Anthony Bourdain, R.I.P.

[Mike in Roseville]

I just heard about the passing of Anthony Bourdain. That was not what I needed to start my day.

Man, I just don't have the words right now, but I'll share some thoughts later.

If you feel the need, please share a cool story or memory (be it from his books, shows, live appearances, or if you ever crossed paths with the man).

[jdorn]

I was fortunate enough to meet Tony and spend time with him. The news this morning was heartbreaking... I'm in tears at the moment... what an extraordinary individual. He impacted my life in more ways than I can count. I've spent 20+ years in the restaurant industry and he was inspiration and source of respite for me in so many ways. My world is a lonelier place today... Chef, you will be missed...

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[inkaddictedchef1]

... what a tough loss. Not so much because I knew the man, I didn't, more over because I live the story. With 20 plus years in the food service industry, working the hot line where you truly are "only as good as your last plate". In an often thankless world full of high demand, high heat, depression and rampant drug and alcohol abuse. Those of us in the trenches who make your food are often folks you would normally shy from... we are the direlicts, pirates, drunks, druggies the socially awkward people who do not do well in more traditional work situations. Rough around the edges,  covered in scars and burns, fueled with caffeine, nicotine and illicit drugs. We the brotherhood and sisterhood of cooks easily notice it in others in our brood, it's in our mannerisms, the knife callous on our hands, our hundred yard stare, that lingering smell of garlic or freshly butchered proteins we are constantly cloaked in. It's the ability to move 10 plus pans in time with 2 or more stations working tickets form multiple servers for a restaurant full of folk who look at menus more like ingredient lists than dining options... July I will be 8 years sober I've fought my demons and am blessed with a beautiful family and life because of it. I've personally lost 5 industry friends this year alone to overdose,  suicide and depression and it's only June. This life is hard for all of us in industry and out.  Hug your loved ones, be available to those who count on you and need you and be honest with self and others. Grill on brothers and sisters. One love

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[jdorn]

... what a tough loss. Not so much because I knew the man, I didn't, more over because I live the story. With 20 plus years in the food service industry, working the hot line where you truly are "only as good as your last plate". In an often thankless world full of high demand, high heat, depression and rampant drug and alcohol abuse. Those of us in the trenches who make your food are often folks you would normally shy from... we are the direlicts, pirates, drunks, druggies the socially awkward people who do not do well in more traditional work situations. Rough around the edges,  covered in scars and burns, fueled with caffeine, nicotine and illicit drugs. We the brotherhood and sisterhood of cooks easily notice it in others in our brood, it's in our mannerisms, the knife callous on our hands, our hundred yard stare, that lingering smell of garlic or freshly butchered proteins we are constantly cloaked in. It's the ability to move 10 plus pans in time with 2 or more stations working tickets form multiple servers for a restaurant full of folk who look at menus more like ingredient lists than dining options... July I will be 8 years sober I've fought my demons and am blessed with a beautiful family and life because of it. I've personally lost 5 industry friends this year alone to overdose,  suicide and depression and it's only June. This life is hard for all of us in industry and out.  Hug your loved ones, be available to those who count on you and need you and be honest with self and others. Grill on brothers and sisters. One love

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Beautiful Matt... thank you... our tribe is unfortunately one person smaller today...

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[addicted-to-smoke]

This news sucks. Here are two links from NPR, the first is their obit and the second a rememberenace.

"We all wanted to be him." https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/06/08/618185381/anthony-bourdain-chef-and-television-host-has-died-at-61


https://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2018/06/08/618194530/remembering-anthony-bourdain-explorer-and-enthusiast?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180608

[jdorn]

.

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[qrczak1]

Yeah, that was really a very sad news today. RIP

[Mike in Roseville]

Alright...

I've thought about it all day. Here goes:

Years ago, I had a job with a lot of down time. I spent that time reading, voraciously. Everything I could get my hands on from the local library just down the road. I'd read 2-3 books per week. Stuff I always meant to digest in college but didn't, recommendations from friends that I never got around to checking out, and things that just sounded cool.

One of the few books burned into my brain was Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential." It opened my world to an amazing character and a wonderful writer. His poignancy and humor were delightful. He came across even more thought provoking in his writing than on screen.

When my wife and I were dating (and newly married) we would always find time to watch "No Reservations" and marveled at what an incredible journey he was taking. I used to check out the DVD's from the library for free when we were in grad school (because cable was too expensive). His humanity is what always came across to me. The desire to talk to people and find out their story. Listening and learning. Trying to connect people in a fragmented world, using food as the primary medium in which to accomplish such a monumental task, was breathtaking.

He haunt's my day-to-day; catch phrases and keywords...subconsciously. In ways of being cool; or trying to be.

I always think of him when I crack an egg. Flat surface, chef. Sometimes, it's on the side of a bowl or pan and know...Chef Bourdain wouldn't approve.

