SAN ANTONIO — The day San Antonio Chef Jason Dady met Anthony Bourdain is forever etched in his memory.
"The restaurant called and said, 'Bourdain just walked in,'" he recalled. "I swear to you, I think I made the 30-minute drive in about 22 minutes because I wanted to make sure I was there."
The best-selling author and TV celebrity chef was in town for a book tour six years ago. On the cover of the book Bourdain had helped publish was Two Bros. BBQ Market, which is Dady's restaurant.
"I just had a feeling in the back of my head that he was gonna pop into Two Bros. I had a little intuition, and it was a great honor to have him there," Dady said.
Bourdain photographed the 'cue and posted a picture to Twitter. It was a memorable meal for Dady, one he can recall with incredible detail, even today.
Bourdain was found dead on Friday morning from an apparent suicide.
William Alas, program manager at San Antonio Clubhouse, said that no one is immune to suicidal thoughts.
"Just because they're famous, [people think] they don't have any problems,” he pointed out. “They have money, everything's OK. But we're all human beings, you know?”
As suicides increase across the country, it is important to keep an eye out for warning signs, said Alas.
Changes in diet, isolation, apathy, irritability, inability to perform daily routines, and persistent thoughts are all things to look out for.
And asking a simple, sincere question could save a life.
"Just asking, ‘How are you doing today?’" Alas said. "’What happened? What made you feel that way? Do you feel that way today?’"