In high school I started working in a seafood restaurant as a busboy and then at a nice dinner house. One Sunday I filled in for a cook that didn’t show for Sunday brunch. At 17 I was cooking the broiler and expediting and I loved the energy and pressure. When it went right it was exhilarating and when you were in the weeds it could be miserable. I cooked eggs for brunch which was virtually every dish including fried, poached and omelets. One Mother’s Day we did nearly 1,000 covers.
What a perfect companion to Kitchen Confidential. Bourdain was such an authentic person on camera and in writing - he wasn't afraid to show the good, the bad, and the ugly of himself exactly as he was, and people rightly loved him for it.
I wish I had met Mr. Bourdain before he passed away. I've read all of his books, and still can't put down 'Kitchen Confidential' to this day. Great personality and a great chef. I could of hung out and partied with him. RIP. 😑
This is so warming and heartbreaking at the same time. Tony worked across the street at Les Halles when i was the chef at Park Bistro before Phillip took over. Every lunch break i would go across the street to chat with him while he smoked. He was the most genuine person as you see here.....
@@starlessmystery6429 read kitchen confidential, he became a chef because he was good at organization and he was all about the party lifestyle that supported his cocaine and then heroin addiction. He went to Vassar.
@@bayareaartist999 He went to Vassar for a year or less, following a girl from his hometown. He dropped out cause he was more into partying than studying. Became a cook for the same reason. CSA was because he wanted to be able to keep living the lifestyle and not have to be a dishwasher the rest of his life. He was not that organized before he'd been mentored by a chef in NYC or New England.
@@dropkickmurphy4114 He got into the college, that says more than graduating from it. I have 35 years in the industry and I have had my fill of the heroin/drug/alcohol addict characters. And I don't care how charming a person IS, I'm over the toxic work environment.
@@GoTraveler you misunderstood me. I'm referring to the chef wiping his nose with his towel that he most likely continued to use after contamination. Chefs don't wash their hands nor change out their kitchen towels often.
None of these other movie shorts even come close to Bourdains charismatic talents in leading us all down that curious dark alley into curiosity of life....he took us there hand in hand and then satisfied our human needs of fulfillment. The crumbs of food leading us into ecstasy of tastes and curiousity whether it be food, sex, or darkness of unknowing..... the smells of burning fries or crispy chicken skins. Erotic soups made from curry and peppers and sweat. A thunderstorm evolving into a rainbow of perfection, a scent of fine whiskey, tobacco and the wisp of some perfect cooked meal....upstairs..just out of reach. Just as Tony slipped away from us into his next lifes adventure....RIP Anthony you mirepoix you...pah!
I'm pretty sure you mean "Covid." He also didn't have to see Russia's brutality in Ukraine. In fact, he missed the recent Putinization of Russia over the past few years, especially this year, 2022.
“Travel changes you. 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.”... --Anthony Bourdain
First watched this episode 8 years ago when my life fell apart and I was barely getting by washing dishes at a local Italian restaurant. Now I'm a cook at one of the best restaurants in my city. Can't thank Bourdain enough for the inspiration, may he rest in peace.
I was amazed when I realized the guy he was talking to at Ciro's and Sal's was the giant "8ft, 360 lbs, carved from a block of obsidian" grill man from the book. 😂 Bourdain made the grill man seem so scary when telling the story of how he humiliated himself, but he was so nice and warm here.
@@rhysm.5915 He did say in the book's Afterword that he realized Tyrone was not as huge and scary as he remembered lmao, but it's so wholesome to see how much of a good relationship they've had since those days.
@@rhysm.5915Also I don't remember what age he wrote about in the book when he went to work there, but Anthony must have been at or near his (Bourdain's) adult height of 6'4"
The "mods" bring out the best and worst in me as a cook. On one hand, I get to break out of the mold and really tailor something to an individual, on the other, I'm slowing service to the entire restaurant to pander to some entitled prick. I once had a customer who wanted to mix his own salad dressing tatableside. I had to run to the prep area to portion bullets of worcester and vinegar etc. in the middle of dinner rush because the FOH manager didn't have the balls to tell the guy "No."
That person was probably thinking i could be healthy by asking for no butter, however the sauce that comes with their dish is made of clarified butter and egg yolks. In a busy in restaurant like that, they probably make like 5L of it, which is at least 2 to 3lbs of butter.
Most of Tony's episodes are great, but this one is a masterpiece. The psychology and culture behind being a chef is so interesting, so rock and roll, and I had no idea before I saw the late, great Tony Bourdain. Thanks, bub
It’s a tough world to live in but it’s addictive the sounds the smells the feeling of a hot meal being made is a atmosphere most chefs can’t turn away from but the industry is riddled with substance abuse because it’s tough you work hard and late don’t get breaks durning rush hrs and are yelled at by irrational customers who believe they know best it’s a world for few people but those who last always end up genuine because in a close quarters environment bluntness is sometimes necessary. Wherever tony is I hope he’s got a good drink
" Many of us have messy, dysfunctional,chaotic lives outside the kitchen: but inside the kitchen we have the only structure in our lives" Antony Bourdain 2 minutes in. a rare glimpse into his personal live before he became a victim of suicide.
Crazy how he is so introspective, especially knowing how his life ended! A very brilliant but troubled soul....like Robin Williams or Kate Spade and countless others
It was those horrible anti depression pharms he was taking...Excacerbates a minute case of blues into Wrist slashing vertically with a popcicle stick. So went L'Wren, Mick's designer girlfriend. ..
