Anthony Bourdain dead at 61

Anthony Bourdain, gifted chef, storyteller and writer who took TV viewers around the world to explore culture, cuisine and the human condition for nearly two decades, has died at 61. Bourdain’s death is said ito be a suicide.

Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his series, "Parts Unknown."  when his close friend Eric Ripert, French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room .

"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," the network said in a statement. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time’’..

Bourdain was a master of his crafts -- first in the kitchen and then in the media. Through his TV shows and books, he helped audiences think differently about food, travel and themselves. He advocated for marginalized populations and campaigned for safer working conditions for restaurant staffs.Along the way, he received practically every award the industry has to offer.

Chef Gordon Ramsay said Bourdain "brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food."

Bourdain visited Panama in 2016, in his show he spoke about the Darien, visiting the fish market in the city, Chinese restaurants, even Isla Grande where he enjoyed shell fish delivered by the Kunas, To add to the drama, the show visit one of Noriega’s previous homes and met the police, helping them dispose of large amounts of cocaine! 

Bourdain’s show made moving to a new country exciting, not scary!