RememberingAnthony
Bourdain

Tony was truly an inspiration on bridging the cultural gaps of today's societies.  He didn't have a superiority complex, but related to the human experience. What a breath of fresh air, especially in these turbulent times. Rest in peace, Anthony. Your perspective on life will be sorely missed.

Anthony Bourdain had a way of bringing my family together.  Regardless of our politics or opinions we had a love for this guy in common.  We could gather around the TV, lean in, and be swept away.  He reminded us of places we'd loved and showed us places we'd love to go.  I thought we were just watching TV but over the years his thoughtfulness and intension taught me that it's a privilege to sit at someone's table and that's a pretty important lesson.

Before I was able to see so many places and people around the world with my own eyes, I saw them through his. I think I watched every episode of A Cook’s Tour and No Reservations — following along as Tony explored the world through the lens of food. I could never get enough. Eventually that following along became following in his footsteps. I set off to explore the world — to see, smell, and taste it all first hand. What started as six months around Asia has now been nearly six years of travel.

These days, I hardly ever watch his shows. I still love them, but I don’t need to watch Tony. I internalized him a long time ago. A voice in my head that encourages me to get out of my comfort zone, go a little further off the beaten path, and to try something new and different. I think of Tony like a friend. I thought that we might meet one day, maybe even work on something together. I suppose that was his charm. His ability to make you feel like an old friend, sitting there at the table with him, even when you were thousands of miles apart. Judging by all the reactions I see in the wake of his death, I guess I must not be the only one who felt that sense of closeness from afar.

I started watching Anthony Bourdain at 14 or 15 years old at the beginning of my depression. I'm 27 now and 4 years sober, but Anthony Bourdain was with me through it all. From No Reservations to Parts Unknown I recorded all the episodes. He was sometimes the only one "with" me in the depths of my addiction when I holed up alone with just me and substances.

Watching "Parts Unknown" with my mom before she died was our connection to a culinary world both of us could ever dream of. As an avid foodie and exceptional home cook, my mom admired his "I don't give a &^%" attitude about anything other than enjoying life and the food in it (I think she also had a super crush on him too). It was one of the last things we watched together and I will never forget what "Parts Unknown" did for both of us; it gave us a few moments of seeing a world, people, and food that few people ever get to see, let alone enjoy. I try and continue to follow in her incredible culinary footsteps and my Sunday nights were the reminder of the passion that both my mom and Anthony had for all things edible and "drinkable". Thank you Anthony for connecting us to the beauty, art, and soul of food. You kept my mother's spirit going a little longer

I cannot believe how much I am grieving for a person I have never met, yet somehow feel like I have lost a close friend. First introduced to him with his writing, I felt like he was someone I "knew", and enjoyed spending time with through A Cooks Tour, Parts Unknown, No Reservations. Maybe his death is so troublesome because it is suicide? Or, maybe it is because Anthony was so cool, and someone I admired so completely. He was an inspiration and I tried to emulate his style of travel; irreverent, fearless, and eat whatever the hell the locals are. I will miss him and his contributions to the world so much.

My first true culinary hero, and major celebrity crush (more than one boyfriend may or may not have been a bit jealous of my appreciation for him). Almost 20 years ago, while studying to become a registered dietitian I read Kitchen Confidential. I had always been weirdly attracted to all aspects of food - seriously, like it was a lover. I had never heard (or read) anyone articulate what he did - the passion, the honesty, humor, the irreverence while being totally reverent - the badassery

When I read "Kitchen Confidential," I was just learning how to live on my own. I did not know how to cook anything except pasta, and was intimidated by what at the time seemed like such a confusing world of measurements, herbs, and different meat cuts. But despite being an expert in that world, he spoke to me through the pages as a real person. He wrote that the simplest way to prepare fish was often the best. Now, years later, preparing food for people I love and breaking bread together with them at my own table is a true joy in my life. I owe much of that to him.

