American chef, author, and television host who explored global cultures and cuisines with candor and curiosity, transforming the way food and travel were portrayed. Emmy Award winner (2018) for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.
Born in New York to a mother who was an editor at The New York Times and a father who worked for Columbia Records, Anthony Bourdain grew up in New Jersey and discovered his passion for cooking during a childhood trip to France. After two years at Vassar College, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, graduating in 1978. He began his career washing dishes and then moved up through New York’s restaurant scene, eventually becoming executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles, a defining chapter in his professional life.
In 1999, Bourdain published the provocative essay “Don’t Eat Before Reading This” in The New Yorker, exposing the hidden realities of professional kitchens. The piece led to his breakthrough book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000), a best-seller that made him a global figure far beyond the culinary world.
His culinary philosophy centered on authenticity, openness to different cultures, and the belief that food is an expression of humanity. As he once said, “I find, again and again, just by spending the time, by asking very simple questions, people have said the most astonishing things to me.” This approach defined his television career — from A Cook’s Tour (2002–03) to Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005–12) and Parts Unknown (2013–18), produced by CNN.
Personally, Bourdain faced dark periods, including struggles with addiction and the harshness of kitchen life, which shaped his honest, unfiltered voice. He was passionate about rock music and travel, often describing restaurants as “a place to come home to” after a turbulent past. On June 8, 2018, he was found dead in France while filming an episode of Parts Unknown; his death was ruled a suicide.
Bourdain’s legacy extends beyond cooking: he inspired a generation of chefs and travelers, turning food into a universal language of connection. Through his words and journeys, he showed that behind every dish lies a story worth telling.
