119 replies to this topic

[Claudia Greco]

I, too, am glad the 100th was devoid of stunts, and that Tony reiterated his show's continued homage to iconic films - that was fun. I was on vacation for a few weeks last month, and spent the last week catching up on NR - Dubai, Kerala, the making of Kerala, the Grenadines, the 100th and last night's return to Paris. Did I miss Rome, somehow?

[Doodad]

Rome is on Comcast on demand and is a great episode along with the 100th one last night.

[KD1191]

I generally love Tony, and the Paris show last night was stellar, but one of the themes of the Rome show (and some of the online outtakes of the Paris show) irks me. It's the idea of, "I'm not going to tell you because you'll all come and ruin it." It's cropped up several times throughout his career, and it's extremely annoying. I understand that there is a degree of truth to it, but the idea that a restaurant isn't on the map until he graces it is beyond silly. Even some of the most out of the way places he visits are already well known to those who would seek them out. (For example, I ate at the phở stall in Hanoi that he deigned to visit in Food Porn II several weeks before he did...it had a healthy reputation online as one of the best in the city.) Do the places he raves about become more popular? Surely, but if he really thinks he's killing what he loves, he needs to get into another business. He's insulting his viewers and doing them a disservice when he adopts this attitude.

[Chris Amirault]

I didn't see the show and thus can't comment on what he said. However, in re this subject, he said the following in a chat he had with the Guardian recently:

On one hand, I love traveling around the world, on the other hand, I do feel ambivalent about the fact that my eating there with a camera crew shooting me changes the dynamic--and has an effect on changing the character of the place--as others--having seen it on TV , often follow. But the owners of these usually small, independent businesses are rarely so conflicted. They LIKE being busy. There's a cultural imperialism at play when relatively wealthy people from industrialized nations like myself, complain about unspoiled places being "ruined" by traffic, satellite dishes, tourism. Unfortunately, the alternative is often poverty. And that ain't so great. This is an issue we often come up against--and try very hard to walk a delicate line.

[KD1191]

I didn't see the show and thus can't comment on what he said. However, in re this subject, he said the following in a chat he had with the Guardian recently:

On one hand, I love traveling around the world, on the other hand, I do feel ambivalent about the fact that my eating there with a camera crew shooting me changes the dynamic--and has an effect on changing the character of the place--as others--having seen it on TV , often follow. But the owners of these usually small, independent businesses are rarely so conflicted. They LIKE being busy. There's a cultural imperialism at play when relatively wealthy people from industrialized nations like myself, complain about unspoiled places being "ruined" by traffic, satellite dishes, tourism. Unfortunately, the alternative is often poverty. And that ain't so great. This is an issue we often come up against--and try very hard to walk a delicate line.

What happened in the Rome episode was very different. This was a bustling restaurant in a cosmopolitan city that he refused to name as anything other than Restaurant X for apparently no other reason than he was afraid of a fanny-pack clad horde descending on it and ruining the Italian vibe. At first I thought it was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, an almost David Chang-esque "It's just food," for the followers who are a bit too obsessed with eating where Tony eats, and I could forgive him his secrets, but he said something very similar in one of the web-clips for the Paris episode...basically, 'I'm not telling you my favorite places in Paris because they'd immediately stop being my favorites.' These are not some 3-seat Caribbean fish shack, it's a major metropolitan area...it's simply selfishness or pomposity.

Edited by KD1191, 07 September 2010 - 01:06 PM.

[Holly Moore]

Earlier today, RuthBourdain tweeted,

Saw this great travel show last night on the Paris food scene. Name escapes me right now, but it was hosted by a silver-haired gay couple.

[johnnyd]

Earlier today, RuthBourdain tweeted,

Saw this great travel show last night on the Paris food scene. Name escapes me right now, but it was hosted by a silver-haired gay couple.

Hilarious!

[DanM]

Earlier today, RuthBourdain tweeted,

Saw this great travel show last night on the Paris food scene. Name escapes me right now, but it was hosted by a silver-haired gay couple.

Frickin hillarious!

I think Eric Ripert was fundamentally moved by eating at these simpler restaurants where the menus changed daily. Is it possible that a casual dining restaurant may be coming from him? I would love that!

Dan

[percival]

Just came back from Hawaii and watched 100 on the DVR. Great eps purely about the food. It was really Paris through the eyes/mouth of Ripert.

Ripert is on TV all the time now, and I must say, I've never seen him so happy or humbled. I mean, he raved about the food, the fish especially. If you watch Ripert on TV, you know the worst thing you could ever do is serve Eric Ripert fish. But here, in his homeland, there is a difference. I'm sure the food from Le Bernardin has felt the impact of this last visit home.

