Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Seasons 1-5

[ronnie_suburban]

. . . If any city in America had to bury thousands of skeletons under the city , do you think that city would have kept the bones still down there? . . .

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Possibly in New Orleans, but you make a good point.

=R=

[SuzySushi]

. . . If any city in America had to bury thousands of skeletons under the city , do you think that city would have kept the bones still down there? . . .

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Possibly in New Orleans, but you make a good point.

=R=

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I dunno, but Washington Square Park in NYC's Greenwich Village used to be a potter's field. I'm not sure whether all the graves have been relocated.

[Mayhaw Man]

. . . If any city in America had to bury thousands of skeletons under the city , do you think that city would have kept the bones still down there? . . .

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Possibly in New Orleans, but you make a good point.

=R=

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We don't even bury dead folks, we make them part of the landscape.

[Tess]

For those of you with On Demand, there is a terrific 21-minute preview of this series currently running.  It's called Peek Bourdain and if you don't think you can make it until next Monday when the series debuts, this may get you over the hump.

=R=

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I just watched that. Still available, and very much worth seeking out. (In my On Demand system, it's under the Discovery channel.)

I'll be seeing the French episode for the first time tonight and am really looking forward to it.

[Louisa Chu]

I've posted a list of all the locations used in the Paris show on my blog - with one of my favourite pics of Tony and the crew.

Fixer's Guide to Paris

[menton1]

Tony's personality was the only thing that held that show together for me, so I am hoping for more in the next episodes. I expected something less scripted, more spontaneous.  . . . .

I agree! When he walked into that little bistro and just happened to "bump into" the Absinthe specialist, that was really contrived! It would have been much better to just say that they had arranged to meet with the guy beforehand. The show dragged in parts, but the Rungis Market and the bread bakery were very good.

[ingridsf]

That was one hiLARious episode. When the first commercial break took us straight to something Rx for women's over-active bladder I almost lost it. "If No Reservations is making you pee your pants, ladies, help is on the way...."

This episode demonstrated that the key to quality entertainment is to make Mr. Bourdain uncomfortable. And then give him testicles. Lots of testicles. "They're gonad-o-rific!"

The food at the Radisson Viking buffet looked real bad. Dontcha know it made me think of my high school Comparative Vertebrae Anatomy class. The shark I dissected looked tastier than that spread. No offense to our Viking friends.

I'll have to try that shark-tidbit trick at my next dinner party -- serve something so noxious, so foul that whatever comes after it has to taste delicious.

[Jennifer Brizzi]

Unfortunately I spaced the Paris show last week, but I totally loved Iceland last night. I laughed so hard I cried. I loved it when Mr. Bourdain brandished his Zippo and requested "Freebird!" after the a cappela trio sang.

Jolly good show!

[YoChefGregg]

I loved the suspense in last night's show.

I thought for sure that he was a goner, wouldn't be able to make it off of the glacier.

This is truely, mush see TV.

[JPW]

Watched this out of curiosity last night and thought it was absolutely dreadful. Nothing more than a vehicle for the Bourdain schtick. If you like the arrogant "why isn't the rest of the world like NYC" schtick than you'll like the show. If you think this schtick is getting old, or if you're looking for something new, or looking to be informed, you'll be disappointed.

Although, to be fair, there was a little bit of info on the mid-winter feast. However, I felt anything of interest from that bit was drowned out by the constantly repeated "this stuff is gross" statements.

[rickster]

I've got to agree that the show last night sucked. I thought the first show on France was OK. Last night really smacked of 15-20 minutes worth of material blown up to an hour. How much time did we have to spend watching weightlifting or a guy wandering around in a snowstorm? I did like the bit on the traditional Icelandic feast. Somehow I though the show would be more about Iceland, not so much about Bourdain making "outrageous" comments.

[malarkey]

But.. I wanna know if the shark was worse than the mexican iguana!

[Nanna R]

Although, to be fair, there was a little bit of info on the mid-winter feast. However, I felt anything of interest from that bit was drowned out by the constantly repeated "this stuff is gross" statements.

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Just in case anyone wants to know more about the Icelandic midwinter feast tradition, here is an excerpt from my book Icelandic Food and Cookery:

"Thorri Feasts

Þorrablót

According to the old Icelandic calendar, the month of Thorri (Þorri) begins on a Friday between 19th and 25th January. Thorri may be a distortion of the name of the old thunder god, Thor (Þórr), but it has come to mean a personification of the Winter King – often portrayed as an old, harsh man that lays a blanket of snow and ice over the whole country and is very reluctant to let go of his “ice fetters.”

Even though Thorri feasts were held at midwinter in pagan times, there is really nothing that connects them to the present day feasts of the same name. They are a twentieth century phenomenon, although there were a few instances in the nineteenth century when small groups of people gathered for a midwinter feast they called Thorrablót. The present-day catered Thorrablót is partly an invention of a Reykjavík restaurant owner in the 1950s – he thought there might be a market for traditional and disappearing Icelandic food that had never been served at restaurants before.

