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Anthony Bourdain is a well-known personality in the food world. Bourdain is a writer, producer, and host on the award winning series, Parts Unknown. However, in his multiple social media accounts he defines himself as a “enthusiast.”

AdWeek named Bourdain the 3rd most influential person in food.

In Bourdain’s earlier life he worked as a professional chef for 28 years. His career became more serious when he became the executive chef at the famous french restaurant, Brasserie Les Halles. After years of working as the executive chef, he took his talents and created a guide for consumers. His book, Kitchen Confidential was released in 2000 and was a best-seller.

Bourdain’s career took a wild ride after that first best-seller. His publicity sky rocketed. He wrote more books, starred in Food Network shows, and then my favorite part, No Reservations aired on the Travel channel.

This famous enthusiast focuses on travel, food, and the experience. These three aspects come out through his shows and his book through humor and intensity. There are so many food shows to choose from but Bourdain brings a unique personality which differentiates himself from the typical Food Network shows. I find myself engaged with every episode. Bourdain is not afraid to go on culinary tours in Iran or Mexico City, typically negatively thought about cities. Honesty is the biggest part of his exploration. If Bourdain does not enjoy a type of food, he will show that emotion very clearly on his show. This brings shock factor to the public with the feeling of, “did he really just say that?”

Diving into the culture of unfamiliar destinations is what attracts me to Bourdain. I find him being a very credible source for travel guidance because his goal is not to just please his audience, it’s to tell the truth. Dig through food publicity stunts to find passionate and exciting restaurant explorations.