The Anthony Bourdain thread

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haha Did she mean "tanned"?

― always crashing in other people's cars (kenan), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 01:31 (nineteen years ago)

"He looks so... BROWN!"

― always crashing in other people's cars (kenan), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 01:31 (nineteen years ago)

I never did get to ask her what her final verdict was -- he showed up in a nice white shirt & jeans, looked pretty clean to me. (and ladies, the dude is HELLA handsome in real life, even more than on TV)

I can just picture her snapping on a white cotton glove & giving him the 'finger test' at the signing table....

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 01:40 (nineteen years ago)

the Chicago thread talks about him all the time

No.

I like A.B., from what I'v read. And I totally support Nice Guys in the Military, but I support neither the gov't nor the "military."

Also, Dan's right -- I've spent some time in commercial kitchens, and he pretty much nails it.

― gbx (skowly), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 01:46 (nineteen years ago)

Just wondering if anyone else has had similar connections because what he talks and writes about that line of work is the Way It Really Is.

When I first read Kitchen Confidential I loved it because it showed the Way It Really Is. Now I hate Bourdain because he is an example of The Way It Really Is. He is just the sort of macho, self-aggrandizing, control freak that plagues too many restaurant and makes life miserable for the rest of the staff including waiters, managers, cooks, runners, bussers, and even owners.

― I'm Over Bourdain (unclejessjess), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I'm glad I got out of that and back into the comforting arms of academia.

― daniel striped tiger (OutDatWay), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 02:56 (nineteen years ago)

xpost Spoken like a true waiter.

― always crashing in other people's cars (kenan), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 03:01 (nineteen years ago)

heh

― daniel striped tiger (OutDatWay), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 03:05 (nineteen years ago)

Believe me, you'd hear the same thing from cooks and other kitchen staff if they 1) were not in the throes of Stockholm Syndrome 2) weren't aspiring to the glorified traits they see in the crazy chef.

I think my breaking point was when I saw Bourdain on The Restaurant, dining at Rocco's in NY with another chef, talking some crap about "Chefs embody madmen, visionaries and artists, all in one body..." as the camera spun and zoomed giddily about them. Blarf.

― The Pig on the Stairs (hanging in a groovy purple shirt) (unclejessjess), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 03:11 (nineteen years ago)

Chefs are a necessary evil. You gotta have someone who can earn an inflated wage to make a bunch of fuck-ups turn out cuisine for their unbelievably meager salaries.

― The Pig on the Stairs (hanging in a groovy purple shirt) (unclejessjess), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 03:14 (nineteen years ago)

Great chefs make great food. Let's not forget food in our waiterly bitterness.

That said, I have never tasted Bourdain's food, and from what I have heard he's a good, workmanlike chef but not a truly special one. He seems to know his French comfort food, which is still better than what most of America ever eats.

But whatever, he's not even a chef anymore, he's a full-time writer and TV personality. Fuck TV -- he's a professional personality. I happen to like this personality. Some will not.

― always crashing in other people's cars (kenan), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 03:43 (nineteen years ago)

I like Bourdain. What I don't like is when people talk about working in restaurants. It's almost as bad as listening to someone tell you about a dream they had. Sitting around a table enjoying a beer and people start talking about how they got double sat with 15 12-tops and they were totally in the weeds. No shop talk!

So I like Bourdain, but only when he is eating durian.

― Jeff. (Jeff), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 11:10 (nineteen years ago)

(cue talking about working in a restaurant)...

The fish tip doesn't hold true right across the board though, where I work we sell out of stuff over the weekend, so a fresh fish delivery arrives on Monday.

― Matt (Matt), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 11:28 (nineteen years ago)

nevertheless a seed of DOWT has been planted.

maybe this is why Friday has always =ed "fish day"?

"is everybody happy? well i should say!"

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 12:32 (nineteen years ago)

Friday is fish day because of the Catholics.

At my former workplace (an upscale fish restaurant) deliveries came in fresh every day except Sunday. And they weren't frozen. And this was in Chicago.

Monday had very fresh fish since we ran out of a lot of stuff on Sunday.

So, suck, Bourdain.

― The Pig on the Stairs (hanging in a groovy purple shirt) (unclejessjess), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

Suck it (or "me" or "my left one" or "my ass") Bourdain.

― The Pig on the Stairs (hanging in a groovy purple shirt) (unclejessjess), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

>>the Chicago thread talks about him all the time

No.

Evan, half the people on this thread also post on the Chicago thread. QED.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 15:36 (nineteen years ago)

I missed what Matt said. So, amen, Matt.

