Frito pie fiasco: Anthony Bourdain apologizes for attacking beloved New Mexico dish

Food critic Anthony Bourdain recently visited a Santa Fe snack bar to try their "world-famous" Frito pies for his new show, "Parts Unknown."

On that episode of the CNN travel series, Bourdain left a bad review on the famed Five & Dime General Store snack, calling the chili used in the dish "canned" and the cheese used a "day-glo orange cheeselike substance."

He also said that the Frito pie was actually invented in Texas, not New Mexico.

"Neither the Frito, nor the Frito pie, are indigenous to New Mexico. They were actually Texan," Bourdain said on the episode. "New Mexico, you have many wonderful things. I think, let Texas have this one."

Bourdain's review left New Mexicans and Frito pie fans with a bad taste in their mouth.

The outrage led Bourdain to issue an apology.

"He admits that 'we got it wrong' about the chili," Karen Reynolds, a rep for Bourdain, said in a statement. "And we'll try to correct it for future airings."

Bourdain also left some words.

"Contrary to the impression left by some reports of the show, I, in fact, very much enjoyed my Frito pie in spite of its disturbing weight in the hand. It may have felt like [expletive] but was shockingly tasty."

Five & Dime store owner Mike Collins also called Bourdain's comments "completely wrong" and claims their chili is in fact homemade, not canned.

"I don't have any idea where he got that from," Collins said. "I mean, if we're using canned Hormel Chili then I'd like to buy stock in that because what we have is good."