Yesterday, Eric Ripert, Executive Chef at New York’s Le Bernadin and a guest on several of the most memorable episodes of Parts Unknown, shared this lovely video on Twitter:
For those unable or unwilling to watch (though if you can, you should—it’s short and charming), Ripert and Chef José Andrés pronounce June 25 “Bourdain Day,” a chance to celebrate the late Anthony Bourdain’s life on his birthday. They ask people to use the hashtag #BourdainDay and to mark the day “by cheering to Tony anywhere you want, with anyone you want.”
The tone of the video is decidedly celebratory—they use the word “celebrate” a lot, in fact—and both the selection of the day and the timing of the announcement reflect that. What’s never mentioned in this video is Anthony Bourdain’s death, the first anniversary of which also falls in June. At no point does Ripert or Andrés mention June 8, but by calling for this celebration before that day arrives, they are consciously or unconsciously (we’re betting on the former) suggesting that fans and admirers of the author, chef, and producer bypass that first dark anniversary in favor of a much more jubilant one.
That said, Andrés also notes that Bourdain would want people to do whatever the fuck they want:
Earlier this year, our own Kevin Pang spent a week cooking from Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook; if you’d like to get some practice in before Bourdain Day, perhaps make an attempt at this chocolate mousse over the weekend.