Exclusive | Anthony Bourdains NYC pals say new biopic movie nailed the way Tony was

As Anthony Bourdain’s legend continues to grow  — the latest jolt coming from the new A24 biopic Tony, which focuses on the man-about-the-world’s formative years — fans, both old and new, are hungry to learn more about who the real Tony was. And his close friends and colleagues would know best.“Everybody asks, ‘Was he really that cool?’ But in reality, he was way f—ing cooler,” Tracy Westmoreland, owner of fabled drinking den Siberia, where the late chef, author, and globetrotting TV host would often be found recharging after sweaty shifts in NYC kitchens, told The Post.Westmoreland said more recently he’s been bombarded by questions from patrons curious about the culinary great, who died by suicide in 2018, at age 61.“People come in and usually start very softly, asking random questions,” he explained.“And then like five minutes later, it’s obvious they’re on a journey to learn more about him.

I still get emotional talking about him, because I miss my friend.”“I remember his first time coming in; he was so tall wearing ripped jeans and cowboy boots; I used to break his balls,” said Westmoreland, who figures he was one of the first people to tell Bourdain to write about his time as a chef during late-night, beer-soaked conversations in the 1990s.“At the time, he was writing crime novels.So I said, ‘Yo, Tony.

Not for nothing.You’re not a gangster, you’re a fucking cook.’ He goes, ‘I’m a chef.’ I said, ‘Blow me.

Write about something you know.I’m gonna bar you if you don’t write about anything about food.’”Bourdain and Westmoreland would eventually travel together to St.

Martin, with Bourdain attempting to convince Westmoreland to open up an outpost of the bar on the tropical island — a plan that fell through as Westmoreland wanted to stay close to his beloved Big Apple.But Bourdain definitely followed Westmoreland’s advice — and began writing about food.After an essay of his was published i...