Tuesday, August 12, 2008

No Reservations


I really, really like Anthony Bourdain.

He rubbed me the wrong way when I first watched No Reservations, his show on the Travel Channel. He came off as a pompous know-it-all. But then I realized…he does know it all. Well, at least all about the world of secret culinary delights, which he has been a part of for twenty-eight years.

Tony is not the sort of person I would immediately find endearing. His arrogance is apparent in his hoity gait, that obligatory I’m-too-cool-for-this-place leather jacket, and his sanctimonious tone. He’s cynical, hates vegetarians, and cusses.

So…why do I think he’s so….cool?!

It’s really the other stuff he does…the writing, cooking, and traveling. Tony eats weird stuff like fuzzy tofu and cobra hearts. He travels all over the world, seeking adventure, knowledge, and delicious experiences. He dines with gangsters in Russia, hunts with Ted Nugent, and drinks in nosedive bars with has-been rock stars in Detroit. He makes being a chef something that’s cool, manly…dangerous!

What, according to Tony, is the grossest thing he’s ever eaten?

Chicken McNuggets. =)

Watch No Reservations, Mondays at 10 on the Travel Channel.

3 comments:

Andrew said...

I'm glad someone else has discovered his show; it's awesome. Have you seen the episode where he hangs out with bikers in Sweden and then goes out back to throw hatchets at ABBA cd's? The grossest one is where he's hanging out with some tribe and eats a warthog rectum. Yes, you read that right; it's like a million times grosser than the cobra heart.

Lisa Marie said...

Warthog rectum?! I missed that one. How repulsive...and awesome!!

Josh Treece said...

I love this show! I even wrote about it too!

http://johnnysboy.blogspot.com/2008/02/no-reservations.html

But his book was even better!

http://johnnysboy.blogspot.com/2008/03/important-thoughts-10.html

So great!