Favorite fast food that Anthony Bourdain ordered in disguise

Anthony Bourdain had his eyes on Popeyes. Amid a live-streamed life of fine dining and cultural exploration, Bourdain secretly loved Popeyes macaroni and cheese. In an interview with The Boston Globe, the late celebrity chef, world traveler and television host said he would “sneak into (Popeyes) in a hoodie, late and at night” – all for a portion of warm pasta with cheese (by Eater). Popeyes macaroni and cheese is one of their most famous sides, and the juicy and creamy flavor balances the crispy, deep-fried chicken. He said that despite Bourdain’s attempts to remain incognito, his fans still notice him.

While trying to secretly show his love for fast food macaroni and cheese, he revealed his hidden admiration to People. Bourdain said some mornings he craved macaroni and cheese. Sometimes the hunger would be so bad that he would sneakily buy macaroni and cheese from Kentucky Fried Chicken instead if the same thing happened.

Perhaps Anthony Bourdain loved Popeyes macaroni and cheese for its simplicity. In fact, he omitted commonly used, refined additions that, according to his own recipe, can add elegance to the dish, opting for an unpretentious, classic version with butter, milk, flour, four types of cheese and spices. Similarly, Popeyes’ recipe combines butter, cream and grated cheese, which are baked together to create golden and gooey macaroni and cheese.

Popeyes advertises its simple macaroni and cheese as homemade, which points to another potential reason why Bourdain was such a fan – it’s comfort food. In an interview with People, he said that Popeyes macaroni and cheese was a balance between the constant traveling and adventurous eating – such as fermented Icelandic shark meat – that he had been making for much of his life. Because Bourdain was from New Jersey, many other home-cooked meals came from dirty, leaky establishments. However, viewers might not have expected the chef and world traveler to be obsessed with fast food macaroni and cheese; he, like many of us, had his inevitable, mundane pleasures.