Anthony Bourdain’s Legacy Is As Big As His Love For Food And Culture Was
Anthony Bourdain was on television for so long that his fans began to feel like his family. He was a traveler, chef, and author who thoughtfully observed the world and invited us along for the ride. He would go to places forgotten to celebrate their life and cultures. While he started his life as a chef, he ended it as an icon. While it's impossible to piece together the events that led to Bourdain's final decision, the impact he left after 61 years on this planet in obvious.
Bourdain Started As a Chef In Manhattan
From the time he was young Anthony Bourdain knew he wanted to be a chef. He fell in love with food when he visited his grandparents in France and graduated from the Culinary Arts Institute of America in 1978.
After graduating, he began working at various restaurants, eventually becoming the Executive Chef at Brasserie Les Halles in Manhattan. With success came a wild lifestyle that included alcohol and any drugs he could get his hands on. His passion for cooking and culture, however, would always be his guiding light.
"Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park."
Working as a chef all over New York City in the '80s, drugs were everywhere. Bourdain used a lot but was still able to function, and even thrive. In his book Kitchen Confidential he described what it was like at the time:
"Cannabis, methaqualone, cocaine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms soaked in honey and used to sweeten tea, secobarbital, Tuinal, amphetamine, codeine and, increasingly, heroin, which we'd send a Spanish-speaking busboy over to Alphabet City to get. Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride."
He Divorced Twiced
Anthony Bourdain first got married in 1985 to his high school sweetheart. Through all his ups and downs, the couple stayed married. Sadly they split in 2005, twenty years after tying the knot. They never had children.
Two years later Bourdain married Italian MMA fighter Ottavia Busia. Busia gave birth to their daughter a week before they exchanged vows. For one of the first times in his life, Bourdain seemed to find stability and peace.
He Was A Fighter
Bourdain's second wife was an MMA fighter, but that didn't mean she won every fight. For how talented she was, he had a passion for the sport as well and could hold his own on the mat. Surprisingly, his own passion was discovered later in his life.
He told Maxim in 2016, "It's the last thing in the world I could have ever imagined wanting to do or enjoying. It appeals to some part of my brain that I haven’t visited before." That same year he won his first fight at the New York Spring International Open.
The Road Is Rough On Relationships
Anthony Bordain and Ottavia Busia may have been 22 years apart, but they shared the same love for fighting and rock music. Busia also used to work in the restaurant industry in New York. She actually met Bourdain through a mutual friend; Eric Ripert.
Unfortunately, travel began to take its toll on the couple, and they divorced after nine years of marriage. Busia revealed that she knew the end was near to Married to a Chef, ""I remember once waking up in the middle of the night terrified because someone was in my bed. That someone was my husband, I had just forgotten that he was home."
The Culinary Rebel
One of the reasons Bourdain became so popular was his rebel attitude. He didn't come off as someone who dedicated their life to becoming famous. Instead, fans just gravitated to him, his love for culture, and his rebellious attitude.
And while he could seamlessly comment about drugs between bites of risotto, he never bought into his own hype, "You can call me the bad boy chef all you want. I'm not going to freak out about it. I'm not that bad. I'm certainly not a boy, and it's been a while since I've been a chef."
He Believed In Honesty
Bourdain was never a chef who censored himself. When he wrote Kitchen Confidential he didn't hold back. The dark side of the restaurant industry was on full display. As he got older he didn't get softer and often criticized other chefs for lacking culinary authenticity.
He also disagreed with vegetarians and described the lifestyle as a "First World Luxury" and stating, "Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food."
He Escaped Using Food
When life weighed heaviest on Bourdain's soul he turned to food to comfort him. Creating culinary masterpieces and exploring the foods of new cultures was one way he cured the things that ailed him.
As he put it, "For a moment, or a second, the pinched expressions of the cynical, world-weary, throat-cutting, miserable bastards we've all had to become disappears when we're confronted with something as simple as a plate of food."
"Peasant" Food Was Some Of His Favorite Cuisine
It didn't matter where he traveled, Anthony Bourdain always wanted to try the local cuisine. He hunted out the local dishes and learned about the communities they came from. It didn't matter if he was in New Orleans or Congo, he loved sitting down with locals, eating their food, and hearing their stories.
"Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me. The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself."
His Final Interview
Maria Bustillos was a writer for Eater when she first met Anthony Bourdain. She had written about him for an article about him, and when she started her own website she decided to double down and interview him again. At the time she was hoping for a 15-minute interview. When it ended, she had spent two and a half hours talking to him.
