11(ish) fun facts about the one and only Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain knew that one of his superpowers was acting as a conduit to tell other people’s stories. It's a superpower that took him around the world and allowed us to travel with him, indulging in our own curiosities.
For years people have had the opportunity to share what it was like to gather with their community and experience their city through Bourdain’s eyes; knowing that it would feel both like falling in love with it for the first time and a nostalgia-inducing holiday home visit.
This article is in celebration and gratitude for the moments of expanding our horizons and inviting us to share his passions, as well as laughs and sardonic humor, along the way. I present to you a list of fun facts about the legendary Anthony Bourdain:
1. He wouldn't touch ranch dressing, well-done beef, chicken nuggets, or anything labeled "gluten free" with a ten foot pole.
2. Tokyo took the top spot among his favorite food cities.
3. His best friend of twenty years was Michelin-starred chef, Eric Ripert.
4. Out of his deep appreciation for cultural diversity, Bourdain told show producers about his vision for highlighting Houston, which included "no white people."
5. He considered brunch to be a scam.
6. The National Science Foundation invited Anthony and his crew to a remote Antarctica location for an episode of Parts Unknown, which involved undergoing a series of rigorous medical exams in preparation.
7. His first kitchen gig was for a wedding...one where he also caught the chef assisting the bride with infidelity.
8. Bourdain was a beneficial component in the launch of Bradley Cooper's career.
9. Throughout his career he received twelve Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won four of those bad boys.
10. In 2011 he joined the ever-growing list of celebrities to make an appearance on The Simpsons for the Season 23 episode, "The Food Wife."
11. Anthony had immense respect for the power of writing, which ran in his family. Among his explorations with the art were:
Wearing the hat of "mystery novelist"
At one time he wanted to be a comic book artists when he grew up
Writing for the HBO series, Treme
His book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, put him more noticeably on the map in 2000
He received his own publishing line with HarperCollins imprint Ecco Press in 2011
Bourdain’s last post on his blog was written in 2016, in remembrance of poet Jim Harrison:
BARKING
The moon comes up.
The moon goes down.
This is to inform you that I didn’t die young.
Age swept past me but I caught up.
Spring has begun here and each day
brings new birds up from Mexico.
Yesterday I got a call from the outside
world but I said no in thunder.
I was a dog on a short chain
and now there’s no chain.
Anthony Bourdain spent the last two decades of his life reflecting our world back to us in his own sincere and poetic ways; inspiring others within and well beyond the kitchen.
For all of the ways he felt compelled to create change in the world; for the marks he left behind...we thank him.
By Sam Jump