I always think of him at them mere mention of an omelet. He once said (and I'm paraphrasing): 'if you learn to cook one thing well, may it be an omelet. You can feed yourself and even be able to make breakfast for the date you brought home last night.' For a college guy 15 years ago, it was like advice from an older brother (that I never had). Also, his defense of Jacques Pepin is truly priceless. “You know what? If Jacques Pépin tells you this is how you make a fucking egg? The matter is settled, fuck nuts.” That's "what's up;" as they say out here in California. Living on the East Coast, I appreciate the candor; and in an odd way, I miss it.

I always think of him when I am looking to buy a cool culinary gadget, as I often recall his hunt for a duck press. It crosses my mind. The thrill of the hunt for something obscure.

I always think of him when it comes to the idea of "craft beer." I'm a home brewer (on hiatus) that has really checked-out of the "craft beer scene," lately. I saw a sea-change a few years ago I wasn't happy with. Things just getting a little more pretentious; more "snobby."  Bourdain said he found himself "...somehow drinking whatever convenient cold beer is available in a particular place." I've come to gravitate to that mantra. The beer isn't what is special for a given event. Maybe, I just needed his blessing?

I always think of him when I recall our trip to Montreal. Schwartz's and Au Pied de Cochon were they most amazing city treks and memories my wife and I have. We tried to connect with people...the way he did. It changed us. I can't recall exactly what Martin Picard said in reference to Bourdain (he said something to his sous chef about the amount of fat he was being served and was instructed..."just kill him" or something to that effect). Fois Gras, Montreal, out hitting the streets. He haunts me.

Anthony Bourdain came into our homes and brought the world with him. He showed us that we are all human and we are all connected. I learned from him that if we put aside our pettiness and enjoy each other with a meal; then we are one step closer to a better world.  Today, our world is so much emptier without him.

I'll take @inkaddictedchef1 's closing remarks one step further:

Go out and eat at a new restaurant. Try a different dish/ingredient. Chat up a stranger. Realize, we aren't so different. Visit a place abroad that isn't McDonald's.

Food isn't just a daily routine that we consume to go through the motions. It's a social lifeline we must seek. It's a connection we can't live without. It's an opportunity for us to discover ourselves...and those around us.

[pbe gummi bear]

I'm an Anthony Bourdain fan and am deeply saddened by his death. He was a gifted storyteller that found beauty in people, cultures, and food. He could share such colorful, sometimes brash, but always insightful commentary unlike anyone else. He helped me connect with the world and he will continue to inspire my adventures.

[TheDude]

I heard the news this morning. It took me a while to process. I'm at a loss for words. Some very well worded responses here. I'll just leave a quote. "I love meat in tube form."

[Jed.cook]

Beautiful thoughts, everyone. Great guy, who truly tried the world a better place than he found it. He will be missed.


-Jed

[Foster Dahlet]

... what a tough loss. Not so much because I knew the man, I didn't, more over because I live the story. With 20 plus years in the food service industry, working the hot line where you truly are "only as good as your last plate". In an often thankless world full of high demand, high heat, depression and rampant drug and alcohol abuse. Those of us in the trenches who make your food are often folks you would normally shy from... we are the direlicts, pirates, drunks, druggies the socially awkward people who do not do well in more traditional work situations. Rough around the edges,  covered in scars and burns, fueled with caffeine, nicotine and illicit drugs. We the brotherhood and sisterhood of cooks easily notice it in others in our brood, it's in our mannerisms, the knife callous on our hands, our hundred yard stare, that lingering smell of garlic or freshly butchered proteins we are constantly cloaked in. It's the ability to move 10 plus pans in time with 2 or more stations working tickets form multiple servers for a restaurant full of folk who look at menus more like ingredient lists than dining options... July I will be 8 years sober I've fought my demons and am blessed with a beautiful family and life because of it. I've personally lost 5 industry friends this year alone to overdose,  suicide and depression and it's only June. This life is hard for all of us in industry and out.  Hug your loved ones, be available to those who count on you and need you and be honest with self and others. Grill on brothers and sisters. One love

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I worked a few years in the front of the house.....your statement, "food service industry, working the hot line where you truly are "only as good as your last plate"", pretty much sums up the way it is for the back of the house. 

I always make a point to ask the server to tell the chefs they did a great job whenever I get a meal that comes out right.  I know that compliments are few and far in between.

Everyone should work a year in the business.....it is quite an education in bad behavior by the dining public.   



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[Darko]

I'll miss him a lot! I've been watching him since the beginning of No Reservations. He was the one to really get me to understand the joy of food.

[cigarman20]

To me, he was a rock star.  Can't say I understand. Life can be hard no matter what industry we are in. I raise my glass to a man I admire. God speed Mr Bourdain.


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[putoluto]

I don't know if anyone else has seen it, but Mike Rowe (the Dirty Jobs guy) had a beautifully poignant, if slightly rambling, tribute to Anthony Bourdain. Two guys in two very different fields, both honorable, both managed to find a connection with each other.

