Philistines, Foodies and Ruin Porn: Anthony Bourdain on CNN

© tom stoye

Last night, I watched Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unnown on CNN. The much anticipated season finale follows Bourdain while he traipses through Detroit, in search of good food and memorable experiences.

There have been countless attempts by curious outsiders to define Detroit in its current state. After reading Bourdain's intriguing blog post on Tumblr this week, I had high hopes that Parts Unknown would balance past perspectives with a broader world-view of what makes Detroit tick. Based soley on his written piece, Bourdain showed a willingness to expand beyond the monotonous narratives that have pigeon-holed Detroit in the past as the shit-hole of the Midwest.

Anthony Bourdain is an inquisitive person, and once you get past his haute bourgeoise shtick, he has a genuine curiosity about people and cultures that go beyond Nielson ratings and audience appeal. What makes Parts Unknown hit on all cylinders, is when Bourdain is breaking bread with complete strangers. This was especially true during the Detroit visit.

With each new meal Bourdain eats, viewers are carried closer to the heart and soul of what makes Detroit so damn special. Regardless of the declining population, Detroit is a city of people, and it is those that are left who define us, not the miles of empty lots and abandoned buildings.

With food often acting as the conduit, Bourdain introduces us to a diverse group of individuals, each imparting there own sense of hometown-wisdom regarding food and/or Detroit. These are tender moments, that make up for local blow-hard Charlie LeDuff who tries too hard to play the part of the street-wise tour guide.

As the show progresses, you can see Bourdain tiring with LeDuff's act, culminating in an awkward moment at the urban-chic Guns & Butter pop-up dinner, at the Library Street Collective. Unannounced, LeDuff pours his liquor into a bowl of soup made by acclaimed chef Craig Liekfelt. Looking embarrased, Bourdain responds by referring to LeDuff as a philistine. Even funnier than the philistine remark though, is when Bourdain tells LeDuff he'd stick a fork in his neck if it where his restaurant. Ouch!

What makes LeDuff charming while engaging street-folks, doesn't work so well in a social setting, where sophistication and class are required, and in this particular moment, LeDuff looks out of his league. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining part of the segment, that made up for some dull moments that proceeded it.

Self admittedly Bourdain confesses to his fascination with what Detroiters begrudgingly refer to as "ruin porn." And for the first twenty minutes of the program, he can't seem to look away, as we witness street after street of abandoned buildings and empty lots, that take up way too much screen time in the beginning of the program. Balancing this out though, is a thoughtful narration by Bourdain, complemented by some beautiful cinematography. Once Bourdain sits down to eat a coney-dog at Duly's Place in southwest Detroit, the stench of urban decay soon fades away.

From Duly's we are taken off the beaten path to some obscure eateries that include a clandestine visit to  a Salvadorian Pupusa House, with chicharrones filled pupusas and tamales served as the main entrees. So secret is the Pupusa House, we are not allowed to see the location or the chef, which makes you wonder how many internet searches last night included the words, "Salvadorian cuisine, Detroit." From there, Bourdain makes a stop at Engine 23 Firehouse, just around the corner from the Packard Plant, where he eats a home cooked meal of lamb chops and crab cakes, while listening to the woeful tales of overworked fireman discussing the poorly funded fire department. There's also a visit to Greedy Greg's front-yard barbecue, on the cities east side, where hosts Rochelle and Greg treat Bourdain to some DIY barbecue, that includes some delicious homemade ribs and rib tips. Afterwords, Bourdain is taken inside their home and treated to some "luxurious" pork loaded collards. A dish he's so impressed by, he complements Rochelle by saying, "They're some of the best greens I've ever had."

Other vignettes on the show include feel good visits with people making a difference in and around the city.  These are brief moments, but they show a willingness to balance the program with resourceful grass-roots organizations, who are willing to go the distance against a city lacking in leadership or vision. There's time spent with Tom Nardone of the Mower Gang, where Bourdain volunteers to help Tom and his gang mow the waist-high grass of an overgrown playground, so neighborhood kids can play there again. And at the end of the show, there's an insightful visit with Malik Yakini, the founder of D-Town Farms, who discusses the benefits of the locally grown food movement: a movement that is gaining steam with the overabundance of derelict properties throughout the city.

The limitations of a one hour show are hardly the ideal platform to start a conversation about Detroit but what is most intriguing about Parts Unknown, is that food can serve as the starting point to begin the narrative.

All things being equal,  Detroiters are a resilient bunch, and whatever negative attributes the media chooses to direct our way, we keep finding ways to move through it. That reality, the reality of our past, is what defines us in terms of how we choose to move forward.