Anthony Bourdain in DC for Book Signing

[syzygy8]

Anthony Bourdain event at Les Halles DC.

I don't know how many tickets will be available for this, but I presume not too many. This should be a rollin' good time. If you're not a Smithsonian Resident Associates Member, I think it actually comes out cheaper for you to join and buy the discount ticket(s).

I would check this link pretty regularly to pounce on tickets the moment they become available. This is going to sell out faster than it takes to eat a bowl of Sweet Corn Raviolini at Palena.

[Chef Shogun]

Well, looks like you save $2 by joining first.

This is at Les Halles? The tour list I saw showed events at the Press Club. Sounds like it could be fun!

[Busboy]

Screw the formal event. We need to find out whwere he's drinking afterwards!

[mdt]

There is an event at the Press Club as well on Tuesday, November 23, 2004. Link here...

I am more inclined to go this event as its cheaper ($80 for non-press club members) and I have enjoyed events there in the past.

Who's up for going?

[Chef Shogun]

Screw the formal event.  We need to find out whwere he's drinking afterwards!

←

Excellent point.

There is an event at the Press Club as well on Tuesday, November 23, 2004.

Who's up for going?

←

I'm in, barring the bad luck that seems to accompany my trying to get to events at the Press Club...been trying to get to one of the Glenlivet tasting things there for a year now, but there's always something, and I can't go.

[Busboy]

There is an event at the Press Club as well on Tuesday, November 23, 2004.  Link here...

I am more inclined to go this event as its cheaper ($80 for non-press club members) and I have enjoyed events there in the past.

Who's up for going?

←

For what it's worth, my only Press Club event was in conjunction with Marcus Samuelsson's Aquavit cookbook and the food, cooked by the Press Clube kitchen team, was terrible. Samuelsson kept saying things like "you should know, it was the great staff here that cooked this meal, not me," but I'm pretty sure he was just trying to make it clear that it wasn't his fault.

Others may have had different experiences and priorities, but I were choosing on food alone, I'd tend toward Les Halles.

[hannnah]

Yeah, but the Les Halles event is Christmas-themed. Which means that, despite anyone's best efforts, it will be filled with Perky Holiday People expecting a Perky Holiday Thing. Amusing as it might be to watch, I'd rather deal with the much less perky Press Club crowd.

[syzygy8]

Yeah, but the Les Halles event is Christmas-themed.  Which means that, despite anyone's best efforts, it will be filled with Perky Holiday People expecting a Perky Holiday Thing.  Amusing as it might be to watch, I'd rather deal with the much less perky Press Club crowd.

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I don't picture Bourdain in a Santa hat, and I'd expect him to cut right through the perkiness. I'm also intrigued by the food being prepared by his own (relatively speaking) kitchen as opposed to the Press Club which would be a "catered-for-hire" event.

[hannnah]

I wouldn't expect the program to be perky. I can't vouch for the other guests and their expectations. And I like the q&a aspect of the Press Club event a lot better.

[DCMark]

I am very interested in the Les Halles dinner.

[syzygy8]

I like the q&a aspect of the Press Club event a lot better.

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That's actually a very good point. The other thing about the perky holiday atmosphere, though, is that if enough of us e-gullet humbugs go (and the wine flows heavily), we can suck the Christmas spirit down from "overdone" to "just right" and get down to the meat and potatoes of Bourdain and his cooking, smoking, drinking and shooting things up in Cambodia.

[giuinha]

i'd be up for the press club event. the q & a should be interesting...

or maybe not...

from Stratton Davis at the press club:

"There is extremely limited space available for this dinner. I am almost

sold out. We do not know if Anthony Bourdain or any of his staff will be

on hand to help out with cooking. He will be in attendance for the

reception, dinner and book signing. Executive Chef Jim Swenson will be

developing a menu with Mr. Bourdain to serve that evening. We will have

a wine specialist on hand to present and answer questions about the

wine. Non-members are more than welcome to come to the dinners. Please

call today if you are interested."

Edited September 29, 2004 by giuinha (log)

[Busboy]

So, how does DC get one of these?

I'll buy the first round. Hell, maybe I'll even by the book.

[Nadya]

So, how does DC get one of  these?

I'll buy the first round.  Hell, maybe I'll even by the book.

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That's a great idea. I wonder if he would like to hang out. I'd certainly be up for that.

[Al_Dente]

So, how does DC get one of  these?

I'll buy the first round.  Hell, maybe I'll even by the book.

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Well obviously our forum host doesn't have the kind of connections they have down in TX.

Just kidding...

I'm in!

[DCMark]

Very much in if Don could arrange. But there is a dinner planned at Les Halles for him so I am doubtful.

I am buying the cookbook, it looks excellent.

[eunny jang]

oooooh, bourdain! my knickers are all atwist! my smelling salts, someone, please!

<gag>

cool. i'd go (if obnoxious children are allowed)

[Busboy]

This is Mrs. Busboy's excellent idea, btw.

I confess I'm not wildly enthusiastic about the dinners -- aside from whether they will be worth $80 (Press Club) or $100 (Les Halles) -- because I figure they'll be crammed with normal people and there will be a lot of VIP groping and clutching with Rocks and his crowd ("Michel, ca va Bistro du Coin?) that I won't be party to.

And I'm not convinced I need another set of bistro recipes, though I haven't checked the book out yet.

On the other hand, I'm a drunkard, a total groupie and live walking distance from one of DC's Last Great Dives, so I'll do whatever heavy lifting I can.

[cjsadler]

According to this, he's in town on the 22nd of Nov. Maybe drop him a PM to see what he's doing after the signing?

[iamthestretch]

I bought the book on Amazon for a friend's birthday recently. He says it's full of bad words! Is there any guarantee Mr. Bourdain would respect our delicate DC sensibilities?

As to format, how about a restaurant/bar crawl? Maximum chaos potential.

[Busboy]

I bought the book on Amazon for a friend's birthday recently. He says it's full of bad words! Is there any guarantee Mr. Bourdain would respect our delicate DC sensibilities?

As to format, how about a restaurant/bar crawl? Maximum chaos potential.

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Fuck our sensibilities. I want to see how he behaves for the Dames d'Escoffier in Atlanta.

[JennyUptown]

I bought the book on Amazon for a friend's birthday recently. He says it's full of bad words! Is there any guarantee Mr. Bourdain would respect our delicate DC sensibilities?

As to format, how about a restaurant/bar crawl? Maximum chaos potential.

←

I'd gladly pre-pay for that.

[eunny jang]

As to format, how about a restaurant/bar crawl? Maximum chaos potential.

The Raven. The Raven. The Raven. Say it with me. The Raven. Close your eyes. The Raven. Breathe deep. The Raven.

Edited October 7, 2004 by eunny jang (log)

[Chef Shogun]

Not ONLY are we going to have a boozer, we're going to do it better! Are we going to let a bunch of TEXANS* show us how to entertain a chef? By Jupiter I say no!

* Transplanted Texans are still welcome as long as they've signed the Loyalty Oath.

[morela]

How about my uncle's sailboat!!? Any pirates or sailors out there? We have booze fest and catapult canned goods at all the bad restaurants in Georgetown (no hurting the Barnes & Noble, though). Aye Aye, Captain.