Tony Bourdain inspired my wife and I to honeymoon in Croatia. I was a young line cook in Tallahassee, Florida and his book "Kitchen Confidential" was my bible. The book is  to the T a representation of a young cook in a fast paced line of work. I ran into him in the Atlanta airport a few years ago on the way back from Copenhagen (another place he inspired a trip to). I didn't have the nerve to go and thank him for his life's work and will now regret that moment for the rest of my life. This morning my wife woke me and said "Baby, I have some bad news for you. Before you look at your phone Anthony Bourdain is dead." I reacted much like losing many heroes of mine. She did the same thing when we lost David Bowie and Lou Reed. I put Anthony Bourdain in the same category as mentors and artists that helped to shape me so much that it hurts like losing someone you knew your entire life. Albeit we never met, he was my friend and I will miss him.

A common theme in his episodes, sometimes expressly asked as in the Vietnam episode to then President Barack Obama and sometimes just suggested, was “are we going to be all right?”  That is a universal question on a lot of people’s minds. Through his body of work, Anthony Bourdain gave us the tools to make sure the answer to that question is “yes, we will be all right.”

When I lost my passport in Lebanon, I was thrilled. I used it as an excuse to explore a place he loved so much and ate wherever he suggested. Like Tony, Beirut has become one of my favourite places in the world. I am going back in August and my first stop will be Barbar to eat a sandwich in memory of Tony. As I write this I am realizing just how much his work influenced my life. He used food as a vehicle for story telling and shedding light on injustice. He listened to people. This was revolutionary.

He recommended the restaurant Robert et Louise.  We were doing my sister Winnie's only item on her bucket list - Paris.  We as in 9 family members, her 2 sisters, parents, her favorite cousin Heckle, his mom, and another aunt and uncle.  We rented a 4 bedroom place and I saw his show in which he raved about the steak and potatoes cooked in duck fat.  My sister had cancer but she ordered a second helping of potatoes which was one of her favorite foods.  And we loved the barely cooked steak cooked in the fire.  We had the best table in the house by the fireplace.  It was a rainy day and I remember running with my younger sister, Michelle in the rain to the restaurant so we wouldn't miss our reservation.  My older sister passed a couple of years ago, but those memories and her happiness in Paris surrounded by her family will always be treasured.

At 43, I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma and given a 50/50 prognosis. There was suddenly no time at all to do the things I wanted to do--and given the cost of my treatment, no money either. I would lie on my couch, sometimes comfy, sometimes shivering and sick, and listen to Anthony Bourdain as if he was the best friend I sent on that already-booked trip I could suddenly no longer take.

I went to Quality Meats for dinner in 2015 and met this amazing human being.  Living in NYC, I often saw celebrities and chose never to interact with them- but not this man. I saw him at the host’s table with his family as they were departing and I was about to be seated. I quickly offered him a handshake and he graciously reciprocated. I never do this but I could not resist asking him for a recommendation on what to eat that night.  He replied in his casual, off the cuff manner to start with the bacon appetizer.  Followed by the ribeye steak, medium rare; do not use any of the sauces that they will bring out to the table because they only hide the true flavor.  He then asks his daughter what she ordered for dessert and she replies “ the burnt marshmallow ice cream.” He says that he has had it before and the ice cream is wonderful and to trust her opinion on the current day’s version.

One thing to note is that I typically do not eat pork but when the most prolific foodie-storyteller suggests it, I had to approach it as if we were in a foreign country ordering a dish that I had seen on Parts Unknown. I ordered the meal exactly as he recommended and had a brief insight into the gastronomic feasts that satiated his soul.  I will never forget that experience.

