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[dehydratedbabies]

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.

Beautiful summary.

 

[mr stroke]

I can see why OP is jealous. Guy has the best life in the world. Rich, hot wife, and gets to travel the world eating great food and beer.

 

[Jonm1010]

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.

You haven't watched him enough.

I mean clearly they scout their shit out so they end up at places that reflect the culture and have a level of culinary renown but its not unheard of for him to end up disliking something he eats. Rare, but not unheard of. Credit to his character he typically is kind about it to his hosts though.

 

[TheKaeptain]

I really liked The Layover. His LA and San Fran episodes were great.

 

[Lady Deathstrike]

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.

Sure, meals do cost money, but that much? You can perhaps get away with steak - perhaps - but there are a few restaurants that give you less and charge you an arm and a leg for it with the taste not being that much impressive over something you could have gotten at a cheaper restaurant. Even pizzerias here are losing their minds: extremely thin crust, a few baby spinach leaves, some pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, some shredded Parmesan, $50 pizza pie that is maybe bigger than two or three slices.

Diet or no diet, I still don't see how you can mock a camp because in your eyes they are living a lifestyle that is too pompous, whereas your line of work consisted of cooking and serving people who are very much the definition of what you dislike.

Also, I don't know about vegans but he definitely laid his cross-hairs on vegetarians.

 

[Jonm1010]

I can see why OP is jealous. Guy has the best life in the world. Rich, hot wife, and gets to travel the world eating great food and beer.

Pretty much.

I mean minus the long term repercussions of that sort of unhealthy lifestyle he pretty much has the greatest life I could imagine.

 

[tino]

Of all the watchable or good travel shows out there, only one stars an American. (Not saying much since Hollywood produces very low quality travel shows.)

 

[Bboy AJ]

Sure, meals do cost money, but that much? You can perhaps get away with steak - perhaps - but there are a few restaurants that give you less and charge you an arm and a leg for it with the taste not being that much impressive over something you could have gotten at a cheaper restaurant. Even pizzerias here are losing their minds: extremely thin crust, a few baby spinach leaves, some pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, some shredded Parmesan, $50 pizza pie that is maybe bigger than two or three slices.

Diet or no diet, I still don't see how you can mock a camp because in your eyes they are living a lifestyle that is too pompous, whereas your line of work consisted of cooking and serving people who are very much the definition of what you dislike.

Also, I don't know about vegans but he definitely laid his cross-hairs on vegetarians.

I don't see why you're having such an issue understanding. This quote should explain it to you:

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn.

To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.

Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. The body, these waterheads imagine, is a temple that should not be polluted by animal protein. It's healthier, they insist, though every vegetarian waiter I've worked with is brought down by any rumor of a cold.

Oh, I'll accomodate them, I'll rummage around for something to feed them, for a 'vegetarian plate', if called on to do so. Fourteen dollars for a few slices of grilled eggplant and zucchini suits my food cost fine.”

 

[TheKaeptain]

Also shit like this is great.

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/finals-words-for-singapore

 

[Gannd]

I don't see why you're having such an issue understanding. This quote should explain it to you:

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn.

To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.

Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. The body, these waterheads imagine, is a temple that should not be polluted by animal protein. It's healthier, they insist, though every vegetarian waiter I've worked with is brought down by any rumor of a cold.

Oh, I'll accomodate them, I'll rummage around for something to feed them, for a 'vegetarian plate', if called on to do so. Fourteen dollars for a few slices of grilled eggplant and zucchini suits my food cost fine.”

Boom!

 

[Divvy]

Sure, meals do cost money, but that much? You can perhaps get away with steak - perhaps - but there are a few restaurants that give you less and charge you an arm and a leg for it with the taste not being that much impressive over something you could have gotten at a cheaper restaurant. Even pizzerias here are losing their minds: extremely thin crust, a few baby spinach leaves, some pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, some shredded Parmesan, $50 pizza pie that is maybe bigger than two or three slices.

