'It's Delicious' — The Iconic Sizzler Side Anthony Bourdain Praised Highly

Anthony Bourdain remains one of the most unique and humble voices in culinary writing. Although he had eaten around the world and tried many exotic dishes, he also appreciated simple foods that were well prepared. For him, food only needed to taste good to be enjoyed. From something as simple as a hard-boiled egg — which he once called "the perfect food" — to stopping at a certain iconic California burger joint whenever he was in LA, Bourdain was accessible and relatable. That explains why he praised Sizzler's deceptively simple cheese toast as being delicious.

In a snippet of an episode of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" shared on Youtube, Bourdain went to dinner with friend and artist David Choe at Sizzler in LA's Koreatown neighborhood. The steakhouse that helped define 1980s dining was a childhood favorite of Choe's, and he explained the nostalgic appeal of the restaurant to Bourdain. His family rarely went out to eat, and a visit to Sizzler meant eating as much as possible. Bourdain explained that it was his first time at Sizzler, but based on his reaction the bread appetizer, it's hard to imagine it was his last.

Once they sat, Choe bit into his meatball tacos — a salad bar hack that the artist had created and demonstrated to Bourdain. Soon after, they also received a complimentary order of cheese toast. Choe introduced the dish with a little anecdote from his childhood, and explained that his family used to order stacks of it once they realized it was free with the meal. "It's delicious. I totally get why this would be a Wonderland," Bourdain said after trying it.

The cheese toast at Sizzler dates back to 1958 when Del Johnson, the chain's founder, came up with the simple recipe. The restaurant put a lot of time and effort into making sure that franchisees understood how to make it properly so that it remained consistent and tasty. 

Rumor has it that Sizzler's cheese bread, much like the garlic bread at Italian restaurants, was offered for free as a filler. Customers would load up on relatively cheap bread so they'd have less of an appetite for more expensive items at the buffet later, helping to cut the business's costs. 

Anthony Bourdain called Sizzler a "judgement-free zone," and the cheese bread is the perfect example of the kind of food he appreciated. White bread, whipped butter, and Parmesan cheese — it's so simple that there's no room for anything to hide, but that's what makes it delicious.