Anthony Michael Bourdain, June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018, was born in New York City and was raised in suburban New Jersey. Many knew Bourdain for being a talented chef, author, journalist, and traveller. Parts Unknown and Reservations is his bestselling book that sheds light on some surprising, often darker life details in the culinary industry.
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Bourdain’s collection of memoirs about working as a chef and what goes on behind the scenes in a professional kitchen was the work that first shot him to fame. After his untimely death, “Kitchen Confidential” skyrocketed on Amazon and currently sits on the No.1 best-selling list.
However, his big break came from serving as a chef at Les Halles and writing a kitchen scene expose for the New Yorker.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN QUOTES
Here are 30 curated quotes from Bourdain’s books, writings, and interviews for the past years. Check out Anthony Bourdain’s travel book and cookbook.

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.”
“As you move through this life and this world, you change things slightly; you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life and travel leave marks on you. Most of the time, those marks on your body or on your heart are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”
“Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive, and moribund.”
“Maybe that’s enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.”
“The journey is part of the experience — an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A train to Mecca.”
“Cooking is a craft, I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman — not an artist. There’s nothing wrong with that: The great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen — though not designed by them. Practicing your craft in expert fashion is noble, honorable, and satisfying.”
“To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.”
“The mishandling of food and equipment with panache was always admired; to some extent, this remains true to this day.”
“I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates,’ food, for me, has always been an adventure”
“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.”
Even though Bourdain has gone far too soon, he is loved as the most unfiltered, bold, charismatic, and outspoken chef in the culinary industry. People love his wanderlust for traditions, and his passion for the history of Food he was eating will remain for the rest of our lives. His natural curiosity in different cultures led Bourdain to the path of the world’s most favourite chef and travel host.
We will always have his quotes about travel, life, and reality to push us to learn more about the value of food, travel, and acceptance. We’ve curated these 30 quotes on his teachings about life, food, happiness, and adventure to give you wisdom in your daily life.
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