I wonder why Les Halles and Bourdain would order that way. If weekends are amateur nights, wouldn't you want to serve the amateurs the 2nd rate stuff and have fresh seafood for your more discerning patrons?

(I grant that this is complete speculation about a business that I am not running, but still.)

― The Pig on the Stairs (hanging in a groovy purple shirt) (unclejessjess), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 15:42 (nineteen years ago)

I'm sensing an unusual amount of hostility from jaymc. Is he trying to get in touch with his macho side?

― always crashing in other people's cars (kenan), Thursday, 24 August 2006 05:05 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Bourdain says that the fish-on-monday rule applies only to "low to midrange eater[ies] where fish is not the focus"

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 12 October 2006 05:25 (nineteen years ago)

he also says "I was always careful to point out that even though there are a number of other outposts of Les Halles, that I was only ever involved in running the kitchen at the Park Avenue mothership"

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 12 October 2006 05:27 (nineteen years ago)

shilling xp to fish

― gbx (skowly), Thursday, 12 October 2006 05:28 (nineteen years ago)

Bourdain says that the fish-on-monday rule applies only to "low to midrange eater[ies] where fish is not the focus"
-- gabbneb (gabbne...), Yesterday 11:25 PM. (gabbneb)

So did Steve Shasta upthread!

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 12 October 2006 14:46 (nineteen years ago)

OK, you guys win.

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Thursday, 12 October 2006 15:09 (nineteen years ago)

Ha, I thought wistfully of this thread on monday, when I was up to my elbows in a prep sink filleting bass and wishing the rule had held true for just that one day.

I think it's worth pointing out that in our kitchen we're all very polite to each other, and even to the floor staff for that matter. That said, I like Bourdain. He loves food, and that's what it's all about.

― Matt (Matt), Friday, 13 October 2006 11:28 (nineteen years ago)

Local LA food blogger is contacted by Bourdain for Thai Boat Soup segment. Bourdain, not surprisingly, is a really nice guy.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 13 October 2006 15:31 (nineteen years ago)

What's up with the 'C' rating?

haha!

― a portal to squee heaven (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 13 October 2006 15:36 (nineteen years ago)

Blood soup is totally common in Vietnamese restaurants WTF?

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Friday, 13 October 2006 18:12 (nineteen years ago)

Finally saw the Beirut ep of his show not too long ago. Incredible.

― daniel striped tiger (OutDatWay), Friday, 13 October 2006 18:49 (nineteen years ago)

three months pass...

I like how the new season of No Reservations is a straight-up travel show with the occasional food sidetrack. Bourdain is a great host and remarkably non-Ugly American - I'm watching the Ghana episode right now and I'm ready to book a flight (and eat some of that roast pork!)

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Sunday, 14 January 2007 06:49 (nineteen years ago)

he makes me want to eat with my hands.

He's turning into a hippy with each new season/show though.

― Rebel.yell.For.Internet.cakes (nordicskilla), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:00 (nineteen years ago)

Embrace your inner granola.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:03 (nineteen years ago)

Go to bed, Louis.

― do i have to draw you a diaphragm (Rock Hardy), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

;_;

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

I worked for several years in kitchens and I never encountered anything precisely the way Bourdain describes it, situationally, in KC but he does get the hurried/harried tone very right. And I especially like the Scott Bryan chapter at the end--a counter to all the machismo displayed earlier. (People who dislike the AB persona never mention that one--maybe too little/too late for them, maybe they just forget about it.) But he's a good storyteller and very good at evoking food's pleasures. And yeah, a great TV host. (I've never seen No Reservations and hope to someday. Preferably in marathon format.)

Any thoughts on The Nasty Bits, his newest book, a collection of magazine pieces? Enjoyed it, especially the endnotes where he cops to where he was wrong in each.

― Make a Beck Song #1 (M Matos), Monday, 15 January 2007 07:07 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I bought it a few weeks ago, and its very enjoyable. Some of it feels too familiar and the tone can grate but there are some really good bits, I particularly enjoyed the meal at the unreconstructed old school french gaff, and the endnotes, as you say, are pretty good. A lot of the time I was trying to read between the lines, didn't his personal life go horribly wrong? It reads like it in places (particularly "The Dive")

― Matt (Matt), Monday, 15 January 2007 11:45 (nineteen years ago)

Late to this, but I think Bourdain is hugely great. Also - he's a big Ramones/Dead Boys fan.

