In case you missed it, a biopic about famed chef and traveler Anthony Bourdain called ‘Tony’ is set to be produced by A24 in upcoming months. In the spirit of that news, here’s a look at a couple places that Anthony Bourdain enjoyed while in Colorado.
Despite Bourdain once describing Denver as having “nothing worthwhile to eat” and his general avoidance of the Centennial State throughout his television career, he did visit the Mile High City during season six of No Reservations in episode 15, which aired in July of 2010 and had a focus on the “food scene of American Heartland.”
The two Denver restaurants featured in the episode were Mizuna and Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs – only one of which still has a brick-and-mortar spot that remains open more than a decade later.
Bourdain’s first Colorado stop on the show was Mizuna, a fine dining New American restaurant heavily inspired by French cooking techniques that’s located on East 7th Avenue. It’s got 4.6 stars on Google reviews, with menu highlights including Beef Wellington, seared scallops, and foie gras, the latter of which Bourdain sampled during his visit. Other items he tried included bread pudding, roasted squab (immature domestic pigeon), and a meat-heavy cassoulet (a slow-cooked French stew) that included lamb, blood sausage, chanterelle mushrooms, and more.
Overall, Bourdain really seemed to enjoy his meal at Mizuna, and while the menu has gone through various changes over the years, locals and visitors still seem to love this spot today.
The other spot Bourdain visited was Biker Jim’s, which at the time was a hot dog stand, set to make the move to a brick-and-mortar spot later in 2010. Bourdain enjoyed this spot, too, sampling various sausage varieties, including wild boar, rattlesnake, elk, and reindeer.
While Biker Jim’s would make the transition to a brick-and-mortar spot in Highlands Ranch, also later serving up food at Coors Field, this business mostly shut down in 2024 despite a strong Google rating of 4.4 stars. The COVID-19 pandemic reportedly took a heavy toll on the restaurant’s finances, which ultimately seemed to lead to other issues.
While visiting Biker Jim’s brick-and-mortar spot is unfortunately no longer a Mile High City dining option, the Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs food cart can still be found slinging sausages around the Denver metro area, recently at the South Pearl Street farmers market. As far as Mizuna goes, this restaurant remains open for multi-course fine dining dinners. Learn more about booking a reservation here.
Bourdain was born in 1956 and gained international fame upon publishing New York Times Bestseller ‘Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary underbelly.’ He would later become a world-renowned television host, known for traveling to places around the globe to sample the best of the best cuisine, always experiencing a taste of the local culture, too.
Bourdain tragically died at the age of 61 while working on an episode for the show Parts Unknown in France. His death was mourned by his many fans.
Today, Bourdain lives on in the many quotes he left behind that captured his insightful, yet playful take on life:
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
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Dining and Cooking