[Claudia Greco]

Sounds like EVERYBODY went to Hawai'i and has now had to catch up on their missed eps (hahaha)! (Just got back myself.)

[ScottyBoy]

Hey my friend just left for Hawaii, what the hell is going on over there!?

The Paris episode was great. It especially hit home when they visited that very small one seating a night, one chef makes everything restaurant. It's pretty much what I do right now and when Bourdain had mentioned "This is not the way to get rich, he just makes enough to live so he can just cook for people". Love it

[percival]

Hawaii's end of the tourist rush, cheap deals? We stayed on the Big Island. Never knew about Hawaii's long tradition of grass fed cattle.

Read what you do ScottyBoy -- must be hectic trying to work in a new kitchen all the time, especially with wonky ovens and ranges.

After watching the Paris eps, made Dover sole meunière... I must say, I definitely prefer just a simple brown butter over the lemon. Why is lemon always served with fish, anyway? To hide bad fish? I had fish 2-3 times a day everyday for a week in Hawaii, and never tasted lemon once.

[Claudia Greco]

No, Hawai'i wasn't in the middle of some el cheapo grand-o end of season deal, as far as I know. (I own an acre on Big Island and was visiting it and some prospective builders of my future house - and to go lava-watching.) What made me crazy was the house I rented carried DISH network, which seemed to carry their feeds live from NY - sort off - but with a 6-hour time difference from NYC. Basically, what would be a fresh ep of NR on at 10p Monday was replaced by paid programming, and the 10p show may (or may not) be aired at 5p. Or 6p. Or . . . not. The DISH program guide just listed the show, without telling me what ep it was. And I couldn't tape, either, so I went crazy trying track the Dubai, Kerala, The Making of Kerala, Rome and whatever else I was missing. However, when I got home to NY, good old FIOS on demand had the Rome episode, and I caught repeats of everything else.

I loved seeing The Ripper on the loose in Paris with Tony, even if his fine dining got chomped on a little - poor Eric! I thought Rome was a little rote, and I'm already over the forays into Italian neo-classic realism, even if Tony DOES look good shot in b&w. I really would have liked to see more color, even if they did fade into a little color on the food shots. The best thing about that episode? Ottavia! Full of existential BS, Tony? "Go wash some dishes, then!" (She's a no-shit hoot in real life, too, BTW (!)) And Spain? It got better as it went on. My eyes were glazing over at the sight of all that jamon iberico by the end of the show (glazing over in a good way).

[Eatmywords]

Finally got to the 100th and Paris eps last night. Wow, I thought the Paris was the single best of any season. Its been no secret that Paris is experiencing a dining renaissance but the show laid it out in such an interesting, insightful and entertaining way. Not to mention the food was beautiful.

And with Ripert defending Michelin/classic dining and offering legitimate arguments for both styles. It all highlighted the current movement so well. Adding Robuchon was a nice bonus. I wonder if they approached Alan Ducasse. His perspective would surely have brought the show over the top. Simply amazing episode. Bravo and thanks Tony and the crew.

[Tri2Cook]

I really enjoyed the Paris episode. I like Bourdain and Ripert offered a nice counterbalance but most of all, I got some inspiration from the underlying message. I've felt in a cooking rut for a while now. I do what we do at the restaurant which isn't mine and offers very little in the way of creative freedom. I've kinda backed myself into a corner with my catering. People want the "molecular" style wow factor stuff (which is still relatively unknown in the remote area I live in so it hasn't become the target of scorn yet) no matter what other menus I make available. Lately (the last year or so) I've been feeling an overwhelming desire to make a sideways jump into a completely different lane. What I saw in this episode was a lot of people doing just that... successfully. Hmmm.

[Chris Amirault]

Thoroughly enjoyed last night's 100th episode. The pace was actually exciting for a bunch of respected chefs chatting about the state of food affairs at the moment. Tony posed a question, held back and let these guys take over.

I'm six minutes in on DVR and am riveted. Listening to Eric Ripert defend -- defend! -- Le Bernadin is fascinating. Whatever the problems of this show, I continually am excited at the prospect of watching a new one.

[jsmeeker]

Loved the Paris episode, too. During the 100th Episode special show that proceeded the actual 100th episode, Tony talked about the show having two audiences. One that watched it more for the travel stuff and another who watched it more for the food stuff. Any given episode was bound to piss off one of those groups. We know which one the Paris episode pissed off (I'm not in that group) Cool too see Robuchon on the show. Sorta makes me regret not making the effort to actually go to his event at Las Vegas Uncork'd back in May. But I'm sure David Ross can share his stories again.


