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[Ghost_Protocol]

Every time I've sat down and watched his show or seen him make a guest appearance somewhere else, the guy comes across as a either 1) an asshole or 2) or a completely average nobody that doesn't seem to offer anything that a layman could not. Why is this guy seemingly in demand so much that he can charge ridiculous amounts to make appearances and seems to be popping up everywhere?

 

[Etrian Oddity]

• He actually knows wtf he's talking about, unlike 80% of other "food celebrities"
• He has a natural charisma and way with oratory
• He knows how to address an audience
• He actually gives a damn about what he does and has ambition
• People like to live vicariously

 

[The Mana Legend]

I like him because he's not angry chef that screams at people 24/7.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

He's charismatic as fuck. He knows his shit. He is a renowned chef. He isn't a douchebag, he just doesn't sugarcoat every single word he says like some in our stupid PC society. I can't honestly recall one time where he was flatout unfriendly or abrasive to anyone. His little quips about his staff are obviously jokes written for the episodes.

 

[wenis]

He was on Archer!

 

[Milchjon]

I just read Kitchen Confidential. He's fun to read and listen to.

 

[VeryGooster]

Kitchen Confidential is a great read.

 

[MisterHero]

he walks around like an awesome guy with sunglasses

 

[chrisisawesome]

He's snarky and actually funny (unlike most). He knows what he's talking about and seemingly tells it how it is.

 

[JCizzle]

I don't know how he isn't fat.

 

[Rad-]

Natural charisma can get you a long way.

 

[MooseKing]

because he used to go to work as a chef, go to the beach when his shift was over, do heroin, wake up on the beach, and head right back to work and do it all over again.

THATS WHY.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

• He actually knows wtf he's talking about, unlike 80% of other "food celebrities"
• He has a natural charisma and way with oratory
• He knows how to address an audience
• He actually gives a damn about what he does and has ambition
• People like to live vicariously

Yes

Seems like a cool guy, knows his shit, etc.

Also I love the production on No Reservations

 

[KHarvey16]

Every time I've sat down and watched his show or seen him make a guest appearance somewhere else, the guy comes across as a either 1) an asshole or 2) or a completely average nobody that doesn't seem to offer anything that a layman could not. Why is this guy seemingly in demand so much that he can charge ridiculous amounts to make appearances and seems to be popping up everywhere?

How do you know how much he charges?

 

[BrokenEchelon]

I don't know how he isn't fat.

Chain smoker.

 

[B-Dubs]

I don't know how he isn't fat.

It's all the running around he did for his show, if all he had to do was sit on his ass you know he'd be fat.

 

[Takeda Kenshi]

Extremely hot wife and he did enough heroin to kill 20 men. A-ok in my book.

 

[blainethemono]

I haven't seen a lot of his stuff, but he's on the writing staff of one of the best shows on television, which makes him pretty awesome

“I’ve said many times, and believe it absolutely, that ‘The Wire’ was the single greatest achievement of the television medium,” said Bourdain, of Simon’s previous HBO series. “So when suddenly I get a phone call from David Simon inviting me to lunch and asking me if I’d be interested in working on the show, it really was like being a lifelong Yankees fan and having Joe DiMaggio call up and say, ‘How about we throw the ball around in the back yard.’ It was really that out of the blue, that seismic of an event for me.”

Even though Bourdain has had to do some of his work for “Treme” while on the road for the upcoming season of “No Reservations” – in addition to Haiti, other exotic destinations include Nicaragua, Cambodia, Vienna and the Ozarks – Simon is beyond pleased with the work.

Also the episode of No Reservations where he talks with Jay Landsman and Felicia Pearson was really interesting

http://youtu.be/gXcOAUt2Ds0

 

[Ether_Snake]

Extremely hot wife and he did enough heroin to kill 20 men. A-ok in my book.

His wife has become a manly MMA fighter...

But yeah I like Bourdain. Liked Kitchen Confidential. Didn't manage to finish Nasty Bits, felt like it was going nowhere. But love his shows.

 

[Lady Deathstrike]

I do find fault with him that he has to attack other chefs because he either doesn't like them or their cooking for one reason or another. He also said something along the lines that vegetarianism was something created by pompous and over-privileged people living in developed countries. Something he really shouldn't have said considering his background, what he cooked, and how much he or the restaurant he worked for then charged people.

 

[gutter_trash]

he cares about local culture of the places he visits and does not impose his New York-ness on them.
Instead he embraces what he absorbs and gets inspired from them for his next food ventures.

