Anthony Bourdain soaks in the melancholy of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires in summer might not seem like the best time to make a show there.

Portenos, as residents of the city are called, generally head out of town if they can, either to Patagonia, or other country homes, or to invade the beaches of neighboring Uruguay.

So the city feels empty. Which was, in fact, just right for us.

- Source: CNN " data-fave-thumbnails="{"big": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160421193741-anthony-bourdain-buenos-aires-in-the-kitchen-00013919.jpg?q=x_0,y_0,h_1080,w_1919,c_fill/h_540,w_960" }, "small": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160421193741-anthony-bourdain-buenos-aires-in-the-kitchen-00013919.jpg?q=x_0,y_0,h_1080,w_1919,c_fill/h_540,w_960" } }" data-vr-video="false" data-show-html=" Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown " data-byline-html="

" data-timestamp-html="" data-check-event-based-preview="" data-is-vertical-video-embed="false" data-network-id="" data-publish-date="2016-04-22T18:12:05Z" data-video-section="tv" data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/04/21/anthony-bourdain-buenos-aires-in-the-kitchen.cnn" data-branding-key="anthony-bourdain" data-video-slug="anthony bourdain buenos aires in the kitchen" data-first-publish-slug="anthony bourdain buenos aires in the kitchen" data-video-tags="anderson cooper,anthony bourdain,argentina,buenos aires,business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,consumer products,food and drink,food products,fruits and vegetables,kinds of foods and beverages,latin america,south america,travel and tourism,vegetables" data-details="">

Video Ad Feedback

Bourdain on Buenos Aires: Meat, meat and more meat

03:29 - Source: CNN

There is already, to my mind, a mournful quality to Buenos Aires, a gorgeous background track of melancholy. You see it in the architecture. You hear it in the tango music. You feel it in the air.

There’s a bittersweet aspect that I find singular and enchanting – and the city’s empty streets and slowed-down pace during its summer months are, to me, perfect.

Using Wong Kar-Wai’s beautifully shot film “Happy Together” as inspiration, we set off to make a really, really good-looking, well-crafted episode that captures a mood, a feeling – and, of course, a place.

One odd and endearing feature of Argentina is how common it is to see a psychologist or psychiatrist.

It seems nearly everyone’s got one. So I saw one too. So welcome to the dark crannies of my skull.

We use an extended therapy session as a narrative device so you will end up knowing much more about me than you ever cared to, believe me. I apologize in advance.

Did we “get” BA? I don’t know.

Whether we succeeded or not I leave to you, dear viewers. But I know this is one incredible-looking show with a painstakingly crafted look to it that I’m really proud of.

- Source: CNN " data-fave-thumbnails="{"big": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160603132211-parts-unknown-anthony-bourdain-buenos-aires-sneak-peek-00002504.jpg?q=x_0,y_0,h_1080,w_1919,c_fill/h_540,w_960" }, "small": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160603132211-parts-unknown-anthony-bourdain-buenos-aires-sneak-peek-00002504.jpg?q=x_0,y_0,h_1080,w_1919,c_fill/h_540,w_960" } }" data-vr-video="" data-show-html=" Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown " data-byline-html="" data-timestamp-html="" data-check-event-based-preview="" data-is-vertical-video-embed="" data-network-id="" data-publish-date="2016-06-03T20:15:20Z" data-video-section="travel" data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/travel/2016/06/03/parts-unknown-anthony-bourdain-buenos-aires-sneak-peek.cnn" data-branding-key="anthony-bourdain" data-video-slug="parts-unknown-anthony-bourdain-buenos-aires-sneak-peek" data-first-publish-slug="parts-unknown-anthony-bourdain-buenos-aires-sneak-peek" data-video-tags="anthony bourdain,argentina,arts and entertainment,buenos aires,latin america,south america,television programming,travel and tourism" data-details="">

Video Ad Feedback

The 'quirky' character of Buenos Aires

01:59 - Source: CNN

This article was originally published in June 2016.