7 Anthony Bourdain Television Shows To Add To Your Watch List

The late Anthony Bourdain was an undeniable icon of the culinary industry. After writing a frank article-turned-memoir about his experiences as an executive chef in Manhattan, the "Kitchen Confidential" author catapulted to national fame, as did his unusually direct way of communication.

Bourdain's stark personality was just as big a factor in his stardom as his culinary expertise. A lanky, loudmouth former drug user with tattoos and a swearing habit wasn't unusual for his hometown of New York. But his unwavering realness redefined the concept of a celebrity chef, just one of the ways Anthony Bourdain changed the food world forever.

The iconic chef made many memorable TV appearances, including late-night interviews and voicing a parody of himself on the animated sitcom "Archer." But his deep, global passion for cuisine and culture shone through most in the four shows he hosted throughout his career, all inextricably rooted in the belief that food unites us all. Many are familiar with "No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown," but he also made frequent appearances on several other shows that are well worth the time of any foodie or Bourdain fan.

"A Cook's Tour" was Bourdain's first TV series and second book, with the premise of a traveling chef seeking the perfect meal. Fans regard it as a unique time capsule showing a younger, less jaded Bourdain (relatively) brimming with enthusiasm. The minimal production provides an unusually intimate and unfiltered look at his experiences compared to his later shows.

Conceptually similar to Bourdain's first show, the Emmy award-winning "No Reservations" relied on local guides to unearth hidden culinary gems that few casual tourists would — or could — ever find. And sometimes, he bit off more than he could chew.

Beirut became one of Anthony Bourdain's most dangerous destinations when the 2006 Lebanon War broke out mid-filming. Bourdain and crew watched bombs fall for a week before an anonymous fixer helped them flee.

The premise of this series is that Bourdain has a 48-hour layover in a city, showing viewers how to get around and enjoy local cuisine. Unlike "No Reservations," "The Layover" presented itineraries viewers could create themselves.

However, Bourdain disliked this series for its grueling filming schedule. He shot each episode in 48 hours, a process that normally took five days. Fans recall him occasionally seeming grumpy about it, though that arguably made him more fun to watch.

Befitting both its parent network, CNN, and Bourdain's opinionated politics, this Emmy award-winning series dove deeper into the political and historical context of his destinations and their impacts on the people and their food.

Notable for the Hanoi episode featuring dinner with then-President Barack Obama, "Parts Unknown" was a critical and commercial success. But the show came to an unfortunate end in 2018, when Bourdain died by suicide while in France to film an episode.

Anthony Bourdain was never a host or regular judge on "Top Chef." But he did appear as a guest judge in 12 episodes throughout the earlier seasons, including six episodes of Season 8, the first "Top Chef: All Stars." And he brought his trademark panache to the table, including after one disappointing plate when he told judge Tom Collichio, "It's kind of [got] a home-cooking kind of a thing, but a home I wouldn't want to live in."

After leaving "Top Chef," Bourdain began his own reality cooking competition, "The Taste," co-hosted by fellow chefs Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre, and Marcus Samuelsson. But it may have catalyzed him against the entire concept.

In 2015, Bourdain told Reddit that while reality TV had been good for the culinary industry, it also "created an entire species of cook, who really doesn't want to work in a restaurant; they just want to be on TV. And that's always worrying." This was the last show of this kind he appeared on.

Anthony Bourdain loved many restaurants, from Katz's Deli in New York to Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo. But the PBS docuseries "The Mind of a Chef" focused less on his favorite eateries and more on the food histories and philosophies of other great chefs, as well as scientific explanations of cooking basics.

With Bourdain as narrator, individual chefs like David Chang and Magnus Nilsson starred in multiple episodes, exploring the foundations and expressions of their culinary perspectives. It was a great vehicle to display what Bourdain intimately understood: how food changes a person.