Remembering Revered Chef, Author, Traveler and Documentarian Anthony Bourdain 5 Years After His Death
Key Highlights :
Today marks the 5-year anniversary of the death of Anthony Bourdain, the revered chef, author, traveler, and documentarian who left an indelible mark on the culinary world. Bourdain was a multitalented l’enfant terrible of the culinary world, and his influence can still be felt today.
Bourdain and his many-Michelin-starred chef friend Eric Ripert brought their very frank and very funny Good vs. Evil show to the Bay Area over the weekend. The two packed the house in San Jose, selling 2,351 tickets to the show at the Center for the Performing Arts, theater managers said.
On the way to San Jose, Bourdain mentioned a plan to torture Ripert with chips and snacks, then asked his Twitter followers whether there was a Tex Wasabi’s in San Jose. (Bourdain’s disdain for Guy Fieri, owner of Wasabi’s and Johnny Garlic’s, is legendary.) A mild panic ensued among South Bay twitterers.
In a scripted roadshow that managed to feel fresh and spontaneous, the two laughingly grilled each other, prosecutorial style, and riffed on everything from embarrassing restaurant moments to sustainable seafood before taking questions from the audience. Among the printable bits:
—Tit for tat: Bourdain teased Ripert about the snooty name of his New York City restaurant, Le Bernardin, suggesting that a better one would be “Eric’s, A Place for Fish.” Ripert chided Bourdain for launching his own TV shows after criticizing as “sellouts” other chefs who do so.
—If stranded on a desert island with three chefs: Ripert said he would select French chef Joel Robuchon, Suzanne Goin of Los Angeles and local star Kinch. “You’re such an (audience-panderer),” Bourdain responded. His picks were Mario Batali for Italian food, sushi master Jiro Ono and Robuchon.
—On California’s foie gras ban: “You guys got suckered into looking like rubes,” Bourdain said. Both spoke of ducks raised cage-free for foie as receiving better treatment than caged fowl.
—New York vs. San Francisco: These East Coasters give the nod to N.Y. for high-end cuisine, with Bourdain noting there are enough very wealthy residents to support that level of dining there. Ripert said he was surprised to find that “fine dining in California is much more stuffy than New York these days.”
After the show, the two retreated to a VIP after-party to meet fans and sign autographs — for another 2-plus hours. Joe Cirone of Hay Market Willow Glen was tapped as chef-host. He and his staff created a menu of Fallon Hills Ranch beef and Duroc pork, including “Flintstone”-sized ribs, “Red, Blue and Yolk” burgers, oak-smoked and pulled beef nachos, candied skinless homemade hot dogs, and house-cured guanciale with French breakfast radishes and foie gras butter.
On Sunday morning, Bourdain tweeted a photo of Ripert eating a breakfast quesadilla at the airport, and then they were off.
Anthony Bourdain was an inspiration to many, and his legacy lives on. His frankness and humor will never be forgotten, and his impact on the culinary world will continue to be felt for many years to come.