Also, the Madrid episode was good. I really ,really, really want to try Jamon Iberico.

[FoodMan]

Thoroughly enjoyed last night's 100th episode. The pace was actually exciting for a bunch of respected chefs chatting about the state of food affairs at the moment. Tony posed a question, held back and let these guys take over.

I'm six minutes in on DVR and am riveted. Listening to Eric Ripert defend -- defend! -- Le Bernadin is fascinating. Whatever the problems of this show, I continually am excited at the prospect of watching a new one.

I certainly agree. NR is sort of the equivelant of an art house or Indy movie for me. You never really know how an episode is going to turn out, and it might occasionally blow, but more often than not it is miles more interesting than the next run-of-the-mill formulaic travel show next door.

I thought they really hit it out of the park with Rome, Madrid, Lebanon and Paris this season. No wonder he says that he will keep doing it as long as they will let him. I mean he's been to Spain three or four times already and each episode is fantastic.

[DanM]

Did anyone else see the Christmas special last night? It was cool to see many of his friends, both chef and otherwise, on the show cooking what they are known for. But the whole music video in the fridge? Is he back on drugs??

Dan

[Brianooch]

I like this show. Anthony is a good guy and his 10 or so comments every show about his dark side make me laugh. Im sure Anthony's medicine closet would be fun to go through. Only an old addict will get his real messages that he puts in between the lines about 10 times every show.

[Edward J]

Ummmmm

Well, there's Anthony the guy, the author, etc. and I like the way he writes, content is another story. .

But-tumm.... I've been cooking cooking professionaly for close to 30 years now. Not an addict, never was one, drink moderately, live clean. Hate working with addicts, I've never seen one develop to their full potential, and they usually screw up big-time on their way down.

Just because I cook professionaly, I don't like to be assumed that I do or have consumed "substances".

[highchef]

I must not be listening close enough, I think of him as more of a try anything (once...or twice) midnight toker kind of guy.
Of course, I don't think pot is addicting either, and always smoke cigs when I drink (honestly, weekend nights on the porch with the fan on with good company). I can relate, way to easily with that lifestyle!

[Badiane]

Sorry, I have no idea what show you are talking about...can someone fill in that blank? I am making the leap and assuming that the Anthony in question is Bourdain.

And highchef, he was much less a midnight toker and much more an all day heroin addict, among other things.

Interesting to me how even after as many years clean as he has behind him, he still references his addiction like it's a loved and missed old friend that has died but is still on his mind.

Edited by Badiane, 13 April 2011 - 10:48 AM.

[annabelle]

He's still an alcoholic, imo. I like Bourdain, but a little goes a long way.

[ScoopKW]

Interesting to me how even after as many years clean as he has behind him, he still references his addiction like it's a loved and missed old friend that has died but is still on his mind.

That pretty-much sums up a lot of former addicts.

[highchef]

Did not know that (herion), but looks like he's survived ok....sometimes you have to go through hell to get to heaven.


Edit: I'm not being naive here, the vast majority of my friends and family are recovering somethings. I prefer them to the ones that should be. Better sense of humour maybe.

Edited by highchef, 13 April 2011 - 12:09 PM.

[Tri2Cook]

This question is actually in regards to a season 4 episode but the grouping of season 1-5 posts has been closed due to getting rather large... so I'll ask here.

In the Colombia episode he makes very brief mention of a salsa that includes beer during one of his meals. I've googled it every way I can think of without success. He actually said the name but I didn't catch it. I think it started with a "T" but that could be incorrect. Anybody know what I'm looking for?

[hungryCAT]

Regarding the Christmas episode - Hubby and I sat through that one scratching our heads and giving each other WTF looks. THEN, at the end, the Samantha Brown thing was hilarious! Made watching it up to that point well worth it.

[IndyRob]

Regarding the Christmas episode - Hubby and I sat through that one scratching our heads and giving each other WTF looks. THEN, at the end, the Samantha Brown thing was hilarious! Made watching it up to that point well worth it.

I had the exact same reaction. I was rolling on the couch. Once in a while, they start off on a tangent and wind up hitting it out of the park.

[heidih]

Regarding the Christmas episode - Hubby and I sat through that one scratching our heads and giving each other WTF looks. THEN, at the end, the Samantha Brown thing was hilarious! Made watching it up to that point well worth it.

I had the exact same reaction. I was rolling on the couch. Once in a while, they start off on a tangent and wind up hitting it out of the park.

I should have stuck it out. When that Vegan rock band thing started I just gave up.