Chef Expected to Hate ‘Tony.’ The Film Had Other Plans.
The Real Tony: Chef John Tesar Remembers Anthony Bourdain Before the Fame
A Movie About a Summer That Changed Everything
Imagine you’re 19 years old. You’re on a break from college. You run away from home, chase a girl to a beach town, and accidentally land a job washing dishes. That job changes your entire life.
That’s the story of "Tony," a new movie hitting theaters on August 21 in Houston. It’s not about Anthony Bourdain the famous TV star. It’s about Anthony Bourdain the confused, talented teenager — before the fame, before the books, before the world knew his name.
Quick Fact: The movie stars Dominic Sessa as young Tony and Antonio Banderas as the chef who becomes his mentor.
Who Is John Tesar — And Why Should We Listen?
John Tesar isn’t just some random critic. He’s a Dallas chef and restaurateur who actually worked side-by-side with Bourdain in New York City kitchens from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s.
Think of it like this: If you want to know what a young Michael Jordan was really like, you’d ask his college roommate — not a sports reporter. Tesar was there. He saw the real Tony, day in and day out.
Chef John Tesar at his restaurant Knife Italian, located at the Ritz-Carlton in Irving (March 2024)
What the Movie Gets Right (According to Someone Who Knew Him)
Tesar went into the theater expecting to hate it. He came out moved.
Tesar’s Verdict: "This movie touched me. It is really the story of Tony, a confused, but very talented, person. I thought the film did a brilliant job of showing his tender side and also his desire to be a writer. I thought it was really pure."
Key Things Tesar Says the Movie Nails:
- Tony’s personality — confused, raw, searching
- His dream to write — even before he was good at it
- The mentor relationship — the chef who saw something in him
- The messiness — drugs, bad friends, sloppy growing up
The Three Love Stories at the Heart of "Tony"
Tesar puts it perfectly: "It’s actually three love stories: Nancy, learning to cook, and becoming a writer."
| Love Story | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Nancy Putkoski | The girl he chased to Provincetown. They married after that summer and stayed together 20 years. |
| Learning to Cook | The kitchen gave him purpose, structure, and a tribe. |
| Becoming a Writer | He called himself a writer long before he was one. (More on that below.) |
Important Point: Tesar says this devotion to Nancy is the most important plotline in the movie. Far from a summer fling — it was the foundation of his adult life.
The Grease Fire: Did It Really Happen Like That?
The Movie Scene: Young Tony throws water on a grease fire. The restaurant burns. He’s crushed with guilt.
Tesar’s Take: "I don’t believe it was Tony’s fault."
ELI5 Science Note: Never throw water on a grease fire. Water sinks below the oil, instantly turns to steam, and explodes the burning oil everywhere. It makes the fire worse. Use a lid, baking soda, or a Class B fire extinguisher instead.
Tesar was surprised the movie pinned the fire on Bourdain. He thinks the real story was more complicated — and less Tony’s-fault.
Bourdain the "Liar" — A Complicated Truth
Interviewer: "In the movie, one theme we couldn’t ignore is he’s also presented as a liar. Was he?"
Tesar laughed. "He was a good liar. And he lied all the time."
But here’s the thing — Tesar says it with affection, not judgment.
What "Liar" Might Mean Here:
- Storyteller’s instinct — Bourdain shaped reality into better stories
- Self-protection — A kid from New Jersey pretending to be a "writer" before he’d published anything
- Manifestation — He lied his way into becoming the person he said he was
Tesar’s Memory: "When I met Tony, he was a writer."
Reality check: In the 70s, 80s, and 90s, Bourdain was a fairly unsuccessful author who worked as a chef. His writing career exploded in 2000 with Kitchen Confidential.
But — he called himself a writer for decades before it was true. And eventually? It became true.
The Nickname That Stuck: "Flacco"
One of the sweetest details in the whole interview:
In the movie, the mentor chef gives young Tony a nickname: "Flacco."
Tesar confirms: That wasn’t made up.
"We always called him Flacco. It came from that chef and it stuck."
For over a decade, Bourdain’s friends — real chefs, real peers — called him by a nickname born in that summer kitchen.
Would Bourdain Have Liked This Movie?
Tesar says yes. And his reasoning is simple:
The movie shows Tony before the armor. Before the swagger. Before the brand. It shows the tender, confused, hungry kid who just wanted to write and cook and be loved.
That’s the Tony Tesar knew. And that’s the Tony the movie honors.
Summary: Why This Matters
| What You Might Think | What "Tony" Shows (Per Tesar) |
|---|---|
| Bourdain = TV host, traveler, bad boy | Bourdain = shy kid chasing a girl, washing dishes, desperate to write |
| He was born cool | He earned his cool — messily, painfully, honestly |
| Kitchen Confidential was his start | That book came 25 years after this summer |
| He was a "chef who wrote" | He was a writer who cooked — in his own mind, from the beginning |
Bottom line: If you love Bourdain, this movie fills in the origin story. If you don’t know him, it’s just a damn good coming-of-age story about a kid finding his people in a kitchen.
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
1. When and where can I watch "Tony"?
The movie releases August 21 in Houston. Check local listings for wider release dates.
2. Is this a documentary or a drama?
It’s a dramatized film (not a documentary) based on a real summer in Bourdain’s life. Think of it like a biopic focused on one pivotal season.
3. Did Anthony Bourdain really work as a dishwasher?
Yes. That’s how he started in kitchens — washing dishes in Provincetown, Massachusetts, at age 19.
4. Who was the chef that mentored him?
The movie character played by Antonio Banderas is based on a real chef from that summer. He gave Bourdain the nickname "Flacco" — which stuck for decades.
5. Did Bourdain and Nancy Putkoski really stay together 20 years?
Yes. They married after that summer and were together for two decades before divorcing in 2005.
6. Why does John Tesar’s opinion matter?
He worked with Bourdain daily for years in NYC kitchens (late 80s–mid 90s). He knew the man, not the myth.
Final Thought from Tesar:
"I wanted to hate it, and I came out thinking it was a touching love story about somebody who struggled a lot — and really made it."
Go see it. Then go read Kitchen Confidential. You’ll never read the first page the same way again.