Thorrablót are now held in almost every town and community in Iceland and clubs, workplaces and others arrange their own feast, so many people end up going to several of these during the month of Thorri. They may even reach into the next month, Góa, in which case they are usually called Góugleði (Góa’s Feast). Most Thorrablóts are catered by restaurants but in a few locations, people still bring their own Thorri food in the customary specially made deep wooden trays."

And yes, I suppose much of the stuff is pretty gross. But I like it anyway.

[Tess]

The shark dish was a lot like lutefisk, no?

I think the show is fun, if a little slow. (That wacky tourism film was a bit much.)

[SuzySushi]

What I wanna know is, what does puffin taste like?

(And don't tell me it tastes like chicken... it looks more like tuna sashimi.)

[Jason Perlow]

But.. I wanna know if the shark was worse than the mexican iguana!

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I thought the exact same thing. How can the shark be worse than "see.... he is tired...he WANTS to die!"

[FoodMan]

you like the arrogant "why isn't the rest of the world like NYC" schtick than you'll like the show. If you think this schtick is getting old, or if you're looking for something new, or looking to be informed, you'll be disappointed.

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that's an odd thing to accuse Bourdain with, the guy loves other cultures and tries his best to enjoy whatever he is doing or eating wherever he is. He makes it obvious that he himself hates those tourists who think "why isn't the rest of the world like _________". I agree that last night's show was not one of the best we've seen him in. It was a little bit boring at times but so was he, he was bored to death and he thought the food at the feast was gross. I guess I just do not get why you would get that impression.

Elie

[JPW]

you like the arrogant "why isn't the rest of the world like NYC" schtick than you'll like the show. If you think this schtick is getting old, or if you're looking for something new, or looking to be informed, you'll be disappointed.

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that's an odd thing to accuse Bourdain with, the guy loves other cultures and tries his best to enjoy whatever he is doing or eating wherever he is. He makes it obvious that he himself hates those tourists who think "why isn't the rest of the world like _________". I agree that last night's show was not one of the best we've seen him in. It was a little bit boring at times but so was he, he was bored to death and he thought the food at the feast was gross. I guess I just do not get why you would get that impression.

Elie

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Frankly, the whole show came across as a "let's make fun of this quaint little culture" trip where Iceland was there solely for the purpose of getting off one-liners.

Imagine for a moment that you do not *know* that the star of this show is someone who "loves other cultures". Then what would you think?

Opinions differ, I stand by mine. I think the guy came off looking like an ass.

[lesfen]

I have to admit to flipping during this episode. I was amused, don't get me wrong, but Iceland looks flippin' boring and so does their food.

On to NJ!!

[rooftop1000]

But.. I wanna know if the shark was worse than the mexican iguana!

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I havent tried rare old pet iguana but I have tried Icelandic rotten shark, and testicles....waitress said "you call them balls, No?" Well the "balls" werent bad but the shark is damn nasty.

Now if he had just gone around the corner from the 3 Overcoats place and had some chocolate crepes...mmmmmmm happy dance

tracey

[Mnehrling]

What I wanna know is, what does puffin taste like?

(And don't tell me it tastes like chicken... it looks more like tuna sashimi.)

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Similar to Emu.

[DCMark]

Bourdain:

Let the fact that some blowhards may not approve of your show prove its worthiness. Or those who think they are French......

The scene post-Absinthe sucked, but remember, that was probably filmed a week later and was certainly edited months later. The fact that you were able to genuinely interact with seemingly true Parisians was wonderful.

Judge this show based on its worthiness as a television program, not on its relation to experiences with one's Parisian insiders. Its televison, not real life.

[purplewiz]

But.. I wanna know if the shark was worse than the mexican iguana!

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And here I was thinking I was the only person wondering that....

I've seen the first two episodes, and thought each had a few too many contrived/cute moments, but I'm going to wait and reserve judgement. I actually enjoy the one liners.

Marcia.

[glossyp]

But.. I wanna know if the shark was worse than the mexican iguana!

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Count me in on this question as well! His disgust at the iguana seemed much more real than the shark - it was kind of like he was phoning in his distaste. Maybe he was genuinely tired.

[Lynette Hanson]

Gosh, y'all. Now, I'll glady admit that I've never seen Bourdain on TV until "No Reservations," but after reading "Kitchen Confidential" and "A Cook's Tour," his TV persona rings true for me.

Maybe, just maybe, Bourdain has a good deal of creative input and wants some of it to look tongue-in-cheek or somewhat contrived--like running into that absinthe man--but didn't we all learn some interesting stuff anyway?

And for pete's sake, you know that a network is not going to spend all of the moolah it must cost to put together a show like this and let every single bit of it be left up to chance. I mean, I'm trying to write an article for the Jackson Free Press about a day-in-the-life of a tow truck driver and can only ride with him on a Saturday (I'm a middle school librarian the rest of his work week)--his boss told me that it might not amount to much since Saturday is not usually a busy day. What I'm trying to say is what would we be tuning in on the Travel Channel if all of Bourdain's days were such Saturdays? He's not out there waiting for a wreck or someone's temp light to come on; he's taking us on his travels, showing us things he thinks we'd like to see, for which I'm profoundly grateful.