My son and I will remember his life and legacy by finding the best Japanese and Vietnamese restaurants in our city. We will share a meal together and raise a glass of wine in his memory. He inspired my son to become interested in cooking and to have dinner at Maximo’s, a restaurant featured in the episode on Mexico. I never missed an episode. He took me to places I will never see in my lifetime. The show was cinematically brilliant and the images will be in my mind forever. I feel this loss deeply. He was part of my life’s fabric.

well..the funny thing is my wife introduced my to Anthony. Ironically, she is a lousy cook and  that is being absolutely polite in the description of her skills BUT she loved Tony;  his style, his sense of adventure and of course the food he SHARED with her and ultimately me as well. As time progressed my wife remained steadfast is her inability to tackle the pots and pans but she opened both our minds in the variety of places we have gone to and our different choices of food styles because of him. I hesitated to call my wife when I heard he had passed because I knew it would break her heart, it did. It sure did...but it also fortified our love for things that we have shared together and will continue to share much like Tony shared with everyone he touched. Thanks.

My wife's aunt lives in Jackson, New Jersey. When i got moved out here from the PNW, all I knew about New Jersey is what the world thought was funny about it. So I was excited to see the "Parts Unknown" episode about Jersey, to get Anthony Bourdain's take on it. When we next visited, and after a day of walking on the beach at Asbury Park, I suggested we have lunch at Frank's Deli. Of course I got that recommendation from Bourdain, whose picture with the crew is prominently displayed at the deli counter. We've gone on all of our kid's spring break visits since that. So, it will be with a pinch of pain at his loss that we'll have a giant sandwich there next February.

I will remember Anthony as my Sunday night date. I have no celebrity status, I'm just an ordinary girl who loved watching his show.  Every Sunday night I made sure I was in my bed by the time his show came on.. "Anthony Bourdain parts unknown". If I was not home I would make sure I recorded it to watch the next day. He was my escape to parts unknown.. I loved his adventure for life and the different parts of the world that he travelled. I too went to south Korea with my daughter after watching his show and had a great time. I had no fear. He will be missed my deepest deeply condolences to his family.

I remember the first time I ever watched your show and genuinely, I thought you were egotistical and full of yourself and then I fell in love with your show. I watched it every day because you inspired curiosity and wonder in my life. Due to you, I started my culinary career at 14 and I have been in this business ever since and I'm 24 now. You gave me a purpose in my life and helped me figure out what I wanted to do with it. You inspired me, you did guide me and I was encouraged by you to want too try so many things and I've only done a fair few. I can only hope I can be half as intelligent and wonderful as you were and for my life to be as filled with wonder as yours was.

Thank you CNN for this forum, I don't do social media but feel compelled to say a few words. Anthony Bourdain is a regular visitor to our home and we watch his show as a family - I have a 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter - we have laughed and gasped and been astounded by the humanity and the beauty of the show of a long while. It has been a great teaching tool for my wife and I to sit our kids down to view fascinating, yet ordinary people from around the globe. Utterly inspirational. Given the option of television my kids will ask for 'Anthony' and that's who he is in our house, just Anthony, a regular welcome visitor. My kids saw the news this morning and were somewhat confused, it will be a difficult conversation later today. We'll all miss this lovely man, a great unifier and bon river with the ability join people together for the most fundemental of life's pleasures - good food with friends. The world needs more of his ilk... Bless him.

The most appealing part of his shows for me was not the food, it was his narrative, his ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Whether he was eating with Obama or with regular patrons on a food truck in places I never knew existed, he was able to make us dream of a more humane, sensitive world where everyone was special and was treated with dignity and respect. He was able to lift everyone’s spirit, he inspired millions to excel in what they do and the world is a better place because men like Anthony. Although am sad today, I feel that his lessons of life will remain in my memory forever.

It's hard to put into words the impact Anthony Bourdain had on my life. My family wasn't able to travel much growing up but Anthony was there to open my eyes to the magic of adventure, food, and the unknown. He was my idol, my first crush, my direct line to the rest of the world from my living room.  So many of my own adventures have stemmed directly from emulating Anthony's openness, warmth, and inquisition. I can't imagine a world without him in it and I can't thank him enough for being my TV friend in times when I had no one else.

