The secret sauce invigorating a delightful new coming of age tale is, well, everything! Each hand-picked accessory in director/co-writer Matt Johnson’s kitchen cabinet is simmering to some sort of specialized perfection in Tony (A), a biographical dramedy from A24 about Chef Anthony Bourdain at age 19 in Cape Cod circa 1975. Artfully presented and splendidly crafted, this memoirs-inspired slice of life begins with the iconoclastic title character, impeccably portrayed with his own brand of hang-dog imposter syndrome by Dominic Sessa, explaining the “Bildungsroman” he is crafting as a wannabe writer, only to fall into an adventure in an unexpected kitchen with implications fathoms deeper than he could have possibly anticipated. The multitude of truths embodied in this character poses a fascinating linchpin for the ensemble, with Emilia Jones shining as the woman inspiring his journey and Leo Woodall chewing scenery as the boorish (and hilarious) co-conspirator of the protagonist’s worst impulses. A rarely-better Antonio Banderas beautifully embodies the Brazilian-born seaside chef and restauranteur providing tutelage to a crew of prodigals. Frequent PTA collaborator Michael Bauman is a deft cinematographer for this project, evoking sublime atmosphere of an almost hypnotic time and place. Jay McCarrol’s music with iconoclastic needle drops underscores the tale with singular ease, setting just the right blend of awkward yearning and origin-story braggadocio. Johnson lets Sessa’s Bourdain  be an abject disaster far longer than many would, all the more fulfilling for viewers experiencing the character’s rise to a hint of the promise of culinary and personal triumph. This movie falls in Good Will Hunting territory, a classic of scrappy youth and mentorship, peeling the layers of a ripening onion for the layers of possibilities. This is cinematic Lobster Thermidor of the first order, and you’ll want the creamy blend of shallots, mushrooms, garlic, white wine and Dijon mustard in ample doses with that main course diced and mixed in before being returning to its shell for a final bake, topped with cheese and broiled with golden goodness.