Anthony Bourdain was a dream dinner guest, Winnipeg foodie remembers
'If there was one person that I could have chosen to have a meal with, I did it,' says former food columnist
Brandon Boone was lucky enough to dinewith hisdream dinner guest.
The Winnipeg foodie shared a meal with Anthony Bourdain, thecelebrity chef and travel host who diedFriday at 61.
"In my perfect world, if there was one person that I could have chosen to have a meal with, I did it," said Boone, the former Flavours Magazine editorand CBCfood columnist.
"That kind of checked the box," he said. "After that, I don't think there was anyone else that could have given me that kind of culinarystardom experience that he did."
Bourdain, a renowned cookwho travelled the world exploringcuisine and culture, died by suicide. He was found unresponsive Friday morningby friend and chef Eric Ripert, according to CNN,which airs Bourdain'smultiple Emmy-winning seriesParts Unknown.
Bourdain had been in the northeastern French town ofKaysersberg working on an upcoming episode of his program.
"His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller," CNN said in a statement on Friday.
"His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."
His death shocked food enthusiasts around the world.
Boone, who now works in public relations, interviewedhim in 2006 when Bourdain visited Winnipeg onabook tour.
They met in the kitchen of the former Osborne eatery Bistro 7. They cooked one of Bourdain'ssignature dishes, steak and frites, anddined together.
He was down to earth, Boone remembers.
"Peoplesay this all the time: 'I thinkwe'd be best friends if we were together in real life.' I really had that feelingafter he left. I felt like calling him up next time and saying, 'Do you want to hang out?'"
Though they didn't meet again, they messaged each other onsocial media.
Boone asked the occasional question about cooking and the world-famous chef graciously replied.
He wasin awe of the places Bourdainvisited, the food he tasted and the people hemet.
"After meeting the guy and following his social media feeds, it seemed like he had the perfect job, the perfect life,"said Boone. "The world was his oyster, to use a food metaphor."
His impact on the cooking scenewas immeasurable, Boone said. Hardly a chef had not heard of him or followed a piece of hisadvice.
Boone looked up to him.
"And now that he's gone, what do you do? I'm not sure who will fill that void."
Bourdainrose through the New York restaurantranks andeventuallybranched out toother cities.
He began to gain wider public attention with the release of Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, a book published in 2000, and the followup the next year,Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal Country.
Bourdain was honest in retelling his struggles with heroin addiction.
As he landed television opportunities, he became known for his acerbic style, admitting to CBC he had honed a role as a "provocateur."
Parts Unknowntook Bourdainaround the globe. At each stop, he woulddelve into the regional cultureand samplethe cuisine, typically led by local experts. Last fall, he was spotted in Newfoundland and Labrador and the nearbyFrench islands of St-Pierre-Miquelon.
He took the intersection of food, culture and politics seriously, preferring to visit local markets and food stalls rather than high-end restaurants.
Bourdain said in a 2016 interview he was "dismayed" at a recent tide in the world of xenophobia and anti-migrant sentiment.
"If you travel as long as I have and as much as I have,and you meet as many people and spend time with them, in countries that we're supposed to hate and who are supposed to hate us, when you see how mostly similar people are, particularly when sitting around a table, it makes it very, very hard [to see]," he said.
He had recently been dating Italian actor-filmmaker Asia Argento, one of the prominent accusers of film producer Harvey Weinstein, and had become a strong defender of the #MeToomovement.
"Anthony gave all of himself in everything that he did," she wrote in a brief statement online. "He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated."
If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts or having a mental health crisis, there is help out there. Contact the Manitoba Suicide Line toll-free at 1-877-435-7170 (1-877-HELP-170) or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-688-6868.
With files from CBC's Meaghan Ketcheson, Reuters and The Associated Press
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