My Friend Tony

Anthony Michael Bourdain

1956-2018

Tony was just beginning to enter my consciousness, watching “No Reservations” and I was smitten!  Since traveling to Europe the summer after graduating college, I have become passionate about travel and the food culture.  It was an instant “love affair” with the t.v. host!

Coincidentally about the same time, I was visiting The Big Apple and happened to be waiting for a car to the airport when I noticed a gentleman, dressed in all black, furtively taking one last drag on a cigarette before entering the building.  I would call this a “slide-by”___kind of like in the movie “Sliding Doors”.  Not believing my luck, I asked the doorman, “Do you know who that was”?  He replied, “Yes, that is Tony Bourdain.  He lives in this building”.  And just like that, our paths crossed!

It made total sense! When I watched his NYC episode with all his favorite local hangouts___Papaya King and Le Veau d’Or  (my favorites dishes being Celeri Remoulade, Fillet De Sole Meuniere, and Mousse Au Chocolate)___we were further connected.

Have you ever had a feeling when “celebrities” that enter your world___be it books, t.v., or sightings___become a friend?  And now with social media, you can be even more banded together.

That was my history with Mr. Bourdain.  His world took me places I will never go.  And while that lifestyle looked glamorous, exotic, exciting, it must have been draining as well.

I have had the experience of walking down the street feeling so sad and alone, while everyone else I see is laughing, happily engaged in life.  But, I have come to understand that behind every facade there can be misery, misfortune, and heartbreak.  One rarely gets through this life unscathed.

Re-reading “Kitchen Confidential” and “Medium Raw”, I have a better understanding of his life.  What a brilliant writer and gifted story-teller.

His life made a huge “IMPACT” on mine.  I will miss “MY FRIEND”!