Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Seasons 1-5

[TrishCT]

4 a.m. here in CT and I am getting up to finish editing the paper... but had to stop by quickly to say Tony's new show was the F word. Fun!

Well done...interesting....and the Rocco and rats comments.... good synergy.

[Kevin72]

Great first ep. There's more love of food and food culture in that one hour than most of FTV's entire primetime lineup. U'm pumped about the Iceland show next week.

Congratulations, Tony and co.!

[bourdain]

Thanks, all...

And btw: I was very happy with the Times review. We all were.

And Les Halles is correctly pronounced "Lay- Al". Believe me. The "H" , though nearly silent, counts as a consonent.

[srhcb]

Being somewhat inclined toward megalomaniacal behavior myself, I can only imagine what might happen if somebody gave me a television show, but otherwise I make a concerted effort to restrain myself.

Still, I have no objection to anyone making lots of money with little effort.

SB

[YoChefGregg]

Does anyone else think that the absinthe segment went on for about 5 minutes too long? Seemed a bit self indulgent, but then again, why else do I watch Chef AB.

Tony, I love your delivery during your monologue.

Keep up the good work.

[Varmint]

Does anyone else think that the absinthe segment went on for about 5 minutes too long? 

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But the manic Jacob's Ladder head-shaking scenes were pretty damn funny.

And the cowboy boot dig by the young group reminds us that Tony's just another geek like us.

[lesfen]

Embarrassed to admit that I had no clue who this guy was until I came to eG... and even then I probably couldn't have picked him out of a line-up (probably not a bad thing!). Some of the hype must have rubbed off and I remembered to tune in at 10 (much to the dismay of the ESPN lover in my house). I have to say that I was floored. I love the fact that this guy wasn't spit shined into submission to make some lame travel show. I can watch some tool show me "his Paris" on 5 channels at any given time but none of them made me WANT to go to there. This guy made me WANT to go there... hell, he made me want to MOVE there! (Albeit he made me want to move there with him. ) I say F*** Cheerios, and F*** Rick Steeves. In certain circles, this is going to be as quoteable as, say, South Park is in other circles... you can replace "Screw you guys, I'm goin' home" with "I need a hot chocolate and some fat chicks." Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that this show is my new favorite and I'll be back next week.

The ESPN lover actually took the remote from me because I was flipping during the commercials and he was afraid that I wasn't going to flip back in time. Tony Bourdain... bringing couples together.

[The Cynical Chef]

I really wanted to like N/R...really did. But I found myself nodding off. The Absinthe hallucination scene (anyone remember that same scene in the movie "Jacob's Ladder?") was unnecesssary, too long and poorly done, likewise the bit on the Parisian sewers. The improptu-ness came off as scripted. Tony walks into a bar and just so happens to sidle up next to an artisan distiller of Absinthe? What a conicidence! My host forgets I am coming into Paris so I have to take a cab? Not again!

Pan Am has been out of biz for what, 15 or 16 years now and Airline food has been pure crap ever since so why bother telling us?

Sorry Tony. I know I am in the minority here but I was really disappointed.

I will have to re-read the lobster butchering recipe in my Les Halles cookbook to restore my faith in you.

[GordonCooks]

The absinthe buzz sequence was enlightening,. My sole experience was in Quebec city at a crappy little place miles from the Chateau Frontenac (man, that's almost 20 years ago) - I thought my arms kept raising over my head but they didn't

[Darcie B]

The ESPN lover actually took the remote from me because I was flipping during the commercials and he was afraid that I wasn't going to flip back in time.  Tony Bourdain... bringing couples together.

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Ditto here (except it was a History Channel lover at our house...). Convinced us that it would be exceptional fun to travel to Paris, which believe me is a major accomplishment.

I think that the absinthe scene may have been a bit overdone, but overall, great show. No, wait, f***ing great show.

We'll tune in again.

[lcdm]

This was my first time watching any AB show. I was flipping through the channels and there it was, so I watched. I enjoyed it very much. Yes there was some setup, but that's OK, I don't know how you could film a show like this in a reasonable time period with no setup.