I cried this morning when I heard the news, bawled actually. Last year, I left my job to care for my father who was dying. Some nights when I wasn't totally exhausted, I'd watch old episodes of No Reservations and Parts Unknown. His love of people and place, his honest storytelling, searching for answers, but leaving us with questions, provided me such great comfort during a really shitty period. I was watching his Zanzibar episode late one night and turned to my sister saying, "When dad dies, I am going there."  And I did because of him. I channeled his sense of adventure and curiosity. I even met Abed Karame (Anthony interviewed him) randomly and drank beer with him. He reminded us that the universe was small and we should get out and explore, and get lost, ask questions, and share a meal with a stranger.

He gave us permission to live and love unapologetically.  So very sad today. Thank you for having this page so I can share this memory. My heart is heavy for his family, friends, and colleagues.

I retire on June 30. And I plan to get out of my comfort zone - and go walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. I’m not afraid for my walkabouts to be seen as foolish, nor am I afraid they’ll lead me to a dead end now and again. But I’m determined to gain new insights into the culture of others. I have Anthony Bourdain to thank for my inspiration. My God I will miss him! I am so sad! But having Tony, even for a little while, so wonderful.

I watched a clip of Parts Unknown in an airport lobby months ago. It was right after I had applied and gotten into culinary school, but I was starting to doubt myself. I was worried cooking didn't mean anything, and I didn't want to do something I didn't really love. Watching Anthony Bourdain eat a meal in the home of a family in another country made me realize just how beautiful food can be. He united cultures through food and made me realize culinary school was where I'm meant to be.

Travelling the world as a camera operator I could relate to many of the situations Tony and his crew were putting themselves in. But the way they took on the challenges and embraced them continuously outdoing themselves to always tell such amazing stories inspired me most. Constantly pushing the boundaries of non-fiction television. It inspired me strive to always want to be "more like Bourdain" in my work.

I was fortunate enough to take a course with one of his Directors of Photography someone who I really looked up to professionally. (a professional highlight for me) You can always tell someone’s character by what their crew thinks of them. It was clear that his crew was not only his crew but his friends/family who had the utmost respect for him. Today my heart goes out to his family and colleagues.

I'll remember Tony as the strange looking guy on television who ate anything you put in front of him. I'll remember him as a caring person who taught us that being different is okay. He would travel the world and break bread not only with those who shared his beliefs but those who could not have been further from Anthony stood. He immersed himself in their traditions and ideas, and allowed himself to be open and understanding. He taught us to listen, rather than speak. He taught to break bread, not friendships or ideas. There were no religious rifts, or racial biases with Tony and the people he met.  It was always Just Tony, eating a pork sandwich, having a drink and sharing stories. He showed us that we are more similar than we are different.

He said it how it is. He encouraged people to be open minded and love life for what it is. I love traveling, meeting new people, and trying new foods. His shows were always amazing to watch and inspiring to a fellow traveler. He brought the idea of exploring this beautiful world to every home. Tragic loss.

As a social studies teacher I sometimes pull out episodes of No Reservations to expose my students to different cultures. His episode in Saudi Arabia really demonstrated to my classes how much more people of the Middle East are similar to Americans than different.

Man this is a big question. Tony was a formative person to me. He wasn’t just my hero, he felt like a part of my family. He helped structure my worldview as a young man; not to be afraid of different foods, different people and different places. He directly inspired me to travel frequently in my early 20s. Heck, Tony taught me to cook. I learned how to make stocks and roast garlic from Kitchen Confidential. I learned how to hold a chef’s knife and dice onions from No Reservations. I’m heartbroken today. I feel like my dad died.

I first discovered Anthony Bourdain as a new mother 12 years ago. My daughter was my first (and only) child, and I was so very scared of doing something wrong. It was a whole new world, one filled with the deepest love I'd ever felt along with the deepest fear that life as I'd known it had forever changed. During some late-night feedings, I'd channel surf at 2 in the morning. That's where I found Anthony, exploring the world on "No Reservations." He was hilarious, brilliant, sarcastic, down-to-earth and passionate. For an hour, he made me forget my fears and just laugh and lose myself in another culture.  From then on I've been one of his biggest fans and have followed his career with relish. Godspeed, Mr. Bourdain. I hope he has found peace. He helped me find mine again.