The interview, which was published on Popula in 2018 covered a wide variety of topics including the #metoo movement, parenting, the '60s, and foods ability to bring people together. Nothing was off the table and Bustillos made sure to keep include all of her raw transcripts with Bourdain in the final finished piece. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
He Wasn't Afraid Of The "Ugly" Parts Of The World
Anthony Bourdain was an extremely empathetic person. Even in the darkest places, he knew there was a light in people and strove to show it. This was highlighted the most when he went to Laos.
Bourdain went to the countries for his CNN show Parts Unknown to show the world a different side of the culturally divisive area, "Laos, like I said, is beautiful. It is a place, despite its government's archaic policies and behavior, worth visiting and experiencing. It is—and feels like—a gentle place where one encounters many kindnesses. The wounds of war are still fresh in Laos—and still causing harm, both physical and psychological. The sooner they are healed, the better for those who live there, and the better for those of us who love to visit it."
He Comes From A Talented Bloodline
Growing up, Bourdain found himself the child of very talented parents. His father worked for Columbia Record and a music industry executive while his mother served as a staff editor for The New York Times.
As soon as Bourdain's own career he began to flourish, he started writing. His knack for storytelling was obvious and in 2000 Kitchen Confidential: Adventured in the Culinary Underbelly was published. Two years later he published A Cook's Tour, which won the Food Book of the Year award from the British Guild of Food Writers.
He Believed Traveling Made People Better
For every pain that Bourdain kept hidden on the inside, he never stopped trying to find happiness. He devoted much of his life to participating in the lives of foreign cultures and studying humanity.
This world understanding was important to him, "If I am an advocate for anything, it is to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody."
The World Troubled Him
Anthony Bourdain once said, "I'm not that optimistic [about] the human race..." He was so in tune to the world around him that he would often feel a deep hopelessness trying to understand the root of our problems.
Another chef and traveler, Andrew Zimmern, described Bourdain this way after his death, "Life is complicated. It's filled with nuance. It’s unsatisfying... If I believe in anything, it is doubt. The root cause of all life’s problems is looking for a simple [expletive] answer. We have lost someone who was, in my opinion, the sharpest and keenest observer of culture that I have ever known.”
Mortality Mattered
It's impossible yo watch an episode of Parts Unknown or No Reservations and not hear Anthony Bourdain reference death. It was one of his favorite subjects to contemplate while he knocked back drinks and talked to the locals.
In the final episode of Parts Unknown, Bourdain discusses the country of Bhutan's culture, surrounding death. He tells his friend Darron Aronofsky, "[Here] It is considered therapeutic to think about death a few times a day... Life is but a dream."
He Quit Smoking To Live Longer
In 2007, Bourdain's daughter, Ariane, was born. The chef decided to quit smoking for her so he could live longer, "I mean, I’ve had more time on this Earth than I probably deserve, and I enjoy cigarettes very much, but now I feel that I owe this child who loves me to at least try to live a little longer, you know?"
He was fully aware that drinking and smoking were his vices, but they were vices that only affected him negatively. His ability to be kind to others and put himself in their shoes is one o things his friends remember him for the most.
Ariane Loves Music
Like father like daughter, Ariane has already found a love for rock music in her young life. Shortly after Bourdain passed away she performed in a School of Rock concert in the East Village at DROM.
Ottavia took a picture of the performance and posted it online with this heartfelt caption to the girl's father, "Our little girl had her concert today. She was amazing. So strong and brave. She wore the boots you bought her. I hope you are having a good trip, wherever you are."
Politics Worried Him
Bourdain took politics very seriously during his life. He kept a close eye on what governments around the world were doing and felt especially uneasy about the divisive state of American politics.
He told Eater, “I think it’s worth acknowledging that this is a country founded in violence, a country that has always worshipped outlaws, loners, cowboys, and people who got the things they got by the gun.” When he sat down with former President Obama for beers in Vietnam, and Bourdain asked him if the future would be okay for his daughter. Obama told him, "I think things are going to work out."
He Was Emotionally Open
Bourdain once said, "As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks — on your body or on your heart — are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt."
He tended to numb his internal pain with alcohol, although no matter how much he drank, it never really seemed to go away.
His Awards Shelf Is Stacked
Once Anthony Bourdain signed his first television deal with Food Network he quit working as a full-time chef. His first show was A Cook's Tour and it aired 35 episodes. When it ended, he took his talents to the Travel Channel and created No Reservations.
No Reservations was a massive hit and ran for eight seasons. It won multiple Emmy award for non-fiction programmings. When he left Travel Channel he joined the CNN family and starred in Parts Unkown.
He Last Days Were Spent Supporting Strong Women
Shortly after his second marriage ended, Bourdain began dating Italian actress, activist, and director Asia Argento. Argento was outspoken about Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulting her in the '90s and was one of the faces of the #MeToo movement.