 

[Holiday]

He's a BA.

 

[KHarvey16]

I do find fault with him that he has to attack other chefs because he either doesn't like them or their cooking for one reason or another. He also said something along the lines that vegetarianism was something created by pompous and over-privileged people living in developed countries. Something he really shouldn't have said considering his background, what he cooked, and how much he or the restaurant he worked for then charged people.

He criticizes celebrity chefs on television in spite of their cooking ability. And I'm not sure how you could argue that surviving on a completely vegetarian or vegan diet is not a luxury afforded to us by modern society and technology.

 

[BertramCooper]

BOOM!

Bumper.

 

[Lady Deathstrike]

he cares about local culture of the places he visits and does not impose his New York-ness on them.
Instead he embraces what he absorbs and gets inspired from them for his next food ventures.

Isn't he from Jersey?

I didn't say previously what I like about him. In some circles, people believe "street food" is bad for you and tastes disgusting. He actually dispels those kind of rumors. He also fond of a lot of meals from around the world that you won't find in an expensive, fancy restaurant only for the sole fact that chefs are paranoid about approaching these meals and dishes which would be labeled as "home cooking."

All that and the man always gets paranoid about drinking with Russians because there's always a bottle or two involved.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Cool sounding surname.

 

[dehydratedbabies]

I'd love to start watching No Reservations but Netflix removed it a while ago. I know enough about him to know I'd like him a lot.

 

[highrider]

Because he is cool, funny, and seems to have a genuine appreciation for culture and food. Personally, I tend to relate to people that have had problems. I like that he is an open book.

 

[MooseKing]

I do find fault with him that he has to attack other chefs because he either doesn't like them or their cooking for one reason or another. He also said something along the lines that vegetarianism was something created by pompous and over-privileged people living in developed countries. Something he really shouldn't have said considering his background, what he cooked, and how much he or the restaurant he worked for then charged people.

He attacks other chefs that have no talent. Much like Eminem would attack other musicians that have no talent.

The big difference is, a lot of the public knew the people Eminem attacked were talentless. In this case, most of the public knows nothing about food, and couldn't tell you who, and who is not a good chef.

He also more often then not attacks celebrity chef's, who were never actually chef's outside of their own family restaurant, or were created by a network to act as if they were a chef.

He has also no problems with wealthy people, and openly admits in his layover episode of NY after visting the LES, that he is indeed one of these upper west/east side douchebags now.

That said, he dislikes vegetarianism because he views it as something that is not only scientifically inaccurate in it's health goals, but morally shady in it's societal goals. As he points out with evidence in his book, there is more damage done to the environment and animal habitats by many of the foods eaten by vegetarians, than buying a cut of beef from a farm or ethical butcher. I have yet to see him lose a debate against a vegetarian.

 

[NoRéN]

Every time I've sat down and watched his show or seen him make a guest appearance somewhere else, the guy comes across as a either 1) an asshole

Pretty much sums up how he comes across to me. Don't get the appeal. Guy looks like a real douche with sunglasses on all the time.

 

[fluffydelusions]

Because he's awesome

 

[Lady Deathstrike]

He criticizes celebrity chefs on television in spite of their cooking ability. And I'm not sure how you could argue that surviving on a completely vegetarian or vegan diet is not a luxury afforded to us by modern society and technology.

Sometimes he gets too opinionated on other chefs just for the sole fact he doesn't like the way they cook or what they use. Him berating Paula Deen comes to mind.

It's not so much that a vegetarian lifestyle was created by modern society, it's the way he portrayed those in a vegetarian lifestyle that I find fault with, especially when modern society has also been guilty of making dishes that can go above $100 or $200. You really can't call out people and say they are too privileged when your line of work consisted of cooking and charging things for those who are too privileged.

 

[fluffydelusions]

I'd love to start watching No Reservations but Netflix removed it a while ago. I know enough about him to know I'd like him a lot.

I know! I watched all the ones on Netflix...was that everything or was it missing seasons?

 

[DietRob]

Chain smoker.

Now that I've quit smoking I can't understand how tons of chefs can smoke but still create or critique amazing tasting food. About a month after I quit smoking I was tasting so many different flavors from the same foods I've always been eating.

 

[highrider]

I think people are confusing asshole with new yorker. Fine line sometimes.

 

[TheKaeptain]

I don't know how he isn't fat.

He walks everywhere when he isn't travelling.

 

[thirty]

and his wife does jiu jitsu

 

[fluffydelusions]

He walks everywhere when he isn't travelling.