We shared many similarities. A love of culture, the world, Brazilian jiu jitsu. One thing many jiu jitsu practitioners don’t share is a past drug addiction, and I connected with him on that level. Knowing that no matter how bad my life was during my addiction struggle, Anthony made it. He gave me hope knowing that I to can turn my life around, and even one day travel to the places I dream of, share a meal and drink with the locals, and leave my addiction behind. I honestly cried today, and tear up now thinking of his death. Such a great man, and taken far too soon.

I met him at a speaking engagement about 10 years ago. I was almost 40 at the time, and was trying to change my life, so I went to culinary school, then interned on some cooking shows. I asked Mr. Bourdain for an autograph and his thoughts on my next move.

Very inspired. For years I was sick and on dialysis, I couldn’t really travel far or long, I felt connected to the places he went and learned more about the people who live there, what they value, what they enjoy most out of life....really living life, not just what they ate.  Now that I am healthy I dream of enriching my life by traveling to the places I never thought I’d want to visit, but which he showed me why I should.  I will miss watching him terribly.

I was born in Burma but grew up in NYC and his first CNN episode was about Burma (Myanmar).  It was such an honor.  I respect the man and his work; not just only for all his talents but his attitude towards the marginalized population.  He was respectful and an honorable man.  I learn about the world, food and different culture.  As I am not able to travel much right now, watching his show help me to understand more about the world via travel and foods.  I visited Calle Ocho (8th Street) in Miami because of him.  I am so devastated and feeling sad the whole day as I lost my best friend and a really cool uncle that I've never met.  Mr. Bourdain, you will be deeply missed.  Thank you for all your works and my condolences to his daughter and all the loved ones of his.  Rest in peace Tony.  I love you man!

After reading Kitchen Confidential, watching his shows, he taught me that anyone can go from the battlegrounds of the food industry to being anything you want.  Meet anyone you want.  Explore the world anyway you want.

Being from an immigrant family living in the South, I was constantly ridiculed for eating fish roe, ox tails, tongue, and pig's feet. It's now very cool to eat these delicacies, and they are hard to get a hold of now.

Who would have thought that watching a travel/cooking show would be so inspiring! My Sunday evenings became my private little classroom - opening a book of adventures taking place in Cologne, Marseilles, the Appalachian ... on and on. Bourdain's shows just weren't about food - if you never watched an episode, it just can't be explained. It was almost an addiction to see where he would go next, do what and meet who. Even though my career was charted a long time ago, he has inspired me to seek out new restaurants when we escape from the everyday mundane and to relish the experiences - and to dream of the endless possibilities of travel. For that I thank him.

His show was so much more than a food show or travel show .. it touched me emotionally and philosophically on a different level and his commentary, beautiful presentations and dry humor made me wish that I could accompany him in one of his journeys. RIP Anthony ...you will be missed.

I'm not adventurous when it comes to food. I tends to eat only what i know. I've watched Anthony Bourdain travel all over the world and introduced us to dining tables of all cultures and religion, the rich and the poor all had something that we each longed for. The taste and the unique way in which food is prepared and presented, He never turned up his nose and or seemed disgusted of the different kinds of food people ate, instead he ate it and perhaps to numb the taste , he would down a glass of wine or any alcoholic beverage. His goal was to make everyone feel good about who they are as a people. For that I will miss his indelible mark that he left on us as human beings.

I had the honor of selling Mr. Bourdain his beloved Panerai watch in Vegas 5 years ago. I always enjoyed seeing it on his wrist and felt I was a small part of his travel experiences. Tony had a passion for travel and food that was infectious. He was down to earth and always willing to share the "inside scoop" as to where to visit and what to eat. He inspired me to re-discover so many places in the US, I already thought I knew...Little Havana, Koreatown, the Filmore, Bucktown, Williamsburg...too many to name. A gentleman with an edge that will be missed by all the people he touched.

