Frito Pie Defenders Lash Out Against Anthony Bourdain, Force Apology


Frito pie defenders are lashing out against celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who made fun of the look of their down home concoction and made the ultimate insult — claiming the New Mexican favorite was actually imported from Texas.

The television food critic visited the Five & Dime General Store in Santa Fe, trying the famous Frito pie for the CNN show Parts Unknown. It wasn’t exactly his favorite, as Bourdain said the chili used in the dish comes out of a can and the cheese looked like a “day-glow orange cheese-like substance.”

But the ultimate insult was his claim that Frito pie actually comes from Texas.

“Neither the Frito, nor the Frito pie, are indigenous to New Mexico. They were actually Texan,” Bourdain said. “New Mexico, you have many wonderful things. I think, let Texas have this one.”

The comment didn’t sit well with New Mexicans. Social media was aflutter with chatter about Bourdain as many rose to the defense of the chip-and-chili mixture. Mike Collins, manager of the Five & Dime, said Anthony Bourdain got it completely wrong. The dish he ate on the episode was made from locally grown chile, Collins noted.

On Monday, Bourdain owned up to his mistake.

“He admits that ‘we got it wrong’ about the chile,” his spokeswoman Karen Reynolds said in an email. “And we’ll try to correct it for future airings.”

Bourdain added that he actually enjoyed the Frito pie, though stopped short of giving it a full endorsement.

“Contrary to the impression left by some reports of the show, I, in fact, very much enjoyed my Frito pie in spite of its disturbing weight in the hand,” he said. “It may have felt like [expletive] but was shockingly tasty.”

It seems Bourdain has learned not to mess with Frito pie fans.

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