5 facts you probably didn’t know about Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain in “Parts Unknown”

A household name all over the world, Anthony Bourdain is one of the first prominent chefs to transcend the four walls of the kitchen out into the world of celebrity. Notorious for his roasts —both edible and audible — and particular standard from food to even art and music, here are a few things you may not know about the captivating mystery that is Anthony Bourdain.

1. His first real job was as a dishwasher

In a responsible attempt to avoid the influence of vices as a teenager, Bourdain headed off to Cape Cod to secure a job as a dishwasher at the age of 17. Bourdain was quoted saying that if he hadn’t become a dishwasher boy, he would’ve ended up on a “petty crime loserville and wouldn’t have made it out of his 20s.”

      2. Before his celebrity chef famedom, he was a mystery novelist

Over the years, Anthony Bourdain has written several critically acclaimed books on food which put him on the radar. But before all that, he wrote a mystery novel back in 1995 about a homicidal chef.

      3. He can mince onions, garlic, and even meat…but not his words

Part of Bourdain’s charisma is his well-articulated, no-holds-barred comments. Leaving no sentiment unsaid, Bourdain almost always makes sure he gets his disapproval – and on rare occasions, his approval – across. On his disdain for juice cleanses, Bourdain writes on a Reddit post, “I don’t understand the juice cleanse. I mean, if you’ve ever had a colonoscopy, the doctor gives you something that will cleanse you right quick, so I don’t really understand juice cleanses.

      4. He hates Billy Joel’s music

According to Bourdain himself, there used to be a time when he fired employees who listened to and visibly enjoyed Bill Joel’s music in the workspace.

       5. Oyster changed his life forever

In his book Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain shares the first time he ever ate an oyster, “It tasted of seawater…of brine and flesh…and, somehow…of the future.” He recalls, “I had had an adventure, tasted the forbidden fruit, and everything that followed in my life – the food, the long and often stupid and self-destructive chase for the next thing, whether it was drugs or sex or some other new sensation – would all stem from this moment.”

After all his adventures and accolades, Anthony Bourdain continues to fascinate and even educate. On the 8th season of his critically-acclaimed show, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unkown, viewers are taken on an exciting trip to incredible destinations including Hanoi, London, Montana, and Rome. 

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown airs every Sunday at 8:10 pm on the Discovery Channel.