As a poor medical student I was inspired to travel from his shows. I went to the Pacific Northwest because of him. I decided that it was worth the time and money, despite not having much of either as a medical student. Now as a cardiology fellow many years later, I still have a great passion for new places, food and culture. He gives people the little nudge they need to start traveling, which for many will become a lifelong passionate affair.

I lived all over the world growing up; an Air Force brat. My father always found our new home in every country, in the village or the town, not the military installations. Anthony Bourdain allowed my mind and heart to travel with him to exotic, not so exotic and to places I had little or no knowledge of. He was my window to this big, beautiful yet small world. He was a cultural anthropologist-foodologist and a journalist extraordinaire. I felt in sync with his world views. He was my comfort in this all to divided country that I now live. He became my Sunday night buddy. I will miss him with all my heart.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tony when he spoke at my University a few years ago. I just remember the way the students looked at him as he talked about the true meaning of life and how doing and experiencing and pushing yourself out of your comfort levels. I love to travel, I love to eat and I have done it ton on my own and I love to share my experiences and inspire others in my work I get to do that and that is what Tony did for me, that is what he represented for me. I am always thinking of my next adventure and my next new place I want to try and that is how Tony inspired and will continue to inspire me. RIP.

He was a real loving person. Normally when someone is dead people say good things about him or her no matter how really the guy has been during his entire life. I think that almost everybody liked him. I was so saddened and know that he would be in my mind for long.  He would be deeply missed by everyone around the world who watched his TV shows let alone those who were close to him as family, friend or and a coworker and colleague.

When he spoke, it was like you were there in the room and not as a viewer as he had a way to connect with you and draw you in so you felt like you were in the conversation. He inspired me through his ordinaryness, his humility and his disdain for arrogance.

He inspired me to climb to the Pizzarium Bonci in Rome, to go bonkers at the robot museum in Tokyo and just last week to taste if Montreal truly had the best bagels at St Viateur. He motivated me to get up, get out and travel to soak in new cultures. He will be incredibly missed.

Anthony showed me how truly connected we all are. Food, family, ritual, in every culture we all share this instinctive desire to break bread. I loved his humor and frank, open, passionate story telling. This quote says it all:

“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”

Mr. Bourdain spoke to me like no other “personality” had ever done in my 60+ years of television addiction. He was cynical, cutting, deeply feeling, kind, and opinionated while being very thoughtful, and about so much of life in addition to food.  He opened my mind and my tastebuds.....I just wish I could have met him and talked food, politics, music, and Ross MacDonald’s books.

He was my Bob Marley, my Oprah Winfrey, he brought international culture in our home, while sharing his journey with so many people through food. He taught us the important of preserving culture, to share a glass of wine and most importantly a table can be set anywhere with or without utensils. Through food he shared the reality of the world we live in. He will be truly missed. Anthony we love you!! " Walk Good."

My favorite part of CNN has been Anthony Bourdain and “Parts Unknown”. I loved the passion Tony had when traveling, and exploring different cuisines of the world. Recently, Tony visited Little Armenia in Hollywood, California, and there was a tutorial about making basturma. I grew up in an Armenian family and my mother hated basturma, and my father loved it. for the first time in my life, I got to see how basturma was made, and the love and labor that goes into it, through Tony's eyes. I remembered my father who is now deceased, and understood. Tony helped open up a space in my heart.

Tony made me feel normal in the sense that a white kid from Seattle, in an interracial marriage, who cooks Thai food and loves music was par for the course. He helped legitimize Asian cuisine and was loved by my wife who could eat noodles for breakfast lunch and dinner.  A voice against ethnocentrism, a bridge between what is seen as normal and not so much.  A musician that played the instrument of the human condition about as well as it could be played.  RIP.

