Tony 2026

In 1975, a 19-year-old Anthony “Tony” Bourdain is a student at Vassar College who aspires to be a writer. He applies for a writing fellowship that would send him to New York City, and lies to his family, as well as his high school love interest Nancy Putkoski, that he already got it. When he learns that he did not get the fellowship, he impulsively travels to Provincetown, Massachusetts, where Nancy said she would be going for the summer. He discovers that Nancy is currently dating a pizza delivery man, and goes to The Flagship, a local seafood restaurant, to drink. While inebriated, he is rude to Mary, the waitress and bartender, and is kicked out and robbed by Sal, one of the restaurant’s cooks.

Finding himself short of money to take the ferry home, Tony considers sneaking aboard the staff section of the ferry but is seen by Nancy. He lies to her and tells her that he came to Provincetown for research for his fellowship. She invites him to a party and he decides to stay. Tony returns to the Flagship and appeals to the head chef for a place to stay, lying that he had previous restaurant experience; he is given a job as the restaurant’s dishwasher. He is drawn to the raucous, drug-fueled lifestyle and camaraderie among the Flagship cooks, especially brash and confident but volatile Sal. However, Sal’s heroin habit eventually gets the best of him; after arriving late for his shift, he has a violent confrontation with Chef and leaves. Tony is promoted to a cook to take Sal’s place, and is mentored by Chef. Tony also grows closer to Nancy, continuing to lie about the fellowship even as she discovers he works in a kitchen.

In an attempt to impress Nancy, Tony invites her to the Flagship and convinces Chef to offer lobster thermidor as a special one Friday. While the dish is initially a success, a grease fire breaks out in the kitchen, which Tony makes worse by trying to douse it with water; the fire ends up destroying the interior of the Flagship. Chef is devastated, both by the damage to his restaurant and by Tony’s lie about his previous kitchen experience, firing him. Tony also confesses his lie about the fellowship to Nancy, admitting that he followed her to Provincetown, which outrages her.

Tony reunites with Sal in an attempt to raise money for his return home, first by trying to steal from Chef’s house, then by organizing a clam bake on the beach, ostensibly to raise money to rebuild the Flagship. Tony has a change of heart when he sees the turnout to the clam bake, including his fellow employees at the Flagship, Nancy, and Chef. He makes amends with Nancy and Chef, who eventually rebuilds the Flagship and gives Tony a recommendation letter for the Culinary Institute of America. Following Chef’s advice, Tony begins to go by “Anthony”, and embarks on a thirty-year career as a chef.