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Anthony Bourdain Visits Disappearing New York, Tries to Disappear Dive Bar

Anthony Bourdain left behind the Momofukus and the Le Bernardins for a week, dedicating the most recent episode of No Reservations to "disappearing Manhattan." Tony visited all those classic New York places that everyone always espouses their love for -- Katz's Deli, Manganaro's Foods, Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop -- and everyone espouses equally as much about why most of them keep closing. (Hint: Could it be because certain media personalities keep devoting most of their airtime to places like Momofuku and Le Bernardin instead?? Just a thought.)

But we do appreciate Bourdain's love for these old school New York dives, even if for only one episode. Although we have a bone to pick with Tony—in his mostly excellent tour of disappearing Hell's Kitchen, he walks by his fave old dive, Holland Bar (532 9th Avenue, no website of course), and lumps it in with the masses of shuttered gems, lamenting its closure again later in the episode.

Holland Bar is the real deal—a place where no one knows your name, service is not accompanied by a smile, but the bar is dark and the vodka is cheaper than anywhere in Manhattan. And most importantly, Holland Bar is not closed. It just took a temporary break for a mild renovation—don't worry, Tony, it's still dirty as hell, with the same unfriendly, drink-your-afternoon away vibe. Sure, there are the occasional inevitable "hair-gelled douchebags" as Bourdain would say, but we have to wonder if Tony wasn't trying to trying to trick us away from this dive bar gem. Don't disappear it yet, Tony! Manhattan isn't totally lost to the wine bars and douchebags.

· Disappearing Manhattan Travel Guide [No Reservations]
· Anthony Bourdain Directs a Food Porn [Jaunted]
· Anthony Bourdain travel coverage [Jaunted]

Photo: [Travel Channel]