Diet or no diet, I still don't see how you can mock a camp because in your eyes they are living a lifestyle that is too pompous, whereas your line of work consisted of cooking and serving people who are very much the definition of what you dislike.

Also, I don't know about vegans but he definitely laid his cross-hairs on vegetarians.

He takes issue with the fact that a lot of vegetarians push their ideas onto people who have no interest in vegetarianism, to the point of requesting vegetarian meals at restaurants that don't offer it like they are entitled to it or something (this is a sentiment that a lot of chefs agree on). Your comparison doesn't make sense because no one is forcing anyone to go to an expensive restaurant and ordering hundred dollar dishes.

But yeah, Bourdian is always great.

 

[daviyoung]

I like his humour. It's pretty dry and sardonic, but a safe and fluffy kind of dry and sardonic.

Guess people aren't used to that on their daytime TV travel shows.

 

[Dresden]

No Reservations was one of the best shows on tv.

 

[Bladenic]

He's pretty cool. Loved him on Archer.

 

[TheKaeptain]

I like his humour. It's pretty dry and sardonic, but a family-friendly kind of dry and sardonic.

Guess people aren't used to that on their daytime TV travel shows.

Yes! How can you not laugh at the way he says this

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/do-you-have-any-plastic-vomit

 

[highrider]

my father said last week that if you don't like anthony bourdain, and the far side comics by gary larson, then you probably aren't worth knowing.

 

[Timo]

Hes a cool dude. Hes even best bitches with David Choe.

 

[Lady Deathstrike]

I don't see why you're having such an issue understanding. This quote should explain it to you:

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn.

To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.

Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. The body, these waterheads imagine, is a temple that should not be polluted by animal protein. It's healthier, they insist, though every vegetarian waiter I've worked with is brought down by any rumor of a cold.

Oh, I'll accomodate them, I'll rummage around for something to feed them, for a 'vegetarian plate', if called on to do so. Fourteen dollars for a few slices of grilled eggplant and zucchini suits my food cost fine.”

That's not the quote I was thinking of, but even with that said, I do agree with his stance on that matter.

Here's one that I found, which is pointed towards vegans:

“Being a vegan is a first-world phenomenon, completely self-indulgent.”

And here's another which is mostly portrays him as just not liking vegetarians in general:

"For their own good, vegetarians should never be allowed near fine beers and ales. It will only make them loud and belligerent, and they lack the physical strength and aggressive nature to back up any drunken assertions."

 

[sikkinixx]

I like him quite a bit

but ya'll sayin his wife is 'extremely hot'.... what? I'm not part of sharpkneesGAF but she isn't that great looking

 

[Bboy AJ]

That's not the quote I was thinking of, but even with that said, I do agree with his stance on that matter.

Here's one that I found, which is pointed towards vegans:

“Being a vegan is a first-world phenomenon, completely self-indulgent.”

And here's another which is mostly portrays him as just not like vegeterians in general:

"For their own good, vegetarians should never be allowed near fine beers and ales. It will only make them loud and belligerent, and they lack the physical strength and aggressive nature to back up any drunken assertions."

I don't think the above is contradictory to anything.

 

[Einbroch]

Him and Andrew Zimmern are awesome. Both had major issues in life and don't hide it. They're both super enthusiastic about food and have charismatic personalities.

 

[HappyBivouac]

I like him over, say, the bizarre foods guy (who I do like, just not as much) because he is a down-to-earth guy who tackles the places he visits in a down-to-earth way, which is exactly how I like to travel. He engages with the locals, does what they do, and eats what they eat in that he really wants to get in and experience it, not just go there and say "look at all the CRAZY and NOVEL things these odd little foreign folk are eating and doing!" Andrew Zimmern is an alright guy and fairly informative, but I can't stand that undercurrent to his show.