@@salmonsandwich3183 your out your mind bro tony is the GOAT he basically created the platform that zimmern works with now. I guarantee zim looks up to bourdain as a pioneer.
It's hard to watch these, He was my idol in the Kitchen and viewed life and politics the same as me. I'm glad they are here to see. I was mad at him for a while. but I missed his voice too much. RIP you knucklehead.
Really, really miss this man. Legendary story teller, no bullshit, see life and cultures and their food as they are, in an honest, humble, almost reverent way.
he's the best. the great Anthony Bourdain inspired to travel, enjoy life more, and most recently....start a RU-vid channel. Wish he were still here making cool stuff!
The way he kicked his dope habit by diving in to the restaurant industry gives me hope that I'll find something to pour my soul into and forget about the drugs... but he still met the same end as so many other ex addicts. I don't know what it is but the lucidity and intelligence that made him so great at what he did probably also exposed some of the horrors of reality. I hope he's in a good place now.
I used to use drugs, I still do but used to too. Jokes aside, don't give up. Shoot for your dreams. Don't wait for abstinence. Learn along the way. Moderation is key. Believe in your dreams regardless. Don't degrade yourself because you do drugs. Most people do but hide it. Especially the rich. Just don't burn out and take care of yourself.
Hope you’ve found something to pour your soul into, wether you’ve forgotten about the drugs or not. Life can be pretty empty without some sort of passion or fulfillment. Drugs don’t replace a passion, even if they make us forget it. Hope you’re in a better place now than when you made your original comment.
I wish you’d stuck around Anthony. But it was your life at the end of the day. And it’s beautiful to see this episode. Great little glimpse into that world.
First time I met Anthony I was a line cook in the Old Market in Omaha, he was walking down the Alley between service meeting chilling with us, we smoked a joint and I swear he was itching to get in our kitchen. Met him about 12 years later I had started my transition by then and it was like old times he just used my new name and pronouns. Pure class.
This has such a cool, early 2000s feel I didnt realize I was nostalgic for. Has a very late night, HBO taxicab confessions feel lmao minus the sex 🤣 The intro is sooo late 90s, early 200s.
I worked on the same block as Les Halles in DC. Once a month, prices and finances permitting, I'd take lunch there. It's one of the bright lines in my life pre and post 09/11/2001. Yes the year is important.
I started to cook in the mid 70's myself at a restaurant called Uncle John's Family Restaurant in Rockville, MD. At the end of the shift, the manager would go in the back to smoke pot utilizing a teapot and foil with holes, as a few would grab a bottle of wine and carrot cake from the fridge and walk out the rear door.
I wasn't a big Fan but: the Man could tell a Story and I being a cook/ chef myself would know exactly what he meant. Great Insight into a cooks life in the ( my case) the 70's.
Mr. Bourdain was such a beautiful soul. He suffered long enough. It would be selfish to wish he was still here on this earth when he clearly didn’t want to be. I hope you finally found peace. You are loved by so many! ✨🌟✨
@@stormwatch7245 you just brought that to my attention! I always remember the intro & him saying that.. but now I get it.. he seems to have always struggled with a dark force. & I can relate to that.
Makes you realize life on this Earth is so precious....from barly hanging on....to living the dream, and everything in between....I hope he's found his peace 🙏. He made a huge difference in the world. Rest easy....you are missed by millions 💛
Still have difficulty accepting that he took his own life. He had life by the balls - money, fame, friends... everything that an average person strives to accomplish - yet it wasn't enough to fill the dark void in his life. At the end of the day, everything that he had wasn't enough to make him happy. More than anything, I think what led to Anthony taking his own life was his overwhelming cynicism and restlessness. He seemed incapable of simply sitting still and enjoying the view. Of stepping back an appreciating his success and how far he had come. Sadly, I think of the selfishness of his act. The significant hurt and damage that he brought to his family and friends. I hope that he found the peace in death that he couldn't find in life. So sad.
He killed himself because of that manipulative, narcissitic Italian woman Asia Argento. She cheated on him and broke his heart. I read the book that came out recently and apparently Argento wouldn't even let him see his own child and if he posted any photos of his daughter she threw a bitchy fit so he stopped seeing her as much but she made sure her own two kids were with them and even were in his instagram stories. He also stayed friends with his wife Ottavia amd had some crazy idea of having his ex wife and daughter stay at on estate and Argento would stay at the estate next door and they would all live happily ever after, neither woman went for that scheme. I am pissed off with him for doing that to his daughter. You just do NOT kill uourself if you have a kid. Period.
That poor guy at 2:51 ! As much as I love Anthony Bourdain, I would not have wanted to have worked for the pre-fame Tony Bourdain! I can imagine he had a foul mouth and pretty bad temper during his time as head chef at Les Halles. I think if I had the choice I would rather have worked as a trash collector in the Bronx! lol
Tony would often say he was not a chef but a sellout. That is a lie since to me he was More than a Chef, he thought of food as something else, he was able to look Beyond the plate and ingredients. He gave Food another Meaning so no, he was not a chef, he was way More than a Chef. My mentor, my inspiration. You will be forever missed Anthony
I didn't know that ANTHONY BOURDAIN went to the c0ulinary Institute of America in 1975,I went there in 1982,after I got out of the ARMY in 1980 and I graduated in 1984 and to work at THE HELMSLEY PALACE under EXECUTIVE CHEF Andre renee
