No Reservations." To Bourdain, the Windy City was filled to the brim with culture and defined by both its colorful characters and equally colorful culinary offerings.

While Bourdain certainly wasn't shy about traveling the world and trying new and exotic dishes — he once ate the beating heart of a cobra, after all — he also enjoyed the simplicity of finger food and a cheap cup of beer at a New York racetrack. Chicago held the best of both worlds for Bourdain, as the city expertly mixes fine dining with casual eats. From the foie gras hot dogs at Hot Doug's to the oven-roasted pig face that Girl & the Goat chef Stephanie Izard calls "breakfast on crack," (via The Daily Record), many Chicago restaurant specialties had his heart.

One type of Chicago cuisine Bourdain could never get behind, however, was deep-dish pizza. As a New Yorker, he had a "deep cultural aversion to pizza that is not New York pizza," as he explained in an episode of "No Reservations." But let's not dwell on the negative. Instead, let's explore the Chicago restaurants and dishes Bourdain loved.

Located near Chicago O'Hare International Airport in the Elmwood Park neighborhood, Johnnie's Beef is one Chicago eatery Anthony Bourdain loved. It was one of three restaurants he named in a 2016 Reddit AMA when asked about his favorite Chicago stops. He also highlighted it in Season 2, Episode 1 of "The Layover."

Bourdain equated Johnnie's Beef to one of the stations of the cross — a religious experience, if you will. His order? "Beef. Hot. Sweet. Juicy." Apparently, ordering at Johnnie's Beef is somewhat of an art based on how someone likes their sandwich, at least according to Chicago Magazine. In Bourdain's case, his Italian beef order featured Giardiniera, a spicy pickled pepper relish (the "Hot"), and bell peppers (the "Sweet"). It also came pre-dipped in gravy, giving it, as Bourdain put it, that "superbly moist, some might say drenched, and delicious" texture Johnnie's is known for.

Bourdain wasn't alone in his appreciation of the sandwich. It's a staple food of Chicagoans and one of the undisputed champions of Italian beef. While the iconic dish has humble origins as a way for immigrant families to stretch ingredients into a filling meal, today, it's a sought-after regional delicacy that even has its own annual food festival at the beginning of August.

Anthony Bourdain had major respect for Girl & the Goat chef Stephanie Izard, calling her "one of my favorite Chicagoans" in his "Parts Unknown" Chicago episode. Izard's emphasis on enjoying the culinary experience both in and out of the kitchen is very much in line with the late Bourdain's ethos. But his reverence for Izard also extended to her food. In the Chicago episode of his series "The Layover," Bourdain had a literal feast at The Girl & the Goat and expressed his admiration for many of its dishes.

Although not known for his love of veggies, Bourdain called the roasted beets dish with green beans, kale, and anchovy "particularly delicious" as he scarfed it down. The grilled baby octopus salad was another favorite that got an "incredible" from the culinary icon. Judging by his witty commentary, however, the roasted pig face with fried egg and potato sticks was a standout. "I love the taste of pig's face in the evening," he quipped, equating the dish to a work of art. The signature dish has been on the menu since The Girl & the Goat's 2010 opening and helped Izard win a James Beard award for Best Chefs in 2013.

Beyond his TV appearance at the restaurant, however, Bourdain made sure to recommend it when asked about his favorite Chicago restaurants. In his 2016 Reddit AMA, Bourdain mentioned twice that he loved The Girl & the Goat — high praise coming from the revered chef.

Avec is one of three Chicago restaurants owned by Chef Paul Kahan, along with Blackbird and Publican, that Anthony Bourdain name-dropped in Season 5, Episode 4 of "No Reservations." On its website, the restaurant boasts "Midwestern takes on Mediterranean classics," as well as an extensive, international wine menu. Its chorizo-stuffed medjool dates, in particular, are highly sought-after.

Although Bourdain wasn't seen dining at Avec in the "No Reservations" episode, he noted his appreciation of the dishes' skilled preparation in a montage as he dined with Chef Kahan in his backyard. Kahan even told Eater in 2018 that Bourdain once said Avec was "the future of dining in America." The TV star also proclaimed his love for Avec on Reddit alongside The Girl & the Goat and Johnnie's Beef.

That praise was well-deserved. When Avec opened its West Loop location in 2003, it helped popularize a more casual style of upscale dining along Chicago's Restaurant Row. Now, more than two decades later, Avec remains a fixture of the city's flourishing dining scene, with a second location and Bar Avec (its Spanish- and Portuguese-inspired rooftop bar spinoff) in the River North neighborhood.

Centered in Chicago's Old Town district, an area of focus for the Chicago episode of "Parts Unknown," Topo Gigio Ristorante was another Anthony Bourdain favorite. In Season 7, Episode 2 of the show, he dined at the Tuscan-style Italian restaurant with Old Town Ale House proprietor Bruce Elliott and a friend only known as "Buzzkill."

While the city is home to plenty of fine-dining Italian restaurants, Topo Gigio is a two-dollar-sign kind of place, with the majority of entrées landing under $30. Highly aware of this fact, Bourdain made a point during the episode to emphasize that the food there was "much better than you'd think [from] old-school stuff." The trio enjoyed a hearty variety of classic dishes like scallops with pesto cream sauce, squid ink pasta with shrimp, and veal saltimbocca, the latter of which Bourdain called "most excellent."

In his field notes for the "Parts Unknown" episode, Bourdain specifically calls out the fact that the episode wasn't for those who think there are better Italian places in Chicago than Topo Gigio. After all, the restaurant does have a mouse mascot, but its food is still award-winning and speaks for itself. For Bourdain, beyond good food and wine, the real pleasure in dining was about the company and the conversations, as he mentioned in a 2010 interview with Houston Press. As was evident in the episode, there was no pretension in his affection for Topo Gigio — just pure enjoyment.

It's no secret that Anthony Bourdain was a huge fan of meat in tube form. He tried hot dogs in Denver, Iceland, and Chile, and on "Parts Unknown," he even discussed if ketchup belongs on hot dogs with Barack Obama. (It doesn't unless you're 8 years old, according to the former president.) But for Bourdain, the place that reigned supreme among hot dog purveyors was Hot Doug's in Chicago.

Included in the "No Reservations" Chicago episode, Bourdain called Hot Doug's "everything an eating establishment should be." Its popularity among locals was evident from the line out the door, which he described to Bon Appétit in 2016 as just the kind of social proof he viewed as a hallmark of a great eatery. It also didn't hurt that Hot Doug's was an award-winning restaurant, earning accolades from Time Out Chicago and Chicago Magazine, among others.

Bourdain called Hot Doug's famous red hots "perfection in a dog" as he scarfed down the all-beef frank covered in yellow mustard, relish, tomatoes, onions, and a dill pickle spear. Bourdain enjoyed both the foie gras dog and french fries cooked in duck fat, calling the latter the "Rolls Royce of fries." Sadly, owner Doug Sohn closed the restaurant in 2014 to pursue other passions, but his sausages are still sold in select places around the city, including at Paulina Meat Market, Wrigley Field, and as a topping at Piece Pizzeria.