Ray gets to see Ray's Candy Store on 'Parts Unknown'

CNN aired the series finale of Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" last night, as you might know. The episode, which arrived five months after the TV host and writer's death, was set in the East Village and Lower East Side. "This is a show about a very special place, a special time, and some very special people," Bourdain announced in the intro, the only voice-over during the 75-minute show.

Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A was among the stops (this listicle has all the places he visited) that Bourdain made with a variety of artists, musicians and filmmakers.

Ray was working and didn't get to watch any of the episode. However, afterwards, he was able to see his appearance — in which he serves Bourdain and Harley Flanagan egg creams — courtesy of Eden's smartphone. (EVG contributor Stacie Joy was among the people who stopped by Ray's last night.)

Meanwhile, over at Eater, Greg Morabito complied his best moments-quotes from the episode, including:

Bourdain asking Jim Jarmusch and Amos Poe about the neighborhood: “What do you think now when you walk around the neighborhood? You paid some dues to walk down back in the day, now it’s projectile vomiting frat boys with their baseball caps on backwards. Does this give you a sinking feeling or make you angry?”

Jarmusch, responding: “The thing that I always tell myself is: Look at the history of New York City, and it’s always about hustling and change. And if you want it to stay the same, man, you’ve got the wrong historical spot, because there used to be a Native American trading post on the tip of Manhattan. It’s now Wall Street.”

The 'Parts Unknown' series finale, featuring the East Village and Lower East Side, airs tonight

[Photo of Kembra Pfahler and Anthony Bourdain via Instagram]

As you might know, CNN is airing the series finale of "Parts Unknown" tonight at 9.

The episode, which arrives five months (and three days) after host Anthony Bourdain's death, is set in the East Village and Lower East Side ... and features Harley Flanagan, Lydia Lunch, Richard Hell, Fab Five Freddy, Amos Poe, Jim Jarmusch, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, and John Lurie, among many others.

Along the way, Bourdain, a former LES resident, visits old haunts including Ray’s Candy Store, Veselka, John’s of 12th Street, Max Fish (where they're screening the episode tonight) and Emilio’s Ballato.

Here's a mini trailer...

Some of the biggest names in music, film & art came out of one New York neighborhood. Tony returns to the Lower East Side on the final episode of #PartsUnknown, Sunday at 9p ET on @CNN pic.twitter.com/Ea7FHaOU62

— CNN Original Series (@CNNOriginals) November 8, 2018

And for more on what to expect, here's a preview via Eater:

In the episode, a recurring question Bourdain has for his interview subjects regards the romanticization of a time and a place that, in many ways, was dangerous and bad. Was it all really better then than it is now, with clean streets, Target stores, Whole Foods supermarkets, and fancy restaurants filling the blocks? For Flanagan, it was a “horror story,” but he misses it. Lydia Lunch, who fronted bands and starred in independent films, doesn’t look back with nostalgia and instead lives in the present: “I still have shit to do,” she tells Bourdain over a white-tablecloth meal.

And via Rosie Spinks at Quartzy:

Of course, like the prior episodes in this final season — which, with the exception of the season premiere in Kenya, are devoid of Bourdain’s narration, which he he had not finished at the time of his death — the episode feels haunted by its star’s absence. The voice that told you what was what, who was who, and why you should care is replaced by frenetically-styled transitions, and on-screen text introducing the next interviewee or luminary. The absence of Bourdain’s voice as an anchor feels like a loss throughout, and the disorientation it brings feels like delayed reaction to his death — a reminder that the world we live in is one that Bourdain chose to leave.

In a review of the episode, Verne Gay at the Chicago Tribune sums it up this way: "In one final whoosh, Bourdain is framed in an episode of pure, unadulterated post-punk joy."

Michael Steed, the director, told Eater: "People are going to feel a lot from this particular episode. I just hope people feel something."

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CNN has released several interviews with people featured in the episode, including Lunch (access here) and Lurie (access here).

And if you feel like a post-show egg cream and conversation ... then you can head over to Ray's Candy Store...

