Why Anthony Bourdain Backtracked On His Rule To Avoid Ordering Fish On Mondays

Few people have changed culinary wisdom on a massive scale like the late Anthony Bourdain. The food expert, author, and host of the popular TV shows "Parts Unknown" and "No Reservations" had an outsized influence on the global food industry. His validation of the simple, satisfying, inexpensive cuisine at the Waffle House, his emphasis on destinations for local food culture, his ability to turn hidden gems around the U.S. into bona fide successes, and his avid support for real butter are among the many nuggets of wisdom he shared during his career. Together, these had a huge impact on how people eat. Arguably, though, his most frequently used tip may also have been the one he regretted most: his caution to avoid ordering fish on Mondays.

In 1999, Bourdain wrote an article for "The New Yorker" called "Don't Eat Before Reading This," which became legendary. In the article, he shared that chefs typically would order seafood on Thursday nights in anticipation of weekend business. It usually arrived on Friday morning, with most of it gone by Sunday.

"Many fish purveyors don't deliver on Saturday, so chances are that the Monday-night tuna you want has been kicking around in the kitchen since Friday morning, under God knows what conditions," he said, explaining that in busy kitchens, good refrigeration was rare. "In New York, locals dine during the week. Weekends are considered amateur nights." Tuesdays, he pronounced, were the best nights for fish. While this may have been good advice for the time, an increase in culinary standards and dining frequency means that the tip is now outdated.

In 2016, Bourdain softened his stance on seafood, famously clarifying in an Insider Tech video, "Look, do me one favor, people, please eat the fish on Monday. That was 16 years ago, it was a very different world." Bourdain went on to explain why he was changing course on the advice that many had taken as gospel. When the article in "The New Yorker" first came out, restaurants usually weren't open on Sundays. But 16 years later, things were very different; restaurants operated seven days a week, so ordering happened when supplies were needed, regardless of what day it was.

Not only that, but tastes had evolved since then, too. "We know now what good fish is, and the market has had to respond to that," he said. "It can't get away with serving us the crap they used to." In short, "Eat the damn fish." He did, however, stick by some suggestions about what to avoid ordering at fancy restaurants, such as recommending you avoid ordering such specials as the mussels at the "fake Irish pub," since specials usually are driven by a need to sell excess food. Despite his change of heart, though, Bourdain knew his 1999 advice had taken a too-stubborn hold. "Regrettably, 'Don't eat fish on Monday' is going to be on my headstone," he acknowledged in the interview.