Anthony Bourdain’s Spirit Allegedly Haunts Austin Craigslist Smoker

Introduction

The world of online reselling has just taken a strange turn in Austin, Texas, where a simple piece of cooking equipment claims to be possessed by the late, great celebrity chef – Anthony Bourdain. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill, ordinary smoker. Instead, this Craigslist offering alleges to house the spirit of the renowned global food traveler, Anthony Bourdain.

The Unusual Listing

Attempting to set itself apart from the typically mundane and standard selling nature of Craigslist, this smoker is attracting attention with its rather eerie listing. The post bluntly asserts that the Primo ceramic grill is possessed by Bourdain’s spirit, elaborating that the smoker happens to enjoy “dirty-water hot dogs” and has an aversion for crafted beers. Furthermore, the seller insists the grill refuses to cook any form of artificial meat and often blares tracks from the punk rock band—The Dead Boys.

Behind The Online Ghost Story

The creative mind behind this unique selling proposition is the Austin denizen, Christian Helms. Helms, founder and creative director of Helms Workshop agency, hails from a branding background. Struggling to find a buyer at the outset, he decided to revamp the grill’s online persona with a little flair, embellishing the description and injecting a bit of personal history between the celebrity chef and himself.

Back in 2012, Bourdain had visited Helms’ Austin home to film an episode of the much-lauded No Reservations show. While the celebrated chef brought his own equipment to roast a pig, Helms’ smoker gained a certain notoriety after casually being positioned beside Bourdain. Since that day, Helms’ grill has been affectionately dubbed ‘Little Tony’.

The Irreplaceable ‘Spirit’

The Bourdain-infused smoker, along with its add-ons, retails for around $2,500, but Helms is offering it at a mere $450. He humorously pegs the price of the Bourdain-carrying spirit as priceless. The main objective behind this sale is a simple upgrade, but the infusion of Bourdain’s memory has certainly sparked interest. The listing has received numerous serious and not-so-serious inquiries.

In Loving Memory

Since Bourdain’s untimely passing in 2018, his memory has been kept alive through various forms of media and the fans who admired him deeply. The Craigslist listing might seem peculiar to some, but it is part of a larger scheme where fandom, love for the chef, and profit-making coincide. The enigmatic chef has left a void that continues to be filled by keep-sakes that remind us of his extraordinary life – and in this instance, a seemingly haunted smoker in the heart of Austin.