In 2018, the couple attended the Women in the World Summit together. Bourdain then also wrote an essay for Medium which read, "In these current circumstances, one must pick a side. I stand unhesitatingly and unwaveringly with the women."
Bourdain Spoke Up For The Unfair Treatment Of Latinos In The Food Industry
Working in New York kitchens put Bourdainside-by-side with Latino immigrants. How they were treated, despite their work ethic and obvious culinary talent, never sat right with Bourdain.
He made his thoughts clear writing this, "Just about every time I walked into a new kitchen, it was a Mexican guy who looked after me, had my back, showed me what was what, was there—and on the case—when the cooks more like me, with backgrounds like mine—ran away to go skiing or surfing—or simply flaked."
He Wanted To Show The Value Of Mexican Immigrants
In an essay published on Tumblr, Bourdain wrote, “Despite our ridiculously hypocritical attitudes towards immigration, we demand that Mexicans cook a large percentage of the food we eat, grow the ingredients we need to make that food, clean our houses, mow our lawns, wash our dishes, look after our children."
"As any chef will tell you, our entire service economy—the restaurant business as we know it—in most American cities, would collapse overnight without Mexican workers. Some, of course, like to claim that Mexicans are ‘stealing American jobs.’ But in two decades as a chef and employer, I never had ONE American kid walk in my door and apply for a dishwashing job, a porter’s position—or even a job as prep cook."
Bourdain Spoke About His Depression
Throughout his travels, Bourdain spoke philosophically about what he saw. At the beginning of each of his shows, he would narrate his thoughts, oftentimes highlighting his own depression at the same time. For many, these moments were lost in the beauty and warmth of his voice.
"I understand there's a guy inside me who wants to lay in bed, smoke weed all day, and watch cartoons and old movies. My whole life is a series of stratagems to avoid, and outwit, that guy."
He Lived in the Moment
Bourdain worked hard for his money when his career began. He would spend 12 hour days in the kitchen for five to six days a week. His take-home pay would be around $120, and he would spend it without thought for the future. He didn't even have a savings account until he was 44-years-old!
Bourdain said, "I didn’t put anything aside, ever. Money came in, money went out. I was always a paycheck behind, at least. I usually owed my chef my paycheck: again, cocaine." About once a year he would change jobs after getting bored and maxing out a credit card to go on vacation.
Becoming Famous Made Him Think About The Future
When he hit his forties, Bourdain made a stunning realization. He never wanted to owe money again. He began living more frugally and even signed up for a health insurance plan for the first time in his life.
When Ariane was born, he also began saving money for her future, "I’d like my daughter and her mom looked after, both while I’m alive and after. They shouldn’t have to worry if something bad happens, so my investments and savings are based on that.... Life is too short."
Those Closest To Him Knew How Tired He Was
Bourdain's work schedule while filming Parts Unknown was brutal, and those around him saw the toll it was beginning to take, “His travel schedule was grueling, and he often seemed quite beat-up from it, as anyone would be. He’d put everything into the shoots and then go back to his room to isolate."
While in France, the crew was staying at a five-star hotel in Kayserberg. Bourdain was friends with the hotel restaurant's chef, Eric Ripert. Every night the pair would eat dinner together. And then in the mornings, he would eat breakfast with Monsieur Nasti, another local chef,
Thursday night, however, Bourdain didn't come down for dinner.
Bourdain Didn't Come Down For Dinner
On the final night of his life, Anthony Bourdain never came down for dinner. Ripert thought it was strange he would miss her meal, but decided not to say anything. Because of how intense filming was, everyone brushed it off.
The next morning, Bourdain didn't come down for breakfast. No one had heard from him over the last 12 hours, and concern started growing. By 9:30 Bourdain's radio silence was too much to handle and Ripert decided to check in on him.
Bourdain's Fate
Ripert went up to Bourdain's room on the morning of June 8th and found him dead. The chef had used the belt of his hotel robe to hang himself. Overcome with grief, Ripert told Bourdain's mother, "Tony has been in a dark mood these past couple of days."
That same day Ripert posted on Twitter, "Anthony was my best friend. An exceptional human being, so inspiring & generous. One of the great storytellers who connected with so many. I pray he is at peace from the bottom of my heart. My love & prayers are also with his family, friends and loved ones."
He Was Clean And Sober On His Final Night
With how much Bourdain enjoyed drinking and smoking marijuana, it would be fair to assume traces would have been found in his system after his death. Surprisingly, there were zero traces of anything according to reports.
Prosecutor Christian di Rocquigny told Reuters, "No trace of narcotics, no trace of any toxic products, no trace of medicines, no trace of alcohol." Knowing how dark a place he was in, it only makes Bourdain's death even more heartbreaking.
