What Marcus Samuelsson Loved Most About Dining With Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain played an influential role in the culinary curiosity of Marcus Samuelsson and the "No Passport Required" host spoke about what he loved most about dining with Bourdain on an episode of the podcast, "Travel That Matters." Samuelsson waxed nostalgic about how discovery and food went hand in hand when eating with Bourdain. Samuelsson stated, "One of my favorite dinners in L.A. was actually eating with Anthony Bourdain in San Gabriel Valley, and just us discovering, going to a place where he had heard of and just out discovering something."

The owner of the famed Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem shared that the outing included eating Sichuan food, which is not surprising considering San Gabriel Valley is home to some of the most incredible Asian cuisine in the Golden State. Additionally, Samuelsson said there was a lot of being quiet, listening to Bourdain's stories, and taking it all in.

Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre would join

While Bourdain had a lasting impact on Samuelsson, who told Metro, via Bravo's Style & Living, "Tony influenced me deeply by working and being around him many, many times, whether we were having a drink at a bar in New York or traveling to Ethiopia together," Bourdain wasn't the only chef who made an impression on the "Chopped" judge. His peers from ABC's "The Taste" also played a role. Samuelsson explained to the podcast's host, Bruce Wallin, that Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre also joined in on some of the dining excursions he had with Bourdain.

Everyone had a part to play. Bourdain had dibs on choosing where they would dine, and it was always "greasy and grimy," but the conversation added to the discovery process. While he and Lefebvre would sit quietly listening and absorbing, Samuelsson shared, "Anthony and Nigella really linked on writers, authors...I learned so much about storytellers they admired." 

Per People, some of their favorite eateries to frequent while filming their show included Korean barbecue hot spot, Park's, and Ludo's restaurant, Petit Trois.