Born June 25, 1956, in New York city, Anthony Bourdain's love of food came from his family visits to France in his youth. He spent years cooking, perhaps best known as executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in New York. He rapidly rose to fame after his book "Kitchen Confidential" was released. It's an auto-biography that also tells the public what goes on behind the scenes in many restaurant kitchens. He was host of several food-related travel shows. He encouraged viewers to travel to unfamiliar places and eat unfamiliar foods, thus educating us, enriching our lives, eliminating racism and building understanding of other cultures.

While filming in Alsace, France, on June 8, 2018, he was found dead in his hotel room, apparently from suicide. He is survived by his daughter Ariane, born in 2007, and two ex-wives.