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Anthony Bourdain Was Working on Detroit Documentary Before Death

DETROIT, MI — News swept across America Friday morning of the second celebrity suicide this week. The outspoken and adventurous Chef and CNN Host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room France at the age of 61, the network announced.

Known for his show "Parts Unknown" where he took viewers into exotic kitchens across the world, Bourdain had a special affinity for Detroit. In fact, one of his last projects was a documentary about the city.

Chef Anthony Bourdain from New York in Sydney, 17 March 2005. SHD Picture by JA
(AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND OUT) Chef Anthony Bourdain from New York in Sydney, 17 March 2005. SHD Picture by JACKY GHOSSEIN (Photo by Fairfax Media via Getty Images)

He visited the city back in 2013 for the final episode of the second season of "Parts Unknown," in which he enjoyed his first coney dog at Duly's and raved about a DIY neighborhood barbecue joint.

He later felt inspired to pen a love letter to the city of Detroit and its people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-cR4iEmcUM

"I love Detroit. I love Detroiters," he wrote. "You've got to have a sense of humor to live in a city so relentlessly f-----. You've got to be tough — and occasionally even devious. And Detroiters are funny, tough — and supreme improvisers. They are also among the best and most fun drinkers in the country."

Last year Bourdain was announced as the producer for a CNN documentary series called "Detroit 1963: Once in a Great City." It was to be based on David Maraniss' book Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story.

ABC's "The Chew" - Season Four
THE CHEW - Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson (ABC's "The Taste") appear on "The Chew" today, Tuesday, December 2, 2014. "The Chew" airs MONDAY - FRIDAY (1-2pm, ET) on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty Images)

The project was slated for release this year. It's currently unclear what the status of the project will be following Bourdain's sudden death.

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press in 2016, he called the city "beautiful" and "magnificent" and raved about Motor City.

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