Before he became a bestselling author and television star, Anthony Bourdain worked as executive chef at the brasserie Les Halles on Park Avenue South. While there, he wrote his breakout essay “Don’t Eat Before Reading This,” which was picked up by The New Yorker and led to his hit book Kitchen Confidential. Since news broke of his suicide last week, his fans have wallpapered the brasserie's two locations, which closed in 2016 and 2017, with handwritten notes, flowers, and even food.

"Thank you for bringing a respectful view to the people of Palestine, Libya, Iran, & more," reads one. Another reads, "You are an advocate, an activist, and an ally."

Stopped by Les Halles in NY, where people are paying their respects to Anthony Bourdain. pic.twitter.com/KC7FuClHgE
— DJ Judd (@juddzeez) June 8, 2018

Other left behind bottles of whiskey and packs of cigarettes. Ryan Anderson, a sommelier at The Pool, paid tribute with a baguette, a bottle of wine, and an open can of paper-bagged beer, reports Insider.

The Les Halles Yelp page also had messages of mourning for Bourdain. “To the great Anthony Bourdain, thank you for being a voice for the immigrants who are the backbone of the restaurant world. This world feels more empty without you,” wrote Tiara C. from San Diego.

In Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain made sure to highlight the immigrants who toiled in the restaurant industry to give diners their culinary experiences, and, in his later books and television shows, he committed to giving many different cultures a platform through the lens of food, encouraging viewers and fans to be curious and brave. He was also relentless about acknowledging the United States' responsibility in international affairs:

Frequently, I’ve come to regret things I’ve said. This, from 2001, is not one of those times: pic.twitter.com/1NiHlupJkL
— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) February 5, 2018

Instagram is also awash with memories of Bourdain, with high profile celebrities and chefs who wrote about how he helped them creatively and professionally. Questlove posted on Instagram "It was through Anthony that I learned about who the sushi master Jiro Ono was and that recommendation (seeing the Jiro doc & making a pilgrimage to Tokyo by any means necessary) singlehandedly changed the course of my professional and creative life."

Just saw the news this morning about Anthony Bourdain’s passing. I have so many thoughts about him—memories, emotions, and unanswered questions—that right now it’s sort of a jumble. I feel so thankful for him to introducing me to a world I never knew, the world of food and especially food around the world. It was through Anthony that I learned about who the sushi master Jiro Ono was and that recommendation (seeing the Jiro doc & making a pilgrimage to Tokyo by any means necessary) singlehandedly changed the course of my professional and creative life. Anthony also believed, and talked often, about how all forms of creativity were connected: how chefs and drummers and comedians and actors and directors and painters all drew on the same well of thoughts and emotions. That feeling stuck with me. Watching him take trips to faraway lands to get a taste of heaven (and, just as often, to show how life on earth can be hell for people under the thumb of cruel governments or oppressive poverty) was the equivalent of my many trips to obscure record shops continents away. Lastly I’ll miss our endless banter about the merits (or lack therof) of Yacht Rock. Anthony came on Fallon often, and every time, he liked to warn me that his walk-on music better have “some umph to it.” He wanted power and attitude. I’d agree with him, and then I’d play another Billy Joel song, which infuriated him. A few years back, to thank him for writing the foreword to my book, I started the ultimate troll project, though I never got to give it to him. We had an “argument” over Herb Alpert’s “Route 101”: I made the case that the song’s good-feeling/good-time vibe couldn’t be denied, and he made the case that he denied it, and the more heated the argument got the more we laughed. I told him imma make him the mother of smooth-pop playlists and then he would see the light. I’m finishing that playlist, and when I do, I’ll name it after him, just so I can imagine that laugh of his.
A post shared by Quest Loves Food (@questlovesfood) on Jun 8, 2018 at 5:44am PDT

Dominique Ansel wrote "Tony once asked me in an interview how I would feel about “Creator of the Cronut®️” being on my tombstone. Years later, I admitted to him that question haunted me and led me to push myself to create more."

And Jason Wang, the CEO of Xi'an Famous Foods, wrote a tribute about how Bourdain's endorsement helped grow the restaurant from a basement food stall in Flushing into a chain with a dozen locations. On Friday, the restaurant donated all their net sales to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Today's a day of extreme sadness for us here at Xi'an Famous Foods. I've lost a dear friend today, and we mourn with the rest of the world. I remember the time in 2007 when Tony first visited our basement food stall in Flushing for Travel Channel's No Reservations while I was still in college (even though I didn't know who he was at the time). I remember my father preparing interesting off-menu dishes to get his opinion on when he visited our store. I remember years later in 2015 after interviewing together for an article, I approached Tony and told him, while he may have no idea what he has done for our family and business by simply saying he enjoyed the food, I wanted him to know it helped bring our family out from living in one room in Flushing to living the American dream. We were able to grow our business and provide great food for our guests, and opportunities for our employees. I looked at him in the eyes and said, this is something we will always be thankful for, Tony. And he simply replied, "I'm just calling out good food like it is, that's all." In honor of his memory and all of those dear people who left us all too early, and in taking whatever action we can to prevent suicide in the US, Xi'an Famous Foods will be donating 100% of our net sales on June 8, 2018, from all of our stores, to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK @800273talk. Please cherish all of our lives and help those who may be struggling. Rest in peace, Tony, and the most sincere condolences to Tony's beloved family. ~Jason Wang, CEO ... [UPDATE 6/11/18: With your heartfelt support, along with the hard work of our store staff, we were able to serve almost double the amount of dishes as usual during dinner on Friday 6/8/18, with some stores selling out of items towards the end of the night. We were able to raise $73,509.76 (net sales) to donate to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline '1-800-273-TALK (8255)' to help their work in suicide prevention. Thank you for helping us with this tribute to our friend.]
A post shared by Xi'an Famous Foods (@xianfoods) on Jun 8, 2018 at 8:37am PDT

If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.

Photos: A Heartfelt Memorial To Anthony Bourdain At Manhattan Restaurant Where He Cooked