Basically, he himself and his work both come off as "real" or "authentic," and while I know that that is often a manufactured concept, he really gets me to buy it.

 

[xenist]

That's not the quote I was thinking of, but even with that said, I do agree with his stance on that matter.

Here's one that I found, which is pointed towards vegans:

“Being a vegan is a first-world phenomenon, completely self-indulgent.”

And here's another which is mostly portrays him as just not liking vegetarians in general:

"For their own good, vegetarians should never be allowed near fine beers and ales. It will only make them loud and belligerent, and they lack the physical strength and aggressive nature to back up any drunken assertions."

The first is absolutely, indisputably true.

The second is just good writing.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

If he still knocks back as many cigarettes as he did when I was watching his show I wouldn't take much heed in what he is saying about taste.

He is a very good presenter though.

 

[kidtamagotchi]

At first, I didn't like Anthony Bourdain. I saw the episode where he ate the Puffer fish in Japan, and he didn't like it. He said it had a bland taste (or something like that). Foe some reason, I thought he was a jerk and racist for this. In actuality, he was just being truthful. He expected eating a poisonous fish would be delicious, but with all the precautions taken to take the poison out, it affects the taste. He ended up being disappointed.

I watched more episodes of 'No Reservations' and gave them a chance, and now I like him! He's funny, knowledgeable, and honest.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn.

To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.

Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. The body, these waterheads imagine, is a temple that should not be polluted by animal protein. It's healthier, they insist, though every vegetarian waiter I've worked with is brought down by any rumor of a cold.

Oh, I'll accomodate them, I'll rummage around for something to feed them, for a 'vegetarian plate', if called on to do so. Fourteen dollars for a few slices of grilled eggplant and zucchini suits my food cost fine.”

Anyone who laughed at this passage (ie, everyone worth knowing) should grab the book it came from, Kitchen Confidential.

The audiobook is even better because it's narrated by Bourdain. Practically the most perfect audiobook narration you'll ever find.

 

[TheKaeptain]

Anyone who laughed at this passage (ie, everyone worth knowing) should grab the book it came from, Kitchen Confidential.

The audiobook is even better because it's narrated by Bourdain. Practically the most perfect audiobook narration you'll ever find.

Okay I need this.

 

[Seanspeed]

At first, I didn't like Anthony Bourdain. I saw the episode where he ate the Puffer fish in Japan, and he didn't like it. He said it had a bland taste (or something like that). Foe some reason, I thought he was a jerk and racist for this. In actuality, he was just being truthful. He expected eating a poisonous fish would be delicious, but with all the precautions taken to take the poison out, it affects the taste. He ended up being disappointed.

I watched more episodes of 'No Reservations' and gave them a chance, and now I like him! He's funny, knowledgeable, and honest.

He's far more fair and adventurous with his tastes than I would be. He eats some pretty strange and terrible-looking things(to me) and often loves it. Whenever he goes to somebody's house and they cook for him, he's usually always cordial and gives praise for the food.

 

[Nert]

No Reservations has had a really positive impact on my life. After spending the majority of my pre-college life in a relatively isolated suburb, that show's central message (get out and explore, try new things, take some risks) has pushed me out of my food comfort zone and it has made me think about traveling more some day. In the earlier episodes, he leaned a bit more into the "making fun of Food Network personalities" shtick, but he treats the majority of his hosts and the food they prepare with a lot of respect.

Kitchen Confidential is also a really fun read. He's a great, acerbic storyteller. I'm looking forward to his CNN show.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Thread backfire? Thread backfire.

I haven't read one post in the OP favour.

Nuclear backfire.

 

[Videoneon]

I don't think he's funny at all; I think he's annoying. I readily acknowledge how knowledgeable he is but he does this weird awkward smartass shtick that irritates me.

As an example, I understand that quote on the perceivable luxury of vegetarianism, but all of his other quips on it are totally unimpressive, humorous or not (they are too weak, etc.) For those interested, I'm not a vegetarian.

