Every Time Bill Murray Made 2016 Less Awful

In the category of eccentric individuals, there are few more notorious than Bill Murray. He frequently appears in public out of the blue, does something delightfully whimsical, and then goes on his merry way. The Ghostbuster gives sage advice on marriage, jumps behind the bar when he so desires, and generally entertains the masses with each new charade.

Murray is a globetrotter, and this year he popped up everywhere from a bowling alley in Charleston to the World Series in Chicago. Below is look back at the year Bill Murray had in the food world, and a hint at his plans for the future.

The Good

Franklin Barbecue

Murray paid a visit to one of Austin’s most famous spots: Franklin Barbecue. He took in the whole scene, exploring the smokers and posing with the pitmaster himself, Aaron Franklin.

Chicago Cubs in the World Series

A longtime Cubs fan, Murray understandably popped up everywhere when the lovable losers made it to the World Series Championships. After the Cubbies won their first championship since 1908, Murray celebrated at a handful of storied Chicago establishments, including The Lodge Tavern.

Charleston Wine + Food

Murray lives in Charleston, SC, so it was not entirely a surprise when he showed up to the wine and food festival in March. Murray stopped in at the Texas BBQ Tent Revival.

The Extreme

Lobbing phones

In February, Murray tossed some fans’ phones off the roof of a Carmel, CA restaurant, apparently upset that they were taking pictures of him. Murray fessed up to chucking the phones, and the owners did not press charges.

The Hilarious

Restaurant Gifts for Chrissy Teigen

Murray routinely appears places where he’s not expected and does random things that people seem to now, in fact, expect of him, thanks to tales of him stealing french fries and showing up at ice cream socials. No one is Murray-immune either. Even model/cookbook author Chrissy Teigen has a Bill Murray story, which she shared on Twitter. While at a restaurant, a waiter brought over a plate of half-eaten food from “the man at the bar.” And yes, the man in question was Murray.

Autographing Pinball Machines

In October, Murray popped into The Alley (a bowling alley and restaurant) in Charleston, where he signed the venue’s Ghostbusters pinball machine.

21 Greenpoint

This year, Murray’s son Homer opened a restaurant in Brooklyn called 21 Greenpoint, and his dear ole dad turned out to tend bar for a bit. As Homer Murray told Eater NY, “What my dad lacks in experience, he makes up for in tequila.'' Needless to say, the bartending Ghostbuster was a hit.

Brisket Love

Murray apparently has a great love for brisket, or so Jon Favreau says. The director appeared on The Tonight Show this year and told Jimmy Fallon that to convince Murray to voice Baloo in the reboot of The Jungle Book, Favreau practically airlifted him a smoked brisket.

Caddyshack Bar

Murray and his brothers have concocted a plan to open a bar near Chicago that’s inspired by the 1980s movie Caddyshack. It will be similar to the Murrays’ existing place in Florida, Murray Bros CaddyShack, where the only tasks guests have to accomplish are to “eat, drink, and be Murray.”

• All Bill Murray Coverage on Eater [E]
• All Year in Eater Coverage [E]