MAGA hat spotted at beloved Swan’s Oyster Depot sparks online controversy
In a 2016 episode of “Parts Unknown,” the late celebrity chef referred to it as his “happy zone.”
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — A picture of what appears to be a MAGA-type hat behind the counter of a beloved San Francisco foodie spot that was a favorite of Anthony Bourdain has erupted into a major online debate.
The hat in question, a red, white, and blue stars and stripes adorned cap with the numbers “45” and “47” on it was snapped behind the counter at Swan’s Oyster Depot by food influencer, Kat Ensign, known as @katfoodsf on Instagram.
“Spotted at swan after waiting in a long a** line,” Ensign wrote on the photo. “Swan Oyster Depot -> absolutely not,” she added in a caption.
Located on Polk Street, Swan’s is a renowned cash-only seafood counter, known for its fresh oysters, “Sicilian sashimi,” and other seafood classics like crab Louie.
The restaurant was a favorite of the Bourdain, who ate there in several episodes of his various travel shows over the years.
In a 2016 episode of “Parts Unknown,” the late celebrity chef referred to it as his “happy zone.”
The appearance of the apparent pro-Trump hat behind the counter at Swan’s lead some internet commentators to invoke the memory of the late chef, author and TV host.
“Anthony Bourdain would have been so disappointed,” wrote one commentator.
This is not the first time controversy has come calling at Swan’s. In 2021, an Asian customer claimed he and his sister were called “dim sum” several times by a server at the restaurant.
At the time of the incident, Jimmy Sancimino, whose family has run the longstanding Polk Street eatery for decades, claimed that “dim sum” was a term staff uses to refer to customers who order from more than one staff member, as is commonly done a dim sum restaurant.
Following Ensign’s post, which appeared on Instagram Tuesday, a message appeared on Swan’s Oyster Depot’s Yelp page saying the “business was being monitored by Yelp’s Support team for content related to media reports.”
Ensign’s post also appeared on Reddit, where it garnered hundreds of comments and upvotes.