This Film Anthony Bourdain Named 'The Best Food Movie Ever Made'

While Anthony Bourdain's love for food truly knew no bounds, his criticism of pop culture on the industry (from popular food trends to many cooking shows on television) was oftentimes quite scathing. That's why whenever Bourdain found himself deeply fond of something like a food-centric film or series, he was not afraid to give it all the props it deserved. This was the case for Disney's "Ratatouille," a movie that wasn't only one of the most beautiful Pixar creations ever but was also among Bourdain's favorite food-related features of all time.

When Bourdain was asked about food-centric movies years later in 2011 by Entertainment Weekly, the animated film was at the top of his list of favorites. The reason for this, according to the eventual host of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," came down to its honesty and accuracy regarding the world of food. "It's a measure of how deficient Hollywood has been in making an accurate restaurant-food based film that far and away the best was about an animated rat," Bourdain reflected. "They got the food, the reactions to food, and tiny details to food really right ... I really thought it captured a passionate love of food in a way that very few other films have."

Now, while someone's appreciation of a film can sometimes take some time to manifest, Bourdain's love for "Ratatouille" was quite immediate. The beloved celebrity chef could even be found praising the animated film mere weeks after it hit theaters in the summer of 2007 when Michael Ruhlman asked Bourdain about it for the author's blog. Above all, Bourdain was deeply impressed by how detailed the movie truly was. "The best restaurant movie ever made," Bourdain praised, "The best chef movie. The tiny details are astonishing: The faded burns on the cooks' wrists. The 'personal histories' of the cooks ... the attention paid to the food ... And the Anton Ego ratatouille epiphany hit me like a punch in the chest."

Bourdain's appreciation for the film should not be particularly astounding considering the fact that the former host of "A Chef's Tour" had a hand in making it as great as it was. The beloved world traveler was named in "Ratatouille" as a part of the Special Thanks portion of the film's end credits. This honor came from Bourdain aiding the filmmakers during the movie's early production. "I am hugely and disproportionately proud that my minuscule contribution (if any) early, early in the project's development led to a 'thank you' in the credits," Bourdain expressed in his closing remarks to Ruhlman, "Amazing how much they got 'right.'"