Anthony Bourdain, as Remembered by Friends and Colleagues: See the Photos

"Anthony was my best friend. An exceptional human being, so inspiring & generous. One of the great storytellers who connected [with] so many. I pray he is at peace from the bottom of my heart. My love & prayers are also [with] his family, friends and loved ones."

"Anthony gave all of himself in everything he did. His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many, and his generosity knew no bounds. He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated. My thoughts are with his family. I would ask that you respect their privacy and mine."

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"Our little girl (11-year-old Ariane) had her concert today. She was amazing. So strong and brave. She wore the boots you bought her. I hope you are having a good trip, wherever you are."

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“'Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.' This is how I’ll remember Tony. He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him."

"A piece of my heart is truly broken this morning. And the irony, the sad cruel irony is that the last year he’d never been happier. The rest of my heart aches for the 3 amazing women he left behind. Tony was a symphony. I wish everyone could have seen all of him. A true friend."

"RIP doubtful. Tony’s restless spirit will roam the earth in search of justice, truth and a great bowl of noodles."

"Like so many, I am positively gutted by the loss of Anthony Bourdain.

I had the unique opportunity to take Tony to Emilia-Romagna, Italy, for his television show 'No Reservations,' to show him where I first found my passion for Italian food. It was as cool as it gets...

Every night, after we finished shooting for the day, we would have these wonderful dinners. We always finished with an Averna... It was on that trip that I realized that everyone who had ever read, watched or met Anthony Bourdain was getting the real him. He had the unique ability to come to his craft prepared, but not scripted. He never went in before the cameras started rolling, so when you saw him walking into a room full of Parmigiano and experiencing it for the first time, that was it. He was in life as he was on camera — just as fearless, funny, righteous and human. That’s why he was loved by millions. My heart breaks for his family and friends, and for the millions feeling the same pain. Read him, watch him, remember him."

"Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain. He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food."

"My friend..I know you are on a Ferry going to somewhere amazing.....you still had so many places to show us, whispering to our souls the great possibilities beyond what we could see with our own eyes...you only saw beauty in all people. You will always travel with me."

"Maya and I are so sad to hear the news of our dear friend today. You will be missed terribly. If you or anyone you know needs help, please don't wait to reach out."

"Today the world lost a giant force of nature. [Anthony Bourdain], a brilliant chef who knew how to speak the language of cooks and an unparalleled food /travel/culture/storyteller, but most importantly a dear friend. His passion for cooking, writing and his hunger for adventure was inspiring. We will always have Lyon and those days of eating like kings together with Monsieur [Paul Bocuse] for ['Parts Unknown']. His passionate character and true honesty will be missed across the industry and the world. We will continue to honor you Tony and may you rest in paradise.

My condolences, love and prayers go to his family and all those mourning his powerful soul." 

"Damn it, Tony.

Why?

I’ll always love you, pal.

Always be grateful.

Never gonna stop wondering why, though.

My heart is with you, wherever you are. Sending strength to your daughter.

Thank you, thank you - a thousand thousand thank you’s for everything."

"Today's a day of extreme sadness for us here at Xi'an Famous Foods. I've lost a dear friend today, and we mourn with the rest of the world. I remember the time in 2007 when Tony first visited our basement food stall in Flushing for Travel Channel's No Reservations while I was still in college (even though I didn't know who he was at the time). I remember my father preparing interesting off-menu dishes to get his opinion on when he visited our store. I remember years later in 2015 after interviewing together for an article, I approached Tony and [I] told him, while he may have no idea what he has done for our family and business by simply saying he enjoyed the food, I wanted him to know it helped bring our family out from living in one room in Flushing to living the American dream. We were able to grow our business and provide great food for our guests, and opportunities for our employees. I looked at him in the eyes and said, this is something we will always be thankful for, Tony. And he simply replied, 'I'm just calling out good food like it is, that's all.'"

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"I’m shocked and extremely saddened by the tragic loss of such an inspiring man. Tony was a great soul, a mentor, a friend, a father, and an incredible chef."

"The world would not be better off without you. Oh Anthony, why?"

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"For a lot of immigrants, there's shame when your third-world homeland is seen through a Western lens on national television. Most restaurants don't want to be on camera for fear that they're going to end up on Geraldo or God forbid some local news report about health code violations. But there was something about Tony that screamed, "I'm not like other white people. I'm not here to laugh at you." He didn't see dirty immigrants and aliens; he saw fully formed 360-degree humans containing old ways and wisdom manifested in food." (via Rolling Stone)