The Shellfish You Shouldn't Order At A Restaurant, According To Anthony Bourdain

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Anthony Bourdain was hardly reluctant to share his recommendations and laments about the food and hospitality industries. Whether barraging the concept of awards ceremonies or raving about local hot dog stands, Bourdain was vocal about his opinions, including advising curious gourmands how to best travel, eat well, and experience all that life has to offer. 

In his book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures In The Culinary Underbelly," Bourdain set out a list of instructions to help restaurant goers improve their meals with smart orders and thoughtful decisions. In addition to advising customers to stay away from ordering fish on Mondays from establishments in which the freshness might be questioned, Bourdain also veered away from plates of mussels. "I don't eat mussels in restaurants unless I know the chef, or have seen, with my own eyes, how they store and hold their mussels for service," he wrote. "I love mussels. But, in my experience, most cooks are less than scrupulous in their handling of them." For a man who had seen his share of kitchen inner workings, this kind of advice holds considerable weight. 

Though mussels might be one of the things to avoid ordering at a restaurant, putting together recipes at home is certainly not off the table. Bowls of creamy garlic mussels or coconut curry mussels can target cravings for this dish, all while you are certain of the level of sanitary handling and quality of product. As Bourdain recognized, if just one mussel is off in a bowl of the mollusks, it could cause seriously unpleasant consequences for those digging into the meal. "It takes only a single bad mussel, one treacherous little guy hidden among an otherwise impeccable group," he penned, before adding that if the urge to sample a mussel might strike, Bourdain would not shy away from plucking the best-looking mussels off the plate of a friend.

In addition to questioning servings of mussels, Bourdain was also skeptical of hollandaise sauce as he said it was unlikely to be made to order and could be a breeding ground for bacteria. He also avoided any kind of special offering that might be made up of kitchen scraps: Shepherd's pie and chili, for example, for similar reasons. Though ultimately the call is yours, it is worth considering the reputation of the restaurant and the cleanliness of the establishment before placing your order.