He seems awfully popular on Reddit. Every other food-related post seems to make reference to him, whether it be by the OP or those commenting. It's as if his word is gospel; every opinion seems to be based on his (if not a direct quote from one of his books). I just don't understand the attraction. Enlighten me, what makes him different to every other chef, celebrity or otherwise?
Posted Nov 27, 2010, 4:18 AM UTC
He's not your typical-uppity travel/food network host, he's not a character he made up or something. He's just a real person who is very good at what he does and IMO, has the ballsiest pallet in the world. You get used to these twats who go to other countries, try the food..and are disgusted by it because their simple/primitive pallet can't handle it, they make us Americans look dumber than we really are. He sets a great example for all chefs, don't take yourself too seriously and don't be a douche ;D Edit: I refuse to change the words I misused for the sheer fact that Mr. Wrongwordillustrated doesn't know how a novelty account works.
Don't get me wrong, I think Bourdain is a decent chef with many admirable traits. I just don't like the way everyone quotes him blindly without having any real opinion of their own.
I can respect that. If everyone had the same opinion, we'd all be boring as hell.
Is this your first day on the internet? That's what a very large majority of people on this website do.
Soo... your beef (ha!) is not with him per se, but with a bunch of people on the internet who do and you not getting the reason why. Amirite?
I like him most because cuts through all the politically correct bullshit. Like when there was a huge uproar about foie gras and PETA and vegans and other control-freakery, he didn't sidestep but actually plunged into the battle head first. Carrying the banner as it were, for the embattled meat-eater and for the right to eat what what we want. He's like a one-man NORML but for food.
Plus he manages to make folks curious about foods they'd never contemplate ever wanting to taste.
I understand why people like him. I guess I just dislike the way whenever anyone poses a question related to cooking, there's always an "Anthony Bourdain says.." comment. There are times when there are more comments referencing Bourdain than there are comments relating personal experience. Almost as if he's an internet meme.
You care way too much.
You spread your opinion around too much ;D
Haha maybe. But that's what Reddit's for, right? :)
Sieg heil mein führer! :| Edit: >Redditor for 28 minutes Yeah good one, that's NOT how a novelty account works, twat.
it's a start, and I respect him for giving it a go.
No.
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Go acquire a life immediately, twat
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Oh, did you go acquire yourself a life? Good for you, champ. Good for you.
Because he's a dick. When it comes to liking dicks Reddit is one giant homosexual orgy.
read his first book, then report back. i worked in a kitchen for about a year when i was 14 at a family owned italian joint. i didn't realize until AFTER reading his book that my experiences there were not unique to that restaurant.
I've known people in hospitality all my life so reading it wasn't much of a revelation for me. But I can see how it would be a real eye-opener for some and even comforting for many chefs.
Better than reading Kitchen Confidential: getting the audiobook and listening to Bourdain read it to you. It really comes to life hearing it in his own voice.
I'd say read them all. In order. He acknowledges his misplaced anger towards certain people / chefs in later books. As well as attacking some who well deserve it...
Yep, as a cook and then chef over the course of a couple of decades, going from low end restaurant jobs, then a good culinary school, and finally chefing it in high end catering and middle level restaurants, I can testify: While I personally never had it QUITE as rough as Bourdain, I know plenty of guys who did.
Kitchen Confidential IMHO might be the most important book ever written about the restaurant experience. Nobody who spends money for fine dining should skip the book.
sexy sexy sexy. that's why.
mmm hmmmm
I like him because he is the most intelligent and insightful host on the travel channel. He doesn't just travel to other countries and show you all the pretty things. He also gives you the ugly side, too.
In Laos he ate a meal with a farming family whose father was an amputee because he accidentally hit an unexploded Vietnam War era American bomb with a shovel in his field. It was so heart-wrenching to see the generosity of this poor family putting together a meal for a TV show from the same country that caused their hardship. You could tell Anthony was embarrassed to even accept their hospitality, and he approached the situation with a level of thoughtfulness you wouldn't see from most hosts.
He is honest, real, funny, and a good cook. People tend to like him.
Bourdain has a few things going for him, but maybe the key is that he was a colossal fuckup who managed to dig out of it with a combination of luck, talent, and work.
It doesn't hurt that he is obviously a damned good cook, with some serious knowledge and experience, but not one of those mystical angels like Keller or Blumenthal: You can identify with Bourdain. You know that if he showed up at your house to help you cook for thanksgiving, that you'd both be hitting the Bourbon and snapping towels by the end, and sitting down to stuff your faces with the tv crew.
He's a bad-ass muthahfuckah of a traveling chef, that's why.
because he eats seal eyes like a boss
I found out about him by a friend turning me onto A Cook's Tour, and that was the best food-related tv I'd ever seen. That led me into reading Kitchen Confidential, and then the book based on A Cook's Tour. He was funny, and 'real', and most of all, passionate about food.
I still like him, but I've been hugely disappointed in No Reservations as it seems so dumbed down from A Cook's Tour. I still read him (I just finished Medium Raw a few weeks ago), but now he just seems a bit like an old rock star- he's got his schtick, and he's sticking to it. I did see an episode of No Reservations a few weeks ago (I think that it was in re-runs) where I had the strong impression that they were playing the constant product placement and 'dumbed downedness' of the show for laughs- there was a long and lingering porn type shot of the credit card that he was using, so at least he seems to know what he's doing. It's also kind of funny to see him on Food Network again after so many years of trashing it.
He still strikes me as fairly down to earth about his own cooking- he's the first to say that he's not a 'chef', and I think that he has some valuable things to say about the culture of the food world. And I do admire his stance against the James Beard foundation and their continued refusal to accept that fact that most of the people doing the cooking in the U.S. are not pretty white people.
So I like him, with some reservations. I don't take what he says as gospel, but I do listen to what he has to say.
I never saw any of his TV stuff but I love his writing. The food writing is good by itself but I also read two of his novels and they were each stand-alone good. Thrillers as good as any other published crime fiction.
He uses cocaine on his show? Reason enough for me right there.
As others have pointed out he is good at what he does. Not only experience as a chef but has experienced the world around him. I admire him for that and can only hope that some day I would be able to experience a fraction of what he has.
Really? Uses cocaine?
He was in Peru or somewhere in South America and a professor who worked there met with him and they ate something with coca leaves if I remember. He talks about using cocaine quite a bit in various episodes as well as trying a few different drugs on the show as well as tons of booze of course.
Maybe back in the day but he has a kid now and he has quit smoking so I'd bet he doesn't do drugs anymore.
Automatic upvoting is often given at the mentions of: Anthony Bourdain, Alton Brown, Sriracha, sweet dishes with bacon involved (like doughnuts, cookies, ice cream, etc) and bacon in general...can't say I disagree with this.
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It is obvious to me that you have the critical and observational faculties of a barnacle. Nobody who spent any time watching Bourdain's shows in Laos, in Viet Nam, or Corsica could possibly believe this.
Hell, even the show that took place IN NYC, IN HIS OLD RESTAURANT essentially skewered him and his ego for our entertainment.
I'm not a real fan of the entire concept of the celebrity chef, but for a few guys, the respect is deserved.
ps: Blumenthal, Trotter, Bourdain, and increasingly that punk Oliver all deserve some respect. These are guys that give a fuck about food, about people, and about the way their craft affects our world.
I like him more now that I've read his books... he's realistic, funny, intelligent, mean, seasoned and experienced. And when he's wrong, he'll eventually admit it.