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Anthony Bourdain Returns To Beirut And ‘Loves This Place’

It’s easy to forget Beirut’s charm. When you’ve lived here your entire life the picturesque palm trees become so ordinary, the delightful old houses seem normal, the sight of the sea is common, and you forget how charming Beirut truly is.


(Photo via David S. Holloway/CNN)

Renowned chef, bestselling author, and Emmy winning television personality Anthony Bourdain was in Beirut just before the 2006 conflict with Israel broke out, forcing him and his crew to leave; but Bourdain vowed that he’d return. When he did, it was part of his travel and food show on CNN Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, when he shot the Season 5 finale in Beirut, accompanied by the Harley Davidson Lebanese crew who helped him get around, he also shared a meal with author and cultural editor of An-Nahar, Joumana Haddad, where they discussed the implications of living in a city like Beirut.

“It is something of a miracle that it [Beirut] works,” says Bourdain routinely commenting on the dichotomy that exists in Beirut. He draws attention to things that seem so normal to us now, the visual disparity of the hijab and bikini-clad women all over the city, the modern buildings alongside the bullet-hole studded apartments from the days of the civil war. Bourdain loves it all. In fact, the city made such an impression that he briefly considered naming his daughter “Beirut.”



And the food is no exception. It is no secret that Lebanon and Beirut in particular have one of the most delicious and widely loved cuisines in the world, a fact that Bourdain takes advantage of by trying the best the city has to offer. From street food like the broasted chicken platter at Rizk Broasted in Basta, to the many upscale fish restaurants along the shore – he loves it all, calling the food “fantastic.”

Sometimes it takes a foreign film crew showing us panoramic shots of the sea, the beauty of old buildings in downtown Beirut, and the chaotic perfection of the streets to remind us of the beautiful city that is Beirut, a city that we sometimes don’t deserve and many times doesn’t deserve us.

Bourdain urged everyone to visit this magical city, saying: “This was a city where nothing made any damn sense at all – in the best possible way…it’s a beautiful city, with layers of scars the locals have ceased to even notice. It is a place with tremendous heart…It defies logic. It defies expectations. It is amazing.”



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