34 years.
That’s how long it’s been since Chef Anoosh Shariat kicked off his kitchen career in Louisville at the long-departed Remington’s, a debut followed by a decade-long run at his namesake Shariat’s, then to Park Place and Browning’s in Louisville Slugger Field, and more recently his Anoosh Bistro and Noosh Nosh.
As Shariat explains to Business First’s Eleanor Tolbert, he’s “living past his expiration date” since being diagnosed with colon cancer three years ago.
22 June 2018: Anoosh Shariat’s Cancer Diagnosis Brings New Chef, Menu Changes (Food & Dining Magazine)
Last week Tolbert filed this timely update, which finds Shariat feeling healthy, remaining focused, and thinking as positively as ever. Tolbert’s piece is both biography and snapshot of a chef in time, but it’s also an instructive primer for Shariat’s upbeat way of dealing with adversity. There are lessons here for all of us.
IN PERSON: How Anoosh Shariat gives back to the Louisville restaurant community
The restaurant owner was diagnosed with Stage II colon cancer in 2018, which has since metastasized to Stage IV. Although he feels healthier than ever, he said the diagnosis has helped him realize to celebrate little victories and make memories every day.
And that’s the environment he attempts to create at his restaurants, Anoosh Bistro and Noosh Nosh, where he gets to watch strangers celebrate milestones as they gather in his dining rooms.
“I am grateful to have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, you know, all the milestones,” Shariat said. “What a gift.”
Cover photo: Shariat with Mark Ford.
