Anthony Bourdain started working in a kitchen in New York more than 20 years ago, in 1978. He made it all the way to executive chef of the French restaurant Les Halles, but while that achievement alone would be enough for most, Bourdain has also become an author, TV personality, producer and more. Esquire took a look back at Bourdain’s life. In 2000, he published a memoir, Kitchen Confidential, which became a bestseller and launched him into the spotlight. From there, he went on to become the host of the Food Network show A Cook’s Tour, which aired from 2002 to 2003. In 2005, Fox picked up a scripted series based on Kitchen Confidential, but it only aired for four episodes before it was canceled. Also in 2005, No Reservations, featuring Bourdain as a globetrotting host, debuted on the Travel Channel. It ran from 2005 to 2012 and solidified Bourdain as a celebrity. A spinoff to the show, called The Layover, ran on the Travel Channel from 2001 to 2013. In it, Bourdain visited a city for 24 to 48 hours. He got his own imprint in 2011 under HarperCollins. He moved on in 2013 to host CNN’s Parts Unknown, a travel show that focuses on food, culture, and politics, which is still on air today. He has won four Emmys for the show and during one episode filmed in Vietnam, Bourdain ate a meal with then-President Barack Obama. Also in 2013, Bourdain was a producer and judge on the ABC cooking competition The Taste. In 2015, he started a live-speaking tour, called the Close to the Bone tour. On top of all this, Bourdain has helped produce two movies, Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent and Wasted! The Story of Food Waste.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
