What to stream: More foodie fare to enjoy if 'Tony' whets your appetite
Published in Entertainment News
The new movie “Tony” depicts the young life of chef and writer Anthony Bourdain, before he was a chef, just making his first foray into the restaurant world. It’s a salty coming-of-age tale set in Cape Cod, where his passion for food and cooking is sparked.
The movie isn’t necessarily a foodie movie, though there’s some spectacular preparation of a lobster thermidor, but it might give you a hankering for more to watch about chefs, kitchens and Bourdain himself. So give these cooking shows and movies a spin.
First up: Bourdain’s output. His 2000 memoir “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” made him a star and sold millions of copies. In the wake of his death in 2018, it once again landed on the bestseller list. The book was adapted into a shortlived TV show in 2005, starring Bradley Cooper. Funnily enough, it was created by writer David Hemingson, who also wrote the screenplay for “The Holdovers,” which was the breakout film for “Tony” star Dominic Sessa. This series is not available anywhere online, so you’ll have to snag a $10 physical DVD on eBay if you want to watch it.
Cooper later starred in another movie about a chef, 2015’s “Burnt,” directed by John Wells and written by Steven Knight. While it’s not about Bourdain, Cooper plays Adam Jones, a chef who struggles with substance abuse issues and battles back to earn another Michelin star. The poster also looks a lot like the cover of “Kitchen Confidential.” Stream it on Prime Video, Kanopy, and Tubi.
Bourdain embarked on his TV career in 2002 with “A Cook’s Tour,” streaming on the Roku Channel, Prime Video, and Tubi, but really found success with his food-oriented travelogue nonfiction programming, “No Reservations” and “Parts Unknown.” Stream both globetrotting series on HBO Max.
For non-Bourdain cheffy stuff, there are two fun dramedies, Nora Ephron’s 2009 film “Julie & Julia,” celebrating the life and career of Julia Child, with Meryl Streep playing Julia Child and Amy Adams playing Julie, the blogger who re-creates her recipes. Rent or buy it on all digital platforms. (For even more Julia Child, rent the 2021 documentary “Julia” or watch the 2022 HBO Max series “Julia”). Also check out Jon Favreau’s amiable “Chef” from 2014, about a chef who gets his groove back by cooking on a food truck. Stream it on Kanopy, the Roku Channel, or Tubi.
Then of course, there’s “The Bear,” Christopher Storer’s series about a chef and a restaurant in Chicago and his motley crew of kitchen staff, which will also give that same kind of authentic feeling as “Tony.” The final season is streaming now on Hulu.
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