Asia Argento Was Heart Broken
Weeks before he left the world, Bourdain was filming an episode of Parts Unknown Asia Argento in Hong Kong. Argento was directing the episode, and the couple shared several photos of their trip. They were madly in love.
Argento posted this to Instagram after he died, "Anthony gave all of himself in everything that he did. His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many, and his generosity knew no bounds. He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated."
Some People Blamed Asia
As terrible as suicide is, it is never okay to point the blame to find a reason. Following his passing, fans needed to find answers, and many began looking at Asia Argento as the cause for his despair.
Days before his death, Argento was spotted holding hands with another man in Rome. People speculated that her ties to another man must have pushed Bourdain over the edge. This, obviously, was not the case as what happened to Bourdain was not something that can be explained with one photo.
Rose McGowan Defended Her Friend
Actress Rose McGowan was close to the couple at the time of Bourdain's passing. And she was quick to defend Asia amidst all the finger-pointing, "When Anthony met Asia, it was instant chemistry," she wrote. "They laughed, they loved and he was her rock during the hardships of this last year.”
“[The pair] loved without borders of traditional relationships, and they established the parameters of their relationship early on. Asia is a free bird, and so was Anthony. Was. Such a terrible word to write. I’ve heard from many that the past two years they were together were some of his happiest and that should give us all solace.”
Asia Tried To Help Before It Was Too Late
Anthony Bourdain was there for Asia Argento as she relived her past during the #MeToo movement. Through it all, she thanked him for his unwavering dedication and support.
While his support was public, Argento showed Bourdain just as much support for his own problems behind the scenes. She saw his depression worse and fought to get him the right treatment, even writing, "I'll stick with you baby for a thousand years, nothing's gonna touch you in these golden years, gold @anthonybourdain."
Iggy Pop Was One Of His Friends
Anthony Bourdain and Iggy Pop had a lot in common and became close friends while the chef was alive. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Bourdain was candid about how much the pair had in common, including the longing for death;
"I have a real problem being content. When I finish a book I get that same sense of sort of loss and sadness. I'm hoping for a mob-style execution. You don't want to be hit by, like, an ice-cream truck. Then caught up in the wheel well and dragged down the street with the ice-cream truck playing happy music. This is my worry."
Anthony Was Open About His Anger
In the same interview Bourdain was asked about the angry tone that is often present in his writings. He responded, "Well, I'm often angry. I think some of Iggy's best music was angry music. I think it's a valid feeling. A lot of Raw Power and Fun House in particular, when I was an angry young man, those songs, some of those songs, I needed to hear those songs very, very badly."
"I was very unhappy, angry, frustrated. You've got to be careful about what you do with that anger. I think fear is a much more dangerous emotion. I think what we are seeing in America is more an ugly reaction to fear than anger. Anger is a byproduct of fear."
He Quoted Other Troubled Writers
As a best selling author, Bourdain was influenced by other great writers. Many of his favorite authors were just as troubled as he was, and he would quote from them and their works often.
Two of his favorite authors were Raymon Chandler and Hunter S. Thompson. Chandler was known for his depression as much as his books, while Thompson found anger in politics and fought endlessly to expose America's political absurdity. Thompson committed suicide in 2005. Chandler was never able to take his own life despite his best efforts.
Bourdain's Mission Is Incomplete
David Klion, a writer for The Nation memorialized Bourdain after his tragic death, proving that his mission would be carried on, "Bourdain understood that the point of journalism is to tell the truth, to challenge the powerful, to expose wrongdoing. But his unique gift was to make doing all that look fun rather than grim or tedious."
"[He] made it possible to believe that social justice and earthly delights weren't mutually exclusive, and he pursued both with the same earnest reverence."
People Paid Tribute At His Restaurants
As the word of his passing spread like wild fire, fans began paying tribute to the late, great chef. The bombarded his restaurants and left flowers and notes to show their love and admiration.
One of Bourdain's most famous restaurants was Brasserie Les Halles, a French eatery in Manhattan. He was the head chef for years, and the people of Manhattan took great pride in the fact that he called the New York borough his home.
A Brewery's Touching Tribute
Bourdain's restaurants weren't the only ones honoring him. Many establishments around the world found ways to pay tribute to the culinary icon. Some made extravagant gestures, while others kept it beautifully simple.
Bier Brewery in Indianapolis, Indiana paid tribute by creating a chalk mural above their taps. The drawing was full of color and life, reminding us of just how much brightness Bourdain brought to the world. Other bars wrote quotes on their sandwich boards to honor his everlasting memory.