View this post on Instagram

Join us at @RaysCandyStore Sunday night @ 10PM following the airing of the final episode of @AnthonyBourdain’s @PartsUnknownCNN for a celebration of travel, food, and friendship. The show airs at 9PM on CNN. Swing by after. Nothing fancy. Ray will be cooking up the classics. Come say hello, enjoy some of Ray's simple pleasures, and raise an egg cream. Click the link in our bio to visit our Facebook Page and view the event details. 📸: Photo via @LauraLeeFlanagan #️⃣ #rayscandystore #eastvillage #alphabetcity #avenuea #nyc #realnyc #smallbiz #ourmanray #everythingmadewithlove #anthonybourdain #partsunknown #eggcream

A post shared by Ray's Candy Store (@rayscandystore) on Nov 9, 2018 at 12:31pm PST

Saturday's parting shot

First Street near First Avenue this morning...

Friday's parting shot

First Avenue...

RIP Anthony Bourdain

People are waking up to the news that chef, author and TV personality Anthony Bourdain was found dead in a Paris hotel room. His employer, CNN, reports that Bourdain took his own life. He was 61.

CNN released this statement:

"His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."

Season 11 of the Emmy-winning "Parts Unknown" debuted on the network last month. Earlier this spring, Bourdain was in the neighborhood filming scenes for an episode to air this fall. Among his stops: Ray's Candy Store, John's of 12th Street, Veselka and Max Fish, among many others. He documented his travels through the East Village and LES on his Instagram account...

Egg creams with NY Hard Core pioneer. @harleyfflanagan at Ray’s Candy Store #AvenueA #CroMags #Stimulators

A post shared by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on Apr 4, 2018 at 1:56pm PDT

The amazing @kembrapfahler_ #thevoluptuoushorrorofkarenblack #NYC

A post shared by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on Mar 31, 2018 at 8:52am PDT

LEGEND Danny Fields , who signed The MC5 , The Stooges, The Ramones And is the living witness to everything that ever happened. Thank you! Watch the Doc “Danny Says” #Veselka

A post shared by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on Apr 3, 2018 at 3:35pm PDT

The man who changed the world: @fab5freddy #NYC

A post shared by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on Apr 3, 2018 at 8:47am PDT

In February 2009, Bourdain's previous show, "No Reservations," aired an episode titled "Disappearing Manhattan." In the last segment, he stopped by Sophie's on Fifth Street to meet with writer Nick Tosches... here is a grainy clip showing 90 seconds or so of the three-minute scene...



As Bourdain said, "Sophie's in the East Village remains a good place to stop time."

Flashback Friday: Anthony Bourdain and Nick Tosches at Sophie's

You may have seen food personality Anthony Bourdain in the neighborhood of late ... filming scenes (to air this fall) for his CNN series "Parts Unknown" ... among his stops: Ray's Candy Store, John's of 12th Street, Veselka and Max Fish. (You can read more about all this over at Eater, Bowery Boogie or Bedford + Bowery ... or Bourdain's Instagram account.)

A post shared by Harley Flanagan (@harleyfflanagan) on Apr 4, 2018 at 3:34pm PDT

So for this Flashback Friday, we'll head back to February 2009, when Bourdain's previous show, "No Reservations," aired an episode titled "Disappearing Manhattan."

In the last segment, he stopped by Sophie's on Fifth Street to meet with writer Nick Tosches... here is a grainy clip showing 90 seconds or so of the three-minute scene...



As Bourdain said, "Sophie's in the East Village remains a good place to stop time." Still mostly feels that way too.

And now, a photo of Anthony Bourdain at The Burger Shop on St. Mark's Place

A tipster passed along this photo... apparently Bourdain was rather randomly? hanging out the other night at the Burger Shop, which opened last fall on St. Mark's Place near Avenue A... eating with a group of friends...



Never been to The Burger Shop. Our tipster really likes it. Perhaps Anthony Bourdain does too...

[EVG Flashback] "Sophie's...remains a good place to stop time"

Originally posted on Feb. 25, 2009...