It was very different from the regular sanatized travel/food shows that are usually on. I enjoyed his sense of humor, and them keeping the part about the boots in the episode shows that he can take it as well as dish it out (even if that was set up too).

I did catch myself during the show thinking, wow I can't believe he is saying this (or they are allowing it to stay in the show), or how can they drink at this time of the day and it's not right to show him staying out all night on a bender or chain smoking. Boy have I been brainwashed. Maybe I am shades of what's wrong with this country, are we are so uptight, so puritanical (as AB mentioned in the show), that we really don't allow ourselves to enjoy?

I know, I'll just have to cure myself, I'll have to throw away my watch, go sit at a bar, have smoke (if it's still allowed), drink (deflect all the negative stares) and have a really nice slow dinner (as long as they don't clear away my plate too soon because they have to turn the table).

:)

[coquus]

Man, great show. I loved the whole thing, like "Cook's Tour" and then some. Absinthe Guy with the secret stash, Ms. Chu, the fireplace grill bitch, this show has it all. I do resent being reminded of how much I suck however, I want fur on my animal, the only thing I get is plastic. I missed the first Rocco comment some how, but MSO caught it, and then MSO got mad at me for keeping it on Rock Star:INXS a minute too long during commercial (damn it, damn it), and she loves that show, I do too, but I was still pissed at myself. I will definately try to replicate that baguette shaping method, it seems he cooked them two at once to keep the ends from burning, did anyone else catch this?

[malarkey]

... did he really say "See Tony.  See Tony confused, standing around, freezing.  I need a hot chocolate and a couple of fat chicks"? 

LOL I did a double take when he said that. If I'd been watching it on tape, I would have re-ran it just to make sure.

I totally agree with his point of view on the French. They live through their senses, they take real pleasure in their food.. meals are events! We could take a page or two from them, and be better for it. Vive la France.

[PattyO]

I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was fun, campy at times, and informative. I laughed my head off with the Rocco's Rat Restaurant bit.

Keep it coming Tony!

[judiu]

... did he really say "See Tony.  See Tony confused, standing around, freezing.  I need a hot chocolate and a couple of fat chicks"? 

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Gee, he coulda had me there; I ought to be enough to cover the "fat chicks" part of the request!

[nypork]

boring, probably more fun to film, than watch it on tv-big yawn

[Genny]

You know when you have something niggling you in the back of your mind and you know there is something you needed to do? Well............ I just ran and set the DVR for the next airing of this. Whew! I thought I'd missed it all together!!! I'll have to weigh in on it after Sunday's airing. Now I just have to compel Sunday to hurry up and get here!!!

Well Tony, looks like you get 3 1/2 stars on the program from your eG fans. Good Job! (Really, does it get tiring of having your own fan pages with the naked jealous adoration heaved upon you at every turn? I didn't think so!)

edit: Oh, btw... where is the lovely wife during all the travels? Hopefully with you, behind the camera shaking her head at some of the outragious crap you do for attention.

Edited July 26, 2005 by Genny (log)

[moosnsqrl]

I enjoyed the show way more than I expected to. I've always kind of wondered what all the fuss was about Tony Bourdain. I don't dislike him but neither do I race to see what his take is on any mildly controversial food issue that comes down the pike.

[Joe Blowe]

Congratulations on a fine program, Mr. Bourdain. You almost made me reconsider my French boycott. Almost.

P.S. I could kill for a Gitanes right about now...

[Bux]

I'm not sure we're getting a fair sampling of the audience here. I suspect Tony could sleep for an hour on a NY subway train and member would watch and exclaim perfection afterwards. I think the NY Times reviewer saw it through less jaundiced eyes and on balance her comments were critically favorable. Ms. Heffernan implies the Rocco comments are sophomoric, but that Tony pulls it off. Tony does the wrong thing, if not the wrong thing, at least the politically incorrect thing and gets away with it. The moralizers can wag fingers, but most of us are rooting for him to get away with it the way we sometimes don't want the bad guys to get caught when they're obviously the heros.

