Why Anthony Bourdain Almost Never Ordered Mussels At Restaurants

It is comforting to assume that restaurants can do no wrong where storing quality ingredients is concerned, but that is, unfortunately, not always the case. Someone who knew that better than most was celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. Before Bourdain was sharing his genius cooking tips with the world, he saw the good, the bad, and the ugly behind the scenes of many a culinary institution. With his intimate knowledge of the back of the house came trepidations about ordering certain menu items.

In between visits to his favorite fast food restaurant, Bourdain liked to sample cuisine from around the globe. However, in his book "Kitchen Confidential," he confessed that one thing he chose to avoid when dining out was mussels. After years of watching various establishments leave the mollusks sitting in their own filth until they were ready to be cooked, the "Parts Unknown" star tended to turn his nose up at the often-beloved seafood delicacy.

It wasn't just how they were stored, either. Bourdain indicated that it was rare to see chefs pick through a batch of mussels to double-check the quality, and sub-par mussels from a restaurant can do more than sour your dining experience.

Fresh mussels have a sweet, briny flavor that seafood enthusiasts live for, but you will know a bad one from the fishy odor they give off. That unpleasant smell will transfer into whatever they are cooked in and could potentially taint fresh mussels, too. However, there's more to be concerned about than the taste.

Like some other forms of seafood, mussels are filter feeders. As they absorb nutrients from their surrounding environment, they also take in toxins that may end up in their flesh. These toxins are removed if the mollusks are fresh and properly cooked, but if they are dead, this may be more difficult. What's more, mussels left to sit in nasty conditions may be dead before they get cooked. And if no one is checking to ensure the quality of the seafood daily, the dead ones may begin to spoil. 

Eating spoiled mussels at a restaurant, even if they've been cooked through, raises the possibility of contracting food poisoning. Bourdain was seldom willing to risk ruining his appetite or the taste of his favorite classic cocktail with spoiled food. While not all restaurants handle mussels the way Bourdain witnessed during his time in the industry, it is something to think about the next time you are dining out at your local seafood establishment. You might politely ask waitstaff about how the mussels are sourced and prepared, and going to a spot with a reputation for high-quality fresh food is also a good bet.