Returning to the very shores where his tumultuous, deeply flawed, and ultimately legendary culinary career began, this 2014 episode of Parts Unknown serves as a hauntingly reflective homecoming. Venturing into Provincetown and western Massachusetts, the objective was not to bask in easy nostalgia, but to confront the devastating heroin epidemic tearing through the working-class communities of his youth. The culinary landscape here is heavily defined by the cold, unforgiving Atlantic and the deep roots of the Portuguese fishing diaspora, relying on hearty, unpretentious comfort food designed for survival. The exploration beautifully balanced the grim reality of addiction with the enduring, soulful perfection of local institutions. From seeking salvation in a bowl of fiery Portuguese kale soup and stuffed cod at The Lobster Pot to declaring the briny brilliance of raw Wellfleet oysters at a dive bar, the journey is an unflinching look at the beautiful, broken heart of New England. To truly understand the gritty reality of this coastal enclave, you must eat where the locals eat. Here are the essential, historic spots that anchored this deeply personal narrative.
The great Anthony Bourdain left his mark everywhere he went. When his death was announced to the world in June 2018, media throughout the globe chimed in and listed all the great things he had done for their respective city, town, province, country. Whereas before, tourists would shy away from exotic foods, thanks to him, travellers now go the extra mile to find and try local bites. With this in mind, here are all the restaurants Bourdain visited and the dishes he tasted when he shot Anthony Bourdain Massachusetts for his show, Parts Unknown Season 4 Episode 8 (originally aired November 9, 2014):
READ MORE: BEST SHOPPING IN BOSTON: 10 PLACES TO EXPLORE
DISH – Portuguese Kale Soup and Stuffed Cod – Anthony Bourdain Massachusetts
WHAT IS IT?
Portuguese Kale Soup is made of kale, fiery red chorizo, linguiça, kidney beans and potatoes. Stuffed cod is a fillet of cod stuffed with crab, lobster or scallops accompanied by a red sauce.
WHERE IS IT?
The Lobster
Pot
321 Commercial St
Provincetown, MA
ANTHONY BOURDAIN MASSACHUSETTS NOTES
The Portuguese Kale Soup is the P-town or Provincetown version of the Azorean Caldo Verde – a dish Anthony Bourdain enjoyed in Parts Unknown Massachusetts. He also had The Lobster Pot’s stuffed cod crusted with ground Portuguese sausage and bread crumbs, stuffed with scallops and crab, with some Sherry red sauce.
READ MORE: BOSTON: ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS PICKED BY ANTHONY BOURDAIN ON NO RESERVATIONS
DISH – Raw Wellfleet Oysters – Anthony Bourdain Massachusetts
WHAT IS IT?
Wellfleets, also called Eastern or Atlantic oysters, are true oysters native to the East Coast of the US, served raw.
WHERE IS IT?
Old Colony Tap
323 Commercial St
Provincetown, MA
ANTHONY BOURDAIN MASSACHUSETTS NOTES
Anthony Bourdain calls Wellfleet Oysters as the “finest oysters known to men”.
DISH – New England Boiled Dinner – Parts Unknown Massachusetts
WHAT IS IT?
A meal of slowly cooked corned beef, boiled potatoes and steamed cabbage.
WHERE IS IT?
Shady Glen Diner
7 Avenue A
Turners Falls, MA
ANTHONY BOURDAIN MASSACHUSETTS NOTES
Shady Glen Diner is an old-school eating place that is known to serve New England Boiled Dinner and classic homemade pies, with recipes dating back to the 1960s.
READ MORE: ANTHONY BOURDAIN PROVINCETOWN : ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS PICKED ON A COOK’S TOUR
This incredibly somber, highly personal journey into Massachusetts stands as one of the most journalistically vital and emotionally raw episodes he ever produced. In the context of his broader work, it is historically significant for utilizing his own past struggles with addiction to shine a glaring, empathetic light on the opioid crisis devastating American towns. The profound respect he showed for the heavy, working-class New England boiled dinners and Portuguese stews highlighted a core belief: that food is deeply intertwined with the social health and survival of a community. It remains a powerful, heartbreaking hour of television that stripped away the glamour of the culinary world to focus on human frailty and resilience. Embrace the stark beauty of the Cape, find a stool at a local tavern, and savor the briny perfection of the Atlantic.15927
