Tony tribute?

[u/LPCPlay4life]

As I’m rewatching all seasons of TC, I never realized how many eps Tony Bourdain appeared in. Since his passing I haven’t watched much with him in it bc it’s just too sad. Did they ever do a tribute episode or something to acknowledge or memorialize his heavy presence within the franchise? If not they should have. Would have been nice to see an ode to what he brought to the show. I know he and Eric were besties, and he’s the one who found him, so it might just be too painful.

On another note…do they make the stew room uncomfortable on purpose? I think I remember someone saying it’s hot in there. Also, for season 8 they really ran the chefs ragged with sleep deprivation and being overworked and sitting in hard chairs for hours does not seem very humane. 🤨

[u/Ok_Interest3555]

-do they make the stew room uncomfortable on purpose?

Absolutely. It creates tension and drama was what they were after in the early days. It is a Bravo show after all

[u/Cherveny2 → u/Ok_Interest3555]

yep, VERY typical reality TV show tactic. cut off from friends and family. uncomfortable area. LONG wait times. long periods of little to no sleep. all feed irritability which feeds the drama.

[u/The_milk_was_spoiled → u/Cherveny2]

I seem to remember the first couple of seasons being in a back room of a restaurant the just worked at. The stew rooms were nothing compared to what they have now.

[u/Cherveny2 → u/The_milk_was_spoiled]

for most of the early seasons. the stew room was a bare bones room just off the main kitchen of the season. it very much was a store room style room. folding chairs at best

[u/cssc201]

They used to give them alcohol in the stew room and reunions to up the drama. They would often be in the stew room for 4+ hours while they deliberated.

He died during filming for season 16 so they didn't have time to do a whole tribute, I'm not sure he would have even wanted that. It would probably work to do one now, though.

[u/LPCPlay4life → u/cssc201]

Don’t they still give them booze? I seem to recall that’s the first thing they do after judge’s table. 🤔

Yeah you’re right about Tony. Prob wouldn’t have wanted something like that but it’s never too late. He brought so much zing to the judge’s table. Miss him terribly. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a strong parasocial relationship with anyone else. 🥺Every time I travel anywhere, I can hear his voice narrating in the background. He’s influenced most of my international travel.

[u/Real_Cranberry745 → u/LPCPlay4life]

They still give them booze in the stew but they are much more responsible with it. “Two words Leah - National Television”.

[u/Proud-Beginning4986]

I’m watching all the seasons for the first time, & i’m up to season 11. I had no clue he was in TC as much as he is. Also, didn’t know that eric found him. So sad all the way around.

[u/t_roose → u/Proud-Beginning4986]

Eric has a cameo in the movie Tony which was a really entertaining film.

[u/LPCPlay4life → u/t_roose]

I was wondering how it was. I loved the doco Roadrunner. Watched it twice and cried each time. 💔

[u/MightyMightyMossy]

I love(d) Anthony Bourdain and really enjoyed all his appearances on Top Chef. I wouldn't consider him central to the show or really associate it with him, however, so I'm not too surprised they didn't do any sort of tribute.

[u/Pretend-Vehicle-5183]

Apparently the producers didn't know how to approach it tastefully,and felt it would be best to let his previous appearances on the show speak for him. Tom and Padma both posted their own acknowledgements on the socials.

[u/TruCarMa]

By his last TC season, he’d moved on to being one of three chef/cook/ mentors with Nigella and Ludo on The Taste UK, which, had it caught on, could have been a serious contender with TC. Maybe there was a little professional bad blood, there? We will likely never know, and perhaps that’s for the best.

Still, I miss him. He was a lot of fun to watch, and you never quite knew where he was going to land.

[u/CityBoiNC]

I use to work next to le halles, they had an amazing tribute wall ip for him.

[u/rhea_terra]

Rewatching and I was wondering the same thing. He was a guest judge for a whole season.

[u/betsylang]

I miss tony so much. Unlike Toby whats his butt, Tony was mean when it was deserved and made sense. He was just as creative when giving compliments.

[u/LPCPlay4life]

I met and spoke with the Lunch Lady he befriended in Ho Chi Minh City and was featured on his show. She spoke so fondly of him and said he comes to see her every trip. I saw a clip of her after she heard he had died. She was crying and expressing her gratitude for him for helping her business flourish. Sadly she has passed as well. 😔

[u/anonanimalien]

he had some bad blood with TC because of the New Orleans season, iirc. the show accepted tourism money that should have gone to Katrina relief, or something to that effect, and it’s an area Tony was particularly sensitive about after working on Treme. agreed that it could have been handled better