Anthony Michael Bourdain ( bor-DAYN; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author and travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourdain was a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in 1978. He worked in many professional kitchens, including several years as an executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in Manhattan. In the late 1990s, The New Yorker published an essay by Bourdain, kickstarting Bourdain's career and legitimizing the point-blank tone that became his trademark.