How Anthony Bourdain Really Felt About Coffee Shop Culture

One might think that the late Anthony Bourdain — chef, author, and host of the food and culture travel show "Parts Unknown" — was undoubtedly passionate about all things culinary. His palate was well-rounded, with some foods that Bourdain loved including blood sausage, ceviche, and even an In-N-Out Burger. However, there was one aspect of modern dining culture that wasn't exciting to him, which he revealed in a 2016 interview with Bon Appétit, saying, "There are few things I care about less than coffee ... It's a beverage; it's not a lifestyle."

Since the rise of fancy coffee shops serving specialized coffee drinks in the 2010s, latte art, milk alternatives, and flavored syrups have become impossible to avoid. There has also been a growing focus on the coffee beans themselves, how to elevate them through preparation techniques such as the pour over method or using a French press, and the presentation of the final product. But these new, time-consuming approaches and specialized menu items made by stereotypical hipster baristas didn't impress Bourdain. "I don't want to wait for my coffee. I don't want some man-bun, Mumford and Son motherf*cker to get it for me," he said to Bon Appétit. In an interview with ABC News that same year, Bourdain once again roasted coffee culture, saying, "If it takes you longer to make my coffee than it does for me to drink it, then we have a basic problem."

So, what kind of java did one of the most well-traveled and beloved food experts enjoy, if not the complex, expensive Frappuccinos and flavored lattes popularized in mainstream culture? "I'm a cheap date when it comes to coffee," he told ABC News. "I like my coffee in a cardboard cup with a picture of the Acropolis on the side ... That cardboard flavor is an important component of my New York coffee-drinking experience." Bourdain admitted he needed two large cups of it every morning, enjoyed light and sweet, and he preferred them to come from "the guy who sells donuts on the street" or from any bodega.

Next time you have a hankering for a cup of joe, skip the froo-froo coffee drinks and secret menu items available at Starbucks that can sometimes detract from the bold, delicious flavor of coffee itself. Instead, take a page out of Bourdain's book and keep it simple when ordering at a coffee shop, or find a street vendor to serve you a no-fuss, classic cup of coffee in the chef's preferred type of vessel.