 

[Max]

It's because of his obnoxious references to porn stars/hipsters/Kardashian

 

[kidtamagotchi]

He's far more fair and adventurous with his tastes than I would be. He eats some pretty strange and terrible-looking things(to me) and often loves it. Whenever he goes to somebody's house and they cook for him, he's usually always cordial and gives praise for the food.

Yeah, I like when he eats a home cooked meal with a family at their house. He is always respectful, even when his guests/hosts aren't treating him well...

He was with tribesmen in Africa who had just killed a pig/boar. They took it apart and cooked the meat under the dirt. The tribesmen offered a part of the pig no one should eat (it was the lower colon, fecal matter was still on it when they cooked it). He didn't want to be disrespectful to his hosts, so he ate it. The tribesmen admitted that they don't eat that part of the pig and wanted to see if Anthony would eat it. I felt bad for him.

 

[Rajack]

It's because of his obnoxious references to porn stars/hipsters/Kardashian

Holy crap, you're a regular salt mine dude. I love Bourdain. He's genuine, he doesn't sugarcoat shit, and he knows his stuff.

 

[reggieandTFE]

The first is absolutely, indisputably true.

The second is just good writing.

I don't want to take this more OT because I actually enjoy much of Bourdain's work, but you're wrong on the first point unless someone forgot to tell the hundreds of millions of Indians that have been vegan for 2500 years that they've been living a first world lifestyle.

 

[Vandiger]

Out of all the food shows I've watched, his are still the best. What program do you think is better, OP?

 

[- J - D -]

He's great whenever he appears on Top Chef. No bs.

 

[Blake'sGrave]

Da fuck you say, OP?

 

[stressboy]

my father said last week that if you don't like anthony bourdain, and the far side comics by gary larson, then you probably aren't worth knowing.

Your father is a wise man.

 

[AlimNassor]

Asshole? He's snarky, but, a very friendly guy. I've met him before, he's a good chef and a entertaining guy that's all you need to know.

 

[Devolution]

• 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

Also came up through the ranks.

What's with this OP anyway? First Neil DeGrasse Tyson, now Anthony Bourdain?

 

[AgentChris]

Because he is awesome. He is like Jeremy Clarkson.

 

[B-Dubs]

Also came up through the ranks.

What's with this OP anyway? First Neil DeGrasse Tyson, now Anthony Bourdain?

Looks like the OP is just salty against cool dudes making it big.

Because he is awesome. He is like Jeremy Clarkson.

Bourdain punched Piers Morgan in the face too?

 

[The Living Tribunal]

Also came up through the ranks.

What's with this OP anyway? First Neil DeGrasse Tyson, now Anthony Bourdain?

Apparently he hates awesome people.

 

[Divvy]

Looks like the OP is just salty against cool dudes making it big.

Nah, he's just pretty out of touch:

It's big dumb summer action fest starring heroes that no one cares about: Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow. A single Batman film is going to destroy it.

 

[Deleted member 8095]

In order of how entertaining I find them:

Bourdain>>>Alton Brown>>>Gordon Ramsay BBC version>>>Michael Ruhlman>>>Gordon Ramsay US version>>>Ming Tsai>>>Michael Symon>>>Zimmern>>>Emeril>>>Bobby Flay>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Paula Deen>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Rachael Ray

 

[The Living Tribunal]

It's big dumb summer action fest starring heroes that no one cares about: Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow. A single Batman film is going to destroy it.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Seriously, where did the OP go?

"This guy sucks. No? OK, I'll get my coat."

 

[Blake'sGrave]

Seriously, where did the OP go?

"This guy sucks. No? OK, I'll get my coat."

no sense fighting the tidal wave of love

 

[TheKaeptain]

Nah, he's just pretty out of touch:

Well Avengers sucked and TDKR was tolerable. So he was kind of right.