Let me start off first by saying that I’ve known about Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018) for a while now. His passing made international news and, for someone obsessed with food, to have only heard his name for the first time because of his death in 2018, was kind of shocking to me. But ever since then, I’ve not been able to run away from the man!

It is well-known that his death is surrounded by some suspicious allegations, but that isn’t really what this post is about – it’s more about his life and the legacy he left behind.

I’m new to the food writing scene and Medium has been flooded with articles about him or about his legacy recently (read: last twelve months). So, I decided to take it upon myself to actually watch one of his shows to truly understand what all the hype around his is about. Boy, was I not disappointed!

I chose Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005) to watch first because it seemed to hit all my interest points with a precision of a sniper’s bullet: the exploration of international culture, cuisine and the human condition that flows from the two. The very first episode, ‘Why the French Don’t Suck’ immediately took me back to memories of a school trip I once took to the historical French city of Montpellier – the crêpes, a visit to Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey (the French monastery surrounded by water), a missed trip to La Rochelle and plenty of sweaty cycling trips with my host family (talk about being fantastically unfit!) – and I was hooked.

The voice over introduction given by the Bourdain (the host of the show) explains that he “wanted to explore the Paris of locals” and to be honest, the guide he’d booked didn’t show up, so he had not other choice but to fend for himself. But trust me, he was very, very capable.

The episode shows a Paris that gives a honest – yet appreciative – depiction of the French being well…. French. And it’s beautiful watch. It’s also funny as hell. I mean, not even ten minutes into the first episode do we have locals making fun of Bourdain’s cowboy boots, “Did you see the freak with the cowboy boots? Who wears cowboy boots today?” they ask themselves as Bourdain leaves a café after having a breakfast of orange juice, coffee, a croissant and cigarettes, “Not even Americans!” The irony of it all!

The storytelling is top tier and reminiscent of the style found in the films, Trainspotting and Mulholland Drive – quite a sensory adventure that forces the viewer to engage with it’s visuals to evoke emotional attachment to what is being displayed. And Bourdain is the perfect host to guide you on that journey. Not only is his innocent curiosity both refreshing and relatable, the entire episode is littered with funny one liners that have you doing a second-take. One of my favorite being his quite honest assessment of needing “a hot chocolate and a couple of fat chicks” because he was cold standing on a bridge in the chilly April morning air. Definitely not for the easily offended.

I found myself laughing through out the entire episode, delighted by how refreshing and honest not only Bourdain was, but also the locals he found. I can’t stop thinking about how charming it was to watch his experience with the infamous Absenthe was (the drink that apparently makes you see fairies), or how amusing it was to hear a waiter seriously tell Bourdain as he guided him through a 400-year old wine cellar that they have so many bottles stored because, “In case of war, we can drink!”

My takeaway from just this one episode is an appreciation of the French’s passionate (almost obssessive) dedication to quality food and quality eating experiences. Their “attitude toward pleasure and sensuality” definitely appeals to the foodie in me. After all, it’s always the simple things in life that make life that much more sweeter.