He rocks.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

service industry martyr

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 15 January 2007 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

Every time this thread comes 'round I get to indulge my admiring crush on AB for a few minutes. So thank you, thank you all.

― Laurel (Laurel), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:22 (nineteen years ago)

glad to be of service .... industry martyr

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

didn't his personal life go horribly wrong? It reads like it in places

Well, his marriage fell apart because he was traveling all the time. He was not happy about that.

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:45 (nineteen years ago)

I can't decide which was the better line from the Seattle/Portland show:

"I want a maple bacon doughnut."

"I feel like I've been fisting Shamu the killer whale."

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 18 January 2007 06:41 (nineteen years ago)

I saw the last half of that episode -- first time I'd seen this show. Now I want to go geoduck digging.

― do i have to draw you a diaphragm (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 18 January 2007 18:31 (nineteen years ago)

his interests/attitudes are not quite mine, but i like the dude after seeing some of the show.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 18 January 2007 18:32 (nineteen years ago)

he wrote a book chapter about Veritas?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 18 January 2007 18:34 (nineteen years ago)

Every time this thread comes 'round I get to indulge my admiring crush on AB for a few minutes. So thank you, thank you all.

And I get to seethe about how much I hate Bourdain, even though I've never read a word he's written or seen him on TV. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that ILX invented him so that certain posters had an arrogant semi-celebrity to fashion themselves after.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 18 January 2007 18:54 (nineteen years ago)

― attack all monsters (skowly), Thursday, 18 January 2007 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

Why involve AB at all if you've got issues with ILXors?

― do i have to draw you a diaphragm (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 18 January 2007 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

bourdain.xls

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 18 January 2007 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

I used to have a bit of that attitude, and might still if I had read him, but tv might change your mind. he's very good-humored.

(xpost: I think he's saying that he has issues with a personality type that he imagines both AB and certain ILXors to represent, whether or not they in fact do)

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 18 January 2007 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 879 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

LOL had never heard of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDSqbZ1COhc

― Cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria de Episcopio, Tuesday, 5 May 2026 15:56 (one month ago)

still looks better than that stupid biopic

― Cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria de Episcopio, Tuesday, 5 May 2026 15:57 (one month ago)

Funny that Cooper then went on to do this (purely fictional) film:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Burnt_Poster_Updated.jpg

― jaymc, Tuesday, 5 May 2026 16:06 (one month ago)

that sitcom is wild

― (•̪●) (carne asada), Tuesday, 5 May 2026 16:24 (one month ago)

aww nicholas brendon was in it RIP

― (•̪●) (carne asada), Tuesday, 5 May 2026 16:26 (one month ago)

And some others, too, like John Francis Daley from "Freaks and Geeks," and John Cho. Weird. I wonder how many random pilots are locked in a vault somewhere featuring who knows who.

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 5 May 2026 16:40 (one month ago)

i wonder if it's online in 144/240p but one of Bourdain's first few books (a cook's tour?) was turned into a short season of food-doc-tv and when Tony (as he was known then) and Eric Ripert went to The French Laundry, my then-roommate was TFL's lead expo and apparently made such "good TV" that he was featured more than Thomas Keller (known neurodivergent/introvert) which irked TK to no end haha.

― imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 5 May 2026 16:54 (one month ago)

480p!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYjZpfr6JQ4

starts at 5m12s

― imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 5 May 2026 16:57 (one month ago)

Man, nothing says Anthony Bourdain like "heartwarming coming of age vehicle with an aging star getting to play an Oscar-friendly mentor role."

All is forgiven if you get the heartwarming coming of age story and then a smash cut to Bourdain ten years later combing through shag carpet looking for a shard of crack.

― Lady Sovereign (Citizen) (milo z), Friday, 8 May 2026 05:28 (one month ago)

we live many lives don't we

― Cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria de Episcopio, Friday, 8 May 2026 05:28 (one month ago)

Haha, I clicked on that Cook's Tour video thinking it was the Tony trailer and the first minute had me thinking Matt Johnson was doing this in a Nirvanna guerrilla style.

― Strait of Merzbow (Eazy), Friday, 8 May 2026 05:43 (one month ago)

Television & Spoon over the trailer were really good touches! gave me a good feeling. Even knowing he would hate the idea of a movie at all lol. But I like that it’s focused on that one summer. So we’ll see.

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 8 May 2026 06:27 (one month ago)

so does stavvy play his coworker/coke dealer here?

― mh, Friday, 8 May 2026 21:52 (one month ago)

It looks like it! Great casting if so

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 9 May 2026 00:31 (one month ago)

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