Everything We Know About The Upcoming Anthony Bourdain Book In The Weeds
No one knew good food like Anthony Bourdain. Over the course of his lifetime, the traveler and personality carved out new trails for foodies and chefs, while uniting everyone behind some seriously amazing meals. The chef-turned-journalist hosted popular shows like "Parts Unknown" and helped bring to light little-known areas and cultures in global cities — and delved into some of the best meals from each country he explored, offering a truly unique take for viewers. True to his legacy, after Bourdain's untimely passing, every chef and friend he had made over the course of his travels emerged from the woodwork and had memories to share — but few truly knew him personally as well as his crew.
Three years after his death, it's been announced that one of his long-time producers and directors Tom Vitale will be releasing a book this fall that explores what it was like filming in the various remote locations as well as provides an intimate look at just what Bourdain was like off-screen. Entitled "In The Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain," it will be published by Hachette Books, with a release date of October 12, in hardcover, ebook, and audio editions, according to a press release. In a preview, the release says the book will document "everything that never made it onto the screen," reliving some hair-raising adventures Bourdain experienced in Borneo, Vietnam, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya during the filming of shows like "No Reservations."
A deep look into Bourdain's on- and off-camera persona
This deep-dive into the inner workings of Bourdain's psyche promises to offer some hard-hitting anecdotes that give a greater insight into the life of this beloved food icon from the people who knew him best. According to the press release, Vitale knew Bourdain like few other souls and over their travels together — in addition to offering stories of what actually went down behind the scenes — Vitale gives a glimpse into the incredibly private inner life of the star.
As Vitale told People, "By 2018, work had so thoroughly consumed my life anything (or anyone) that even hinted at getting in the way had to be destroyed. You would have done the same thing if you had my job. For over a decade I got paid to travel the world with Anthony Bourdain ... Then suddenly it was all over. With Tony's death not only did I lose a friend and mentor, but also my career and identity. I spent the next two years lost in grief and unable to go back to work, instead silently reliving the whole amazing adventure. Eventually I decided to write some of it down. Once I started, I couldn't stop, there just wasn't anything else I could do. It was too bizarre and incredible a story not to tell."
The new work proves to offer an exciting read for anyone interested in the late chef and food journalist and will have us all enjoying Bourdain's wit and character all over again.