Espresso: What Was Anthony Bourdain Really Like? Margot Henderson

0:01I want to talk about Fourdain and he I've like I'm obsessed with him like as soon as I read kind of one of the big inspirations for doing this podcast was when I read kitchen confidential I think he's just a fucking legend I think he's a fucking legend I think he's a fucking fuck off fucking restaurant the whole fucking way. But I remember watching, I think it was on YouTube, like 2001, ball day when he came to, did he do it twice with St. John, I think? Yeah. Yeah, but one of the old school when he was like, literally he was on TV, but he was smoking a ciggy, like he had his earring in, like much younger.

0:44And then I think he did one slightly old, like later on with Jay Rayner. Talk to me about like the first day you met him, like what where was that what did that feel like if you can remember i can't remember um but he was fergus's great friend they got on so well they were very connected um they just got it straight off they were like he's a very warm funny clever brilliant guy very nervous as well really yeah very nervous we did a dinner at the groucho once and he would be asked a question and he could take it and go but at the same time his hands were shaking under the table really he was quite shy he was a very sensitive lovely person we adored him and he adored i mean we went to new york and visited him when he was still cooking in his restaurant we're all smoking like crazy and then they brought in the no smoking law and he's we're all still smoking he's taking the fines yeah yeah yeah and then it came that you couldn't smoke anymore it was over yeah but then we did all fight it a little bit in the beginning but stupid yeah but you know change is always difficult well especially with this with his cigarettes remember when i went to new york i went to light up a cigarette because you're not allowed to smoke on the rooftops and you're not allowed to drink outside so i was like expecting to go out for a pint in the city and i was like well mate you can't do this there's not many people smoking you in um in america versus here i don't think no yeah it's which is a good thing it's probably a good thing but not as fun um the so so when you said him and fergus and you guys you just got it what was what do you think it was because i yeah i think it's just about an energy and also it's about restaurants you know you you speak the same language you love the same things you know it's it's not complicated i think it's quite base like a drink or two maybe yeah yeah yeah maybe that's got something to do with it love a long lunch a long lunch you know he liked a long lunch do you think what do you think is better lunch or dinner like in europe lunch yes yeah yeah no well it's you've got more possibilities i'm generally hungrier um and it can go on it can go on harder when you get older yeah yeah long lunch That's a long lunch.

3:05Everything's better. What is it? The first bottle of wine's expensive. There's a quote. I think the first bottle of wine's expensive, but not as much as the second, something like that. But the, that's, so, and then what do you think, you said he's nervous. What other sides to him do you think people didn't really see versus, you know, what was in the book? What was on Hearts Unknown? What was on the layover? Like, what was the other side? I mean, I didn't know him really personally. You didn't know him personally. It was more Fergus. Yeah, but it was more, I mean, he was a clever, sensitive, beautiful man that we all loved.

3:40And we would enjoy his company immensely. And he, you know, he was just, he was fantastic. He's just great company. And we would talk about, we'd talk about restaurants, you know, and food. And, you know, and then, I mean, he then obviously skyrocketed out of this world. But we met on the day, he interviewed me here on the day that Brexit, we voted for Brexit. And I was, because I used to drive a black cab, and I'd gone to sleep early and I didn't know what had happened. And I ran down and asked the passing person, so what happened? And he said, we voted for Brexit. I could not believe it. And then I saw Anthony that day, and I told him I was going to this restaurant and I had to get a train at 12.

4:31I'd even got, not one, I'd even got a motorbike to pick me up. And they're like, oh, Anthony won't get up at that time. I said, well, tell him. I can't believe I said that. I should have put all the stops out. Anyway, he was a darling as always. He's just sort of had it, didn't he? He's so gifted and gorgeous. He just had the ability to just... And a brilliant writer. Such a good writer. effortless right i think he talks about a pie in uh in in sydney and he talks about like it being this volcano and it's like the gravies the lava and it's just it was just the most it's like literally three four sentences but it's just so articulate and beautiful and you look at this pie he's eating in sydney like fuck now that's just so good the um what would you maybe this is a hard question we don't have to go here like you're in the driving seat but like what would you if you were to see him today or like if he was to come here today like what would you maybe say to him or like what would you yeah what would you say to him do you think let's have lunch yeah fancy some lunch yeah what would you cook for him do you think about what i cook for him i think maybe give him a pie you know something soothing and loving he needs lots of love he does yeah Yeah, he needed lots of love.

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