Provided by Michael Schwartz
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Anthony Bourdain’s legacy looms large even to chef Michael Schwartz, a culinary powerhouse in his own right.
“He had a way of connecting with people that was pretty personal,” Schwartz tells New Times. “As chefs and cooks and kitchen rats and hospitality misfits, we all felt like he was talking to us, but he was talking to everybody. I feel like everybody that he reached had that sort of feeling or connection.”
So when A24, OpenTable, and Square approached Schwartz to gauge his interest in hosting a one-night-only industry screening of the upcoming film, “Tony,” he didn’t hesitate to say yes. “It was a no-brainer for me. I mean, I’m honored to be chosen, really,” he shares.
The biopic, which is set for wide release on August 7, tells the story of 19-year-old Bourdain. Played by Dominic Sessa (“The Holdovers”), it follows Bourdain as he stumbles upon a job working at a restaurant over the course of a summer in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. “Tony” is based on Bourdain’s 2000 memoir “Kitchen Confidential” and also stars Emelia Jones, Leo Woodall, and Antonia Banderas.
The Miami industry screening for “Tony” will take place on Monday, August 3. It’s one of several advance screenings hosted by local chefs across the U.S. Why is it industry-only? Well, it’s a thank-you to hospitality and food service workers—just like Bourdain would’ve wanted.
Provided by Michael Schwartz
Bourdain’s long history with Miami
Bourdain’s connection to Miami goes far beyond the biopic being previewed here.
In 2006, he spotlighted the city during the second season of “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations,” stopping by Chef Creole in Little Haiti and grabbing Cuban coffee along Calle Ocho. Nearly a decade later, he returned for CNN’s “Parts Unknown,” where he visited Mac’s Club Deuce and shared a meal with chef Michelle Bernstein at Islas Canarias.
For Schwartz, though, the Bourdain project that left the biggest mark wasn’t “No Reservations” or “Parts Unknown.” It was “The Layover.”
Provided by Michael Schwartz
The pig ears that became a hit overnight
In 2011, Bourdain spent the day with Schwartz filming an episode of “The Layover,” making several stops around Miami before sitting down at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in the Design District. During the episode, Bourdain famously declared Schwartz’s pig ears to be “the best pig ears ever.”
That endorsement changed everything. “We had pig ears on the menu before ‘The Layover’ aired, and no one was interested — like zero people were interested,” Schwartz recalls. “It was something that I liked, and I put on the menu and, you know, the chefs always have things like that.”
After the episode aired, the dish suddenly became one of the restaurant’s biggest draws. “All of a sudden, diners couldn’t get enough of them,” Schwartz says. “It was a phenomenon.”
Provided by Michael Schwartz
Remembering the quieter side of Anthony Bourdain
While the pig ears became a lasting story, Schwartz says what he remembers most isn’t what happened in the restaurant. It’s what happened in between.
“We spent that day together. I was intrigued by the whole thing — cameras up his ass all day,” he remembers. “At the food truck rally, people just wanted to talk to him and take pictures with him, but I got to see the quieter side and the reflective side of him.”
Those moments, Schwartz says, offered a glimpse of the person behind the celebrity chef who inspired generations of cooks and diners alike.
Honoring Bourdain through “Tony”
Schwartz admits he’s not sure what Bourdain would make of a Hollywood biopic chronicling his early life.
“He’s got no choice,” he jokes. Still, he imagines Bourdain would get a kick out of all the attention. “He’s probably just laughing at this whole thing.”
For Schwartz, hosting the Miami screening is less about celebrating a movie than honoring someone whose influence stretched far beyond television, inspiring chefs, restaurant workers, and food lovers around the world. It’s also a chance to remember the man behind the camera, whose words once transformed a humble plate of pig ears into one of Miami’s most talked-about dishes and whose impact on hospitality continues to resonate years later.
A24’s Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony” releases in select theaters on Friday, August 7, 2026, before expanding to a nationwide wide release on Friday, August 21, 2026.
