The Zimmern's List Episode Andrew Zimmern Promises Will Make You Cry

Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern has traveled all around the U.S. in search of unforgettable meals to feature on his Emmy-winning show "The Zimmern List," but the episode featuring Portland, Maine, hits closer to home than most. Zimmern himself has said in a YouTube video that it will make viewers "cry, laugh, and be hungry all at the same time." The emotional aspect of this episode stems from Zimmern's deep personal ties to the city where his father, Robert Zimmern, and stepfather, Andre Laporte (the elder Zimmern's husband), spent the last decade of their lives.

Maine is home to some of the best restaurants in the U.S. to order lobster, but this episode is more about Zimmern's memories of visits with his father and stepfather in Back Cove. During these visits, he began a tradition of always buying two baguettes at Standard Baking Co., as his stepfather was a big fan.

In one touching moment, Zimmern visits Standard Baking Co. to grab some of his favorite breakfast items. As he leaves, he realizes he's carrying two baguettes. "I just started crying," Zimmern told the Portland Press Herald in an interview about the episode. "I was buying bread for people who were no longer living." Zimmern's father passed away in 2015, less than a year after Laporte's death.

While Andrew Zimmern currently lives in Minneapolis, Maine is a second home to him that he still visits every year. His journey through Portland highlights some of the city's most iconic spots, many of which he discovered on visits with his father and stepfather — who were both foodies in their own right. Despite Zimmern's tragic childhood, which included drug and alcohol misuse, he says his dad had a huge positive influence on him. 

Aside from Standard Baking Co., Zimmern also visits The Holy Donut, which makes gourmet potato donuts from scratch, and Duckfat, known for its Belgian-style fries crisped up twice in sizzling duck fat (an old-school fat that many people have stopped using). Fore Street, a farm-to-table chef concept that has been a James Beard semifinalist every year since 2002, is also profiled in the episode as well as the Japanese cuisine of Portland's Miyake.

At one point in the episode, Zimmern shares a memory of dining at Back Bay Grill with his father shortly before he died. It was one of his dad's favorite local restaurants. Zimmern explains that his dad was such a beloved regular that the staff once called the restaurant's general manager after Zimmern's father asked to see him, and he came to chat with him on his day off. This touching gesture and Zimmern's memories of his late loved ones are enough to make anyone tear up.

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