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"Hello Darkness, My Old Friend"

On a hot night in 2005, after a long day of spelunking through the septic tanks of Wisconsin, I retired to my suite at the Motel 6, to wallow in the perks of my chosen profession.

First, there was the tepid shower, followed by another. Then, there was the tepid beer, followed by another. Then, I logged into the Dirty Jobs Mudroom, where I planned to chat with fans of my show while watching myself on television, (a narcissistic but mostly harmless habit that eventually got out of control and turned into this Facebook page.) But that's another story.

On this particular evening, stretched out on a suspicious comforter held together with the DNA of previous guests, I stumbled across a smart-aleck on The Travel Channel eating fermented shark meat in Iceland, and telling his producer he'd be dead by morning. I had to laugh. Just a few hours earlier, I had been eating a fermented hoagie in an open sewer, and lodging a similar prediction with my own producer.

Naturally, I was intrigued by what appeared to be a kindred spirit, Forrest-Gumping his way around the world, pushing the bounds of non-fiction television. The show was called "No Reservations," and no – I didn't think it was better than Dirty Jobs. But I did think it was every bit as good, and the more I watched, the more I grew to appreciate this subversive chef's naked contempt for all the fakery of traditional production. I loved the way he went out of his way be seen as a "traveler," not a tourist. It reminded me of my own attempts to be seen as a "guest," and not a host.

From that moment, I was a fan. I read his books, and enjoyed them all. But what I enjoyed even more was the way Tony pushed The Travel Channel into some very uncomfortable territory. It's not that I think bad language and drinking on camera are cool or edgy; I don't. But I loved the fact that Tony pushed the network to let the show evolve around his point of view, and his personality. In those days, that almost never happened. It's still very rare, mostly because the shows are the property of the network, and the network almost always has an opinion about how their hosts should and shouldn't behave. But Bourdain was his own man – a man on a mission to produce a show that was authentic to him. I admired that. I also admired the way he pushed back when his name and likeness were used to sell Cadillacs without his permission. https://bit.ly/2Jt0EWB He had integrity, and was unafraid to walk away from a steady gig when he believed he was in the right.

I think my favorite thing he ever did was an episode for Parts Unknown. Tony goes scuba diving for octopi in Sicily, with the help of a local producer. But when there are no octopi to be found on the sea floor, the producer starts dropping them off the side of the boat.

Imagine the scene. Bourdain is twenty feet down with his cameraman, when store-bought, frozen octopi begin to float slowly by. It's absurd, but precisely what a typical producer in my industry would do to do "salvage" a scene. Bourdain however, is appalled, and does the only sensible thing he can – he drinks through the rest of the episode, heavily. Later, in voiceover, he reveals the botched attempt to fool the viewer by airing the raw footage. It's the most honest thing I've ever seen, in a genre that stages 95% of what it presents as real.

Full disclosure – I don't know Tony well enough to eulogize him. We met a few times, here and there, shared a few drinks, and complemented each other on our respective careers. We disagreed on plenty, but we approached non-fiction television the same way. We both looked askance at rehearsals, scripts, executive oversight, and most of all, second takes. And we both tried to use our platforms to do more than entertain.

A few years ago, at an event in New York, we traded war stories over some better than average bourbon. I asked Tony about the warthog anus he ate in Namibia, and whether or not the subsequent antibiotics did the trick.

"Hard to know," he said. "By then, I'd developed a kind of natural immunity. What about you? Still keeping the Hep-A at bay?"

"So far so good," I said. "My problems these days are mostly with PETA."

Tony laughed. "Don't get me started. They've got a file on me the size of a phone book."

We talked about the importance of showing people where their food comes from. He told me about the petition against CNN that arose when he removed the beating heart from a snake. I told him about the boycott against Discovery when I shot a cow and butchered it on camera. We talked about the difficulty of producing a truly authentic show with sponsors and advertisers and millions of viewers with competing agendas, and how grateful he was for the chance to deliver the show he wanted to deliver. I told him about the night I saw him choking down the fermented shark in Iceland, back in 2005, and asked him if he ever imagined a scene like that would lead to a Peabody Award. He told me that awards were nice, but never part of the plan.

"I was mostly trying to amuse myself," he said. "I just wanted to do a show that I could be proud of."

Yesterday, when I heard he'd hung himself, I thought about the first time I saw "No Reservations," while I was stretched out on that suspicious comforter in a Motel 6 outside Madison. I just found the clip on You Tube, and watched it again – this time from the comfort of a leather sofa, where the only DNA present was my own. I couldn't help but notice the title of the episode – "Hello Darkness, My Old Friend."

Old friends, it seems, have a way of reuniting.
Tragically, in this case.

My sympathies to his loved ones, and to his millions of fans trying to make sense of the inexplicable. His was a truly unique voice, and I'll be among those who miss it.

Mike

Original Source:
https://www.chicksonright.com/2018/06/10/mike-rowes-post-about-anthony-bourdain-is-everything/