Inspired by Tony: Want to eat where Anthony Bourdain ate? The culinary provocateur’s recent Bay Area episode of “Parts Unknown” could either make you seriously hungry or put you off food for days if you kept watching those grimace-filled Brazilian jiujitsu sessions with which he’s obsessed. But when he was eating, he was eating well. Tops on his list when he’s in San Francisco is Swan Oyster Depot, where he indulged in crab fat and platters of oysters and crab legs. At 4505 Burgers & BBQ, he chowed down on the Presidential Platter of all meats and all sides, which costs $100 but serves six. Then it was off to Coi for the very refined (and expensive) tasting menu.
Next came the East Bay — though viewers were led to believe they were still in S.F. — for a Polynesian nosh at the legendary Trader Vic’s in Emeryville. At Caribbean and soul-food specialist Miss Ollie’s in Oakland, he ate fried chicken and greens. The creative meal he had at the Juhu Beach Club in Oakland is now being offered to the public as a special menu through year’s end: For $70, two diners get the Bhel Salad, Manchurian Cauliflower or Chili Paneer, Methi Chicken Leg braised in a tomato butter sauce with fenugreek, and Lamb Kofta wrapped around a Sonoma duck egg, with curry sauce. (Owner-chef Preeti Mistry notes in the show that Scotch eggs were first created in India, not Britain. Her version sounds yummier anyway.)
In San Jose’s Japantown, Bourdain lunched at Minato, but the restaurant’s name/sign must have been left on the show producers’ cutting-room floor. (Now you know where he was.) Here, he ordered Hamachi Kama (the collar of the yellowtail fish), Chicken Katsu Curry and tempura, according to owner Gene Yoneda.
New in Dublin: Culinary retailer Sur La Table’s expansion in the East Bay continues, with a new store launching in Dublin just weeks after the Walnut Creek relaunch. Situated next door to Whole Foods at Dublin Boulevard and Hacienda Drive, this location includes space for hands-on cooking classes, and the November-December schedule is already firmed up. “Autumn in the Alps,” “Croissants from Scratch” and “Holiday Tamales” sound tempting to us. Find the full lineup at www.surlatable.com.
More ‘cue: Need a brisket or ribs fix after your flight or the Earthquakes game? Paul Reddick, owner of the Smoking Pig BBQ in San Jose and Fremont, says construction has started on his third Pig, on Coleman Avenue in San Jose. He’s taking over the final spot at Coleman Landings across from soccer’s Avaya Stadium, just down from the airport. Unlike the Fremont location, which also serves up live blues, this location will focus on food, with an emphasis on takeout.
Expansion: Maybe the lines for ice cream sandwiches will go down as more CREAM (Cookies Rule Everything Around Me) shops open? You can test this theory at the new Fremont location in The Block at Pacific Commons, off Auto Mall Parkway.
Send tips to Linda Zavoral at lzavoral@mercurynews.com.
