John Tesar Pays Tribute to Anthony Bourdain at New Plano Steakhouse

Chef John Tesar is readying the second outpost of his award-winning steakhouse Knife, set to open at Plano mall The Shops At Willow Bend, and the artwork he’s picked out for his new restaurant will honor Tesar’s longtime friend and beloved food world figure Anthony Bourdain.

Tesar just posted a portrait of Bourdain, writing on Instagram: “Ready to be framed #tributes @knifesteakhouse #art installation #anthonybourdain more to come.” It looks like this Bourdain portrait was drawn from life too, middle finger and all.

Bourdain and Tesar go way back: they both began their careers cooking in NYC, working together nearly 40 years ago at the Supper Club. “For three years, we ran a pirate ship on 47th Street in Times Square,” Tesar told Eater this year after Bourdain’s death. “We cooked and did whatever we wanted to do, which was smoking pot, drinking, rambling around New York hanging out with chefs and talking about life.”

Even though they had their differences over the years, Tesar told Eater that their friendship was in a good place at the end of Bourdain’s life. “We knew each other when we were nothing and we had nobody,” Tesar said. “I’m glad that people realized that we were real friends, even though everybody felt like they knew him.”

Photo: @chefjohntesar/Instagram

• John Tesar’s Steakhouse Knife Announces Plano Opening Date [EDFW]
• John Tesar on Cooking and Smoking Pot With Anthony Bourdain in the ’80s [EDFW]
• All previous Knife coverage [EDFW]