Houston Welcomed Anthony Bourdain To 'Parts Unknown' In 2016

HOUSTON, TX — Prejudices have a tendency to run the gamut, before our eyes can be opened wide.

That was the lesson celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain learned when he ventured to the Bayou City for an episode of his series "Parts Unknown" in 2016.

Bourdain, 61, who was in France filming his series Parts Unknown, was found dead in his hotel room making his the second notable celebrity death in as many days.

Bourdain, who was known as a globe-trotting and curious sort who used food as a gateway to tolerance, came to Houston for an episode in October 2016, with the idea that Texas was nothing more than huge swath of land populated by close-minded, Caucasian, gun-toting, bigots, who fancied fast food and red meat, while shunning anything outside the box.

However, Bourdain's visit to the Bayou City was as eye-opening for him, as it always is to visitors who sincerely believe Texans must Cowboy-up to be normal.

He experienced the rich diversity of Houston, where more than 150 languages are spoken, and cultures from all over the globe coexist.

This became evident as Bourdain sat down at a backyard picnic table with Jonathan Trinh, principal at Wisdom High School, where more than 70 different languages are spoken, and enjoyed an eclectic mix of food that was anything but Texas barbecue.

He then attended a traditional Mexican quinceañera, partook of a slab of ribs at an Acres Home joint with rapper Slim Thug and hung out at cricket match in Richmond, according to Eater.com.

The Houston Chronicle reviewed Bourdain's visit, and took note of the diversity that revealed itself to the celebrity chef, that Houston and Texas wasn't an intolerant wasteland of close-mindedness, but a welcoming and diverse community.

Image: Anthony Bourdain attends the panel discussion for 'Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations' during the Discovery Networks' Travel Channel presentation at the 2005 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 16, 2005 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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