With the sophomoric humor and more than enough over extended indulgent takes, the episode is far from perfect. It's coarse, not as in vulgar, but as in rough, and I have to thank, or even bless, the Travel Channel for letting us have it that way. It's certainly not that he's doing what others are doing, but better, that makes it worth watching. Better is the easy stuff to review and rank. A is like B, but better than B, so A gets the better review. No Reservations is a bit like Cook's Tour but really not like TV as we know it. That's at the heart of the matter. It's a bit of anti-TV. It's not quite like a breath of fresh air, but maybe like the aroma of a ripe raw milk cheese. Paranoids and conspiracy theorists know the good stuff is out there, but "they" are keeping it away from us. Tony brings it home.

In an early scene Tony's sitting there with his coffee and croissant telling us what's wrong with American breakfasts of ham and eggs, while later on with no shame, he's eating roast beef sandwiches for breakfast and loving it. Hypocrisy? No, not while his major points are about enjoying the minute, taking advantage of the opportunity and experiencing where you are when you're traveling. This is, by the way, more of a travel show than a food show, but Tony's a cook and he's got a devoted audience he's trying to keep while he adds to it. It's probably as much abstract art as travel, but that's not a bad thing either.

It was good to hear Louisa's voice. I almost didn't recognize her. "It's not a flattering outfit," said Mrs. B. It's probably implicit, but I'll be explicit. Tony's people came to our people looking for a Paris "fixer." Louisa, who's probably the first person I've closed a Parisian bar with in just about forty years, was head and shoulders at the top of our short list of recommendations. Forty years ago I closed bars with young artists and architects, now it's with chefs and foodies. The food is better.

[joiei]

boring, probably more fun to film, than watch it on tv-big yawn

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I agree. Sorry but I just don't get Mr. Bourdain. I have worked in many kitchens and they were not like what he describes. They were pretty normal places. And his tv shows are not all that entertaining, it is like watching, oh well, never mind.

[bentherebfor]

I had very mixed feelings about the show. As much as I desperately wanted to like it, I couldn't help but find it a little boring. It wasn't particularly informative or exciting, and Tony wasn't exactly doing anything out of the ordinary. And while I did enjoy scenes at the Meatmarket and Bakery, I thought the scene with the alchohol was horrible. Not only was boring and continued on for what seemed like hours, but the crude camera "effects" just made the show look stupid. I think Tony was going for a low budget look, but the show was full of cheap camera tricks and effects, that just distracted from what we are there for: The Food and The Travel. If it wasn't Tony, I probably wouldn't ever tune in again, but I'm hoping there is something a little better (read exciting, interesting, and informative) in store for us in Iceland.

[percyn]

Looks like the budget on this production was a bit more than Cook's Tour .

Though some of the alleged "setup" may deter from the raw edge of the show, there is still plenty of attitude and rawness to go around.

Love the 60 min format and as always, Tony's way with words and ability to speak what is in his (sometimes twisted) mind.

Tony, is there a DVD planned for this series?

Cheers

Percy

[Bux]

. . . . far from perfect.  . . .  .

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It's very self indulgent. I suspect you either get caught up in it, or you don't. For that reason alone, I found the review in the Times admirable. It was objective.

I fully understand why some people aren't amused by Tony missing the boat and being left out in the cold. He's arriving in Paris, how interesting is it to see him waiting unsucessfully for his ride into town? If you're looking for a travelog, this wasn't it. Truthfully, there wasn't much in the way of notes you'd want to take in preparation for your own trip. You don't even get to know the name of the bakery, but it wasn't about that bakery, it was about baking and bakeries. It's a fiction as well as a documentry. Almost every scene is a set up. It was about Tony. If Tony rubs you the wrong way, it's a boring show, but if he interests you, it may be enough to see him shiver in the cold night just to get to the line about rubbing two fat chicks together to stay warm. (That's not an exact quote. No replies please.) That I enjoyed the show doesn't mean it represents a major advancement in TV programming. It's just a welcome respite.

[mrsadm]

From the NY Times review:

"It's as if the show's producers had forgotten that diets and A.A. and FitTV even exist."

Here here! How utterly refreshing.