The Anthony Bourdain thread

The show in Iceland is still one of the greatest food shows I've ever seen.

New one tonight: Saudi Arabia.
Haven't watched all the Colombian one yet, but liked what I saw.

crew blog: http://no-reservations-crew-blog.travelchannel.com/2008/07/under-the-abbaya-female-produc.html

this is a great show to tivo up and just have some eps kicking around for like hangover sunday watching.

wow, he really outdid himself on this Tokyo ep

Bourdain bank

Mexico ep was good.

I am super-psyched: apparently he's going (or has gone?) to Ethiopia for an upcoming episode.

I like his persona on this show, if only because I think he's one of very few presenter types on TV who is recognizable as an actual human. There's a palpable personality there, and on balance I think it's a charming one: he seems smart, he can be serious-minded at times, he's endearingly grumpy, he does/says things that are lame and embarrassing enough to seem like an actual person, etc. (Is this just because he writes his own narration? Is that why actual personality seems to be there?) Unlike some people upthread, I don't get a huge macho or tough-guy vibe out of him, though I can see something that could be mistaken for that.

Seriously, really psyched for any forthcoming Ethiopia episode.

And -- to be honest -- I'm having trouble even dredging up another example of a host/presenter of this sort who seems to me like a televised human, as opposed to just being competent and professional. Maybe this one dude on Globetrekker, I dunno.

In the Mumbai/Kolkata episode, the local writer said "in Kolkata we like Jerry Garcia, and in Mumbai they like Jim Morrison" and Bourdain was like "I love Jim Morrison" and the writer sorta glared at Tony.

I love how in the Colombia episode he ate at one of my fave places in Medellin, around the corner from my Dad's house.

my friend from Columbia was over my house and i showed him that episode. He didn't even know who bourdain was but he loved it.

A little Anthony Bourdain goes a long way.

I'm a big fan of all the South American episodes. Like the massive meat bbq in Uruguay or when he was hanging out with some people in Argentina and was all "vamos Boca!" and they gave him the death stare before responding that they supported River Plate.

my bro was blown away that he was chillin with those kids on the roof top.

Maybe this one dude on Globetrekker, I dunno

which one? http://www.pilotguides.com/tv_shows/globe_trekker/travelers/index.php

got a bit of a crush on Megan. I think the fact that Bourdain has basically no media/journalism training sets him apart from the pack, ie he never was trained to develop a robotic, distanced, TV persona.

got a bit of a crush on Megan.
me too a little bit

me too more than a little bit despite her Romney shit, but maybe that should be on a travel show personality S&D thread rather than the Bourdain one

"Tony's in" Venice next week, which I'm looking forward to cuz I may do the same this year

and he's doing DC the night before the inauguration.

He is in Detroit today, apparently, to film a segment for his show.

Everyone crushes on McCormick (there are some creepy fan sites about her, even). I had Ian in mind, but now that I think about it, Justine is way more Real Recognizable Person to me; Ian's just more charming. I even figured out that she was from the Bay Area before she said so, just because you can somehow ... tell.

My big strike against Bourdain is that he's friends with Batali, which seems like not a good sign.

What's wrong with Batali? His folks are awfully cute in the Seattle episode.

saw a cool episode recently where he ate on the texas/mexico border

Ooh. Venice could be interesting. Right now the Korean episode is my favorite... it's hilarious, and he eats lots of good food and I really liked that they showed his friend's family. What country was it where his camera man knocked over a few shelves full of food in a small restaurant and had to help clean up? That was a pretty good one as well.

It doesn't seem so silly if you've seen the episode, and know Bourdain's general attitude toward war and the military, ans especially not if you share his views. He's not a big fan of war, is critical of our government, but was himself stunned by the generosity, personability, and machine-like competency of the US Marines. These are really good people, he said in no uncertain terms.
I'm just going to say that it's a good thing that I missed this the first time around. Military guys normal people shockah. (yes, I am still dating the coastie and yes that of course colors my opinon)

What's wrong with Batali? His folks are awfully cute in the Seattle episode.
His dad (runs Salumi) is AWESOME. I've chatted with him a few times when I've been in there getting a sandwich and he's always talking with the 9 million people waiting in line- really wonderful guy.

Bourdain comes off like a complete moron in the Beirut episode.

The knocked-over shelves of food was in Indonesia, I think.

I used to not like Batali but he seems alright - anyone who's had their show purged from the Food Network has to be doing something right. He seems like a total food nerd in the best way.

He was on this local Michigan produced TV show hosted by an incredibly annoying guy who was asking him if he planned to open a restaurant near Traverse City, where his wife is apparently from and where he hangs out a lot in the summer. He was all "fuck no, this is my vacation spot, moron" and I can respect that.

Bourdain comes off like a complete moron in the Beirut episode.

Really? Complete? I think that's a bit uncharitable, a bit incendiary. I thought he came across as a tad naif and yet thoughtful.

I have no reason to be charitable towards him, but you're probably right.

Tony Bourdain, and Morcheeba?

"Bourdain comes off like a complete moron in the Beirut episode."

Not. That episode was really good.

I'm really looking forward to the Venice show. He usually can't stand places like that.

. He usually can't stand places like that.

Indeed. That's why I'm thinking it will be fantastic.

For all the touristy shit in Venice and the weirdness of the local cusine in comparison to most of the country, I had some really lovely food there. He'll figure it out.

Probably. But he'll take his pound of flesh before he does.

the Korea episode is awesome, but the most recent Japan one is next level

justine is faintly charming, but ian is annoying as fuck

i am amused by the intersection of bourdain's quasi-badass persona and his half-horrible music taste

agreed re: ian, he was the last one i'd have guessed nabisco would note as seeming like a real person. he's always "on." or trying to be, at least.
bourdain's quasi-badass persona is so see-through, and that's why it's endearing. the regular viewer has enough bg info to know that when he exhibits it, it's a defense mechanism.

bourdain's quasi-badass persona is so see-through, and that's why it's endearing

right, of course, and pretty much intentionally so. but it's not clear how much he gets that some of his cool is pretty middlebrow (in a pretty nyc metro kinda way).

never liked this guy. when it comes to the travel channel, I prefer that schlumpy "I WILL EAT ANYTHING" dude. The episode where he was in rural china eating three-week old, raw, fermented pork out of a jar = klassick.

self-xp - he's likely my favorite exponent of that type

Haha that guy reminds me of Curly so everything time I see him eat something which even he acknowledges is AWFUL I keep expect him to do a little Three Stooges routine with it.

that show is the Ow My Balls of food/travel shows

any idea what the 4 other restaurants Carlos runs outside of Les Halles are?

I keep expect him to do a little Three Stooges routine with it

haha would watch

totally blanking on his name now.

and come on all of these shows are basically "Ow My Balls" and have next to nothing to do with how people actually cook/eat

I watched Man vs. Food twice and I was unimpressed w/ the quality of the challenges (and the show in general which is just a lame knock-off of the already lame Diners, Drive-ins & Dives.)

i didn't see the Mexico thing yet, but there are 4 locations of Les Halles

Andrew Zimmerman, I think.

and come on all of these shows are basically "Ow My Balls" and have next to nothing to do with how people actually cook/eat

i didn't no what 'these shows' are, but Bourdain's show has everything to do with how people actually live/eat/cook