I first became aware of Anthony Bourdain by his Food Network TV show. The specific episode was where he visited The French Laundry. The way he described food and took you with him to the places he visited left an impression on me. Later when I joined the Navy and would go to different port visits around the world I always made sure to seek out the local off of the beaten path because that's what Anthony Bourdain did; and I had the best time and ate the best food because of Anthony Bourdain.

Anthony Bourdain opened my eyes,arms and the food of cultures of the world. To see beauty in our differences even in its oddness to your own. He helped me understand and see people are people wherever you may go. His show taught me to not be afraid to travel and learn other cultures and embrace others cultures with an understanding and accepting heart.

When Anthony did his story on Vietnam, he brought the human factor into it. A couple of my best friends that are Vietnam combat veterans: they were in the heart of it. I never cared for that country because of what lingers on my with friends, it never goes away. I have to say, he changed my thinking, he brought the human factor into it. Made me realize were all people in the end, were all the same. Nobody is better that anybody else.

For decades, an unpretentious breakfast-only restaurant, which we all call Fonda de Tlaco (after the neighboring Tlacoquemecatl park) in Mexico City, has delighted us with great early morning food and service. It was not until Anthony Bourdain visited it and called it "Probably best breakfast ever" in a Mexico City episode, that we realized we had been enjoying something that stood out to someone familiar with most breakfasts on planet Earth. Tony ended up reaffirming our fondness for the place and the family who runs it, bringing us together, finding out that the real name of the place is Fonda Margarita, honoring the founder, mother of tight-knit family siblings who own it nowadays.

Back in 2005 I was training to be a sous chef and I would drive 90 min each way during the northeast Ohio winter then work 11-12 hour days. I bought the “Kitchen Confidential” audio CDs and listened on my drive every day for my three months. I must have listened to that book 9-10 times during that time. I will always think of that book as my coach during that crazy time. He's a rock star.

I grew up in a Greek diner family and was sometimes made to feel like I was unimportant or that I didn't have anything worthwhile to contribute, the work was hard and you smelled at the end of a hard days work. But Anthony Bourdain validated me and my family's hard work and made me feel like I had something special. I was better able to understand the contribution we made to our community and how important that really is. We are still in the business and love every up and down that comes with it! I will miss Tony Bourdain! You are a ROCK STAR!!! RIP

I grew up in India in a middle class family where the vacation meant summer holidays at grandparents. Therefore, travelling and the joys associated never came naturally to me. Until, I discovered Tony. His thought provoking commentary, his free flowing persona, his zeal to explore, and unbridled curiosity made me the man I'm now. He made a difference to my life.  And through me made a difference to lives of my friends and family. And I'm sure to many more around the world. I just came back from Lisbon going to every place that Tony went when he was there.  A part of me died today... It's tough for me to hold back my tears, and my wife is somewhat confused what’s wrong with me. It’s tough for me to explain the connection I had with him. Tony was an integral part of my life, my personality, my witty one liners that I stole from him. Rest in peace Tony!

I was going through a rough time after a really long-term relationship at the time. Anthony showed me that there is so much more in life, food, culture and most importantly people, than to be upset in the moment. So I began to watch him, cook like him, inspire and do for others like him, just to enjoy the smiles and laughter I can bring to those around me. Thanks to Mr. Bourdain, I honestly would have never found myself in what at the time felt like a dark empty hole. He's brought out curiosity, enjoyment, but most importantly enlightenment. I will truly miss Anthony Bourdain -- a true gentleman and a squire of not just the culinary world but also journalism.

His episode on South Korea was the first thing I watched after learning that I was being moved there for my dad's work. It gave me confidence that I would be fine when I moved there (I was in high school) and that it would truly be an adventure like his. His willingness to adventure into Korea and try the food and meet the people where the exact way myself and my family decided to approach our move there. Thank you, Anthony!

Tony taught me to be fearless when I cook. He took me places I might never set foot, and resonated with my belief that food brings people together, opens doors into peoples’ live like nothing else, and that a good meal and a good drink cut through the BS and bring all humanity a little closer together. Gonna miss you, Tony. Travel well.