06/09/2026
Eight years ago today, I woke up to a text from my sister saying Anthony Bourdain had died. I fell back asleep, convinced it had to be a bad dream. When I woke up and realized it wasn’t, my heart sank.
He was my hero, and I wasn’t ready for that news.
His love of culture, cooking, eating, and traveling helped shape my early twenties. When I couldn’t afford to travel, I watched his shows and lived vicariously through him. His desire to walk in someone else’s shoes taught me lessons no school ever could.
Today, we’re enjoying our last day in Mexico. This trip has included street food vendors, small-town roadside stands, and incredible sit-down meals as we’ve traveled across three beautiful states in central Mexico. Every meal has been a reminder of the influence he had on me.
If you’ve ever visited us, you may have noticed that our first trailer has my favorite quote of his on it: “You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” That same quote is on our Hilltop truck, just a few feet to the left of the service window.
Anthony Bourdain left me with a deep desire to travel, to understand other cultures, and to connect with people through food. In many ways, that passion helped lead me to open a food truck. Part of the dream was creating a life where I had the flexibility to make my own schedule, take trips like this, and experience places I had spent years only seeing on a television screen. The fact that Baja Quesadilla has given me that opportunity is something I don’t take for granted.
In a time when it feels like political division is everywhere, I think that quote is more important than ever. We spend so much time focusing on what separates us that we forget how much we have in common. Sharing a meal has a way of breaking down barriers, reminding us of our shared humanity, and helping us see the person across from us as more than a headline, a vote, or an opinion.
“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.”
— Anthony Bourdain
Thank you to everyone who has helped make that dream come true.