I finally watched the "Disappearing Manhattan" episode of "No Reservations" (this after blabbering away about it the last three months!). It debuted Monday night, and will air several more times. Grub Street yesterday provided a nice synopsis of what the episode covered.

In particular, I was interested in the last segment, in which Anthony Bourdain shoots the shit with Nick Tosches at Sophie's. It was all of about three minutes (and the shoot at Sophie's took nearly three hours, I was told).

Here's most of what transpired at Sophie's....

"Sophie's...remains a good place to stop time"

I finally watched the "Disappearing Manhattan" episode of "No Reservations" (this after blabbering away about it the last three months!). It debuted Monday night, and will air several more times. Grub Street yesterday provided a nice synopsis of what the episode covered.

In particular, I was interested in the last segment, in which Anthony Bourdain shoots the shit with Nick Tosches at Sophie's. It was all of about three minutes (and the shoot at Sophie's took nearly three hours, I was told).

Here's most of what transpired at Sophie's....

The Bourdainster blogs about "Disappearing Manhattan"

The Bourdainster blogs about tonight's episode of "No Reservations"...

We're calling Monday night's show "DISAPPEARING MANHATTAN," but this is not to suggest that Katz's Deli, or Keen's, or Russ & Daughters are going to fade away anytime soon (if ever). What I am saying with this "Special" episode is that these are exactly the kind of old school, hometown places I love; uniquely New York institutions who have survived the brutal caprices of style and changing tastes -- and are still worth going out of your way to patronize. Let me make this clear: "Old" does not necessarily mean "good." Just cause it's a "New York institution" doesn't mean you want to eat there. If it did, New Yorkers might actually eat at Tavern On The Green -- and Luchows would still be open.

Previously on EV Grieve:
"No Reservations" at Sophie's

"Disappearing Manhattan" and opium chitchat with the Bourdainster (and is the Brooklyn Bridge going to disappear?)

The Anthony Bourdain/"No Reservations"/Travel Channel site posted more information on their "Disappearing Manhattan" episode that debuts Monday at 10 p.m. Based on the publicity still above, should we assume that the Brooklyn Bridge is going to disappear? What does he know!

Also, after poking around the Travel Channel site, I discovered that the Bourdainsters had already posted a snippet of the interview that Bourdain did with Nick Tosches at Sophie's. According to the description of the two-minute clip that was shot last November, "Anthony Bourdain sits down and grabs a beer with author Nick Tosches, to chat about Southeast Asia and Tosches' new book, 'The Last Opium Den.'"

Presumably there's more of this interview (maybe not so publicist friendly?) with Tosches during the "Disappearing Manhattan" segment. Meanwhile, Daniel Maurer at Grub Street had more information on the episode...

Previously on EV Grieve:
"No Reservations" at Sophie's

"No Reservations" at Sophie's: Feb. 23

Back on Nov. 25, I reported that globetrotting chef Anthony Bourdain filmed a segment of his show "No Reservations" at Sophie's. The Bourdainster was joined by Nick Tosches to discuss great old haunts of NYC.

Well! It appears as if that segment is ready to air this Feb. 23 on The Travel Channel...The segment, titled "Disappearing Manhattan," starts at 10 p.m. Don't worry -- it will be repeated many times, according to the schedule...

"No Reservations" at Sophie's

A tipster tells me that globetrotting chef Anthony Bourdain filmed a segment of his show "No Reservations" at Sophie's this past weekend. He was joined by Nick Tosches to discuss great old haunts of NYC. After Bourdain and the film crew left, Tosches reportedly stuck around for more beers and some pool. The episode filmed at Sophie's will air in February.

Well, this is all good for Sophie's of course, but I keep thinking about what Jeremiah wrote in his post on the closing of the Holland:

This just after Anthony Bourdain, mourning the loss of Siberia, praised the Holland, which he called: "A classic old-man bar." He also hailed the Distinguished Wakamba Lounge, a former after-work haunt of mine, and now I'm worried. What if Bourdain has reaper powers?