+ he doesn't really eat shitty fast food

 

[dallow_bg]

I think people are confusing asshole with new yorker. Fine line sometimes.

This. Heh.

He and Eric Ripert make a wonderful pair.

 

[Drakeon]

Thread backfire? Thread backfire.

 

[dehydratedbabies]

That said, he dislikes vegetarianism because he views it as something that is not only scientifically inaccurate in it's health goals, but morally shady in it's societal goals. As he points out with evidence in his book, there is more damage done to the environment and animal habitats by many of the foods eaten by vegetarians, than buying a cut of beef from a farm or ethical butcher. I have yet to see him lose a debate against a vegetarian.

Very interesting. This thread is convincing me that I should read his book soon.

I know! I watched all the ones on Netflix...was that everything or was it missing seasons?

I'm not sure if everything was ever released on DVD, I'm looking on Amazon and everything is labeled as a "collection".

 

[Takeda Kenshi]

His wife has become a manly MMA fighter...

But yeah I like Bourdain. Liked Kitchen Confidential. Didn't manage to finish Nasty Bits, felt like it was going nowhere. But love his shows.

Yeah I should point out Pre-MMA Octavia, not post.

 

[pigeon]

He's really an excellent writer. I like his books better than I like seeing him in person. No Reservations was also a really good show about an interesting topic that, especially when it launched, wasn't well-known in America.

Frankly, I think to some degree people have him on because of how good he has been, rather than how good he might actually be on the show. I mean, Top Chef really doesn't give him much opportunity to spread his wings.

 

[Lady Deathstrike]

He attacks other chefs that have no talent. Much like Eminem would attack other musicians that have no talent.

The big difference is, a lot of the public knew the people Eminem attacked were talentless. In this case, most of the public knows nothing about food, and couldn't tell you who, and who is not a good chef.

He also more often then not attacks celebrity chef's, who were never actually chef's outside of their own family restaurant, or were created by a network to act as if they were a chef.

He has also no problems with wealthy people, and openly admits in his layover episode of NY after visting the LES, that he is indeed one of these upper west/east side douchebags now.

That said, he dislikes vegetarianism because he views it as something that is not only scientifically inaccurate in it's health goals, but morally shady in it's societal goals. As he points out with evidence in his book, there is more damage done to the environment and animal habitats by many of the foods eaten by vegetarians, than buying a cut of beef from a farm or ethical butcher. I have yet to see him lose a debate against a vegetarian.

Your comparison is wrong. It would be like Eminem attacking a metal band because they don't create real music. Not all these celebrity chefs have portrayed themselves as being taught in a culinary school or working at a high-end restaurant. Some of these celebrity chefs have gone to fame for their home-style cooking or simplistic dishes.

 

[LQX]

He's basically the Howard Stern of cooking shows and he is no Andrew Zimmern but I still like watching his show as it is nice contrast/opposite to Zimmern which I love.

 

[Joel Was Right]

I ask myself the same thing about Christopher Nolan

 

[KHarvey16]

Sometimes he gets too opinionated on other chefs just for the sole fact he doesn't like the way they cook or what they use. Him berating Paula Deen comes to mind.

It's not so much that a vegetarian lifestyle was created by modern society, it's the way he portrayed those in a vegetarian lifestyle that I find fault with, especially when modern society has also been guilty of making dishes that can go above $100 or $200. You really can't call out people and say they are too privileged when your line of work consisted of cooking and charging things for those who are too privileged.

I don't know that you're understanding his point. The $100 meal he makes costs money, but it doesn't represent a restrictive diet only made possible by privilege. You're comparing a diet to a single meal. You might spend a lot for a steak aged a month and cooked to perfection but you can buy other beef for very little. To sustain a vegan diet you need access to specific items just to make sure you receive all the nutrients your body needs and many times require supplements.

 

[Griffin]

Every episode in No Reservation goes pretty much like this: Tony goes to an exotic country, sees the food, "hmm, this doesn't look so tasty", finally tries it, "It doesn't taste so bad afterall, in fact it's pretty good.", repeat.

 

[TheKaeptain]

Very interesting. This thread is convincing me that I should read his book soon.

I've been meaning to read it for awhile.

 

[xenist]

He partied hard. I like people who have partied hard in their lives.

He is a good writer.

He is a good speaker.

He is charismatic.

He is a good cook.

He's friends with David Simon. He has written in episodes of Treme. He has also appeared in it.

He's cool.