Anthony Bourdain's Blog

Envy

By Anthony Bourdain on August 19, 2008 12:02 AM | Permalink | 155 Comments

An interesting visual, phenomonen occurred during the editing of the Spain show. Though Albert Adria had graciously agreed to appear in a scene in the El Bulli "taller" (workshop), and another (since edited out) at a restaurant in Barcelona, like some kind of ghostly optical illusion, or a "Where's Waldo" book, he kept popping up.

The hapless, ZPZ tape-loggers, caffeine-jacked myrmidons who toil away in the filthy sub-cellar of our corporate headquarters, reviewing hour after hour of mind-numbingly repetitive and boring video tape, noticing this spectral apparition, began to lose their already tentative grips on reality. One scene after another, a glimpse here, a face in the crowd there, lurking suspiciously in the background in another scene, down the bar a few positions, pretending he doesn't know me in another -- or front and center; there he is.

It's Albert's very ubiquitousness in the raw footage, his omnipresence -- even in the scenes where the viewer won't see him, that tells you all you need to know about Spain -- and how damn good it is.

Understand: Albert, along with his brother, Ferran, is a chef/owner of the three Michelin starred El Bulli, the hardest to reserve, restaurant table in the world. He's a national hero, an international superstar in the world of chefs and restaurants. Suffice to say that just about anywhere in the world of fine dining, from Shanghai to San Francisco; when Albert walks in the door, the whole place goes on Red Alert. He's used to the very best. If there's a downside to his life in the culinary firmament, it's that too much foie gras, truffles and expensive wine come his way.

As a chef at El Bulli, hugely respected pastry chef -- and as the owner of a casual eatery in Barcelona, he can surely have the very best Spanish ingredients delivered anywhere he wants, quickly, with a phone call. You'd think, he'd be a bit .....jaded by it all.

Yet, there he was at Espinaler, gobbling up those supernaturally delicious, canned cockles and razor clams and mussels like he'd never had them before. Tagging along at Quimet and Quimet, shoveling in the tapas with a big smile on his face. Out in the country, with a silly red bib, a blissed-out expression, sucking down the calcots and the red wine like it was his last meal on earth.

I've never seen anyone so happy to be in Spain -- and (this is my point here) HE FREAKIN' LIVES THERE!!!

All that magnificent food -- all those cool little tapas bars, they're right down the street--and yet, it was like he just landed in Barcelona from Mars. His enthusiasm for his own country, his own heritage, the everyday places and things of Spain was something to see.


Naturally this made me misanthropic and deeply envious.

Why can't I have that? How come I gotta go halfway across the earth -- to like, Singapore, or Hong Kong (or Spain), for instance, to really get MY culinary jollies these days? He's on a magic carpet ride in his own town and I'm like a full-bloom junkie, the honeymoon period over, needing a higher and higher dosage to get off in MY home town of New York!. Why?

The sad fact is, we'll never -- and I mean NEVER have it so good as in Spain. It's not like we don't have great restaurants in Manhattan - -and will surely have many more. And certainly, we can get many of the same ingredients jetted over (more or les s-- if at a steep price). No. It's attitudinal. You can faithfully reproduce the look of a Spanish tapas bar in New York City. You can stock it with all the best, most authentic ingredients, just-jerked from the rivers, streams, soil and seas of Spain. You can staff the joint with the best cooks, dragooned off the streets of the parta vieja. And you'll still never be close to the real thing. Because what your tapas bar needs -- really needs -- is three or four or eight OTHER tapas bars (or casual Spanish eateries within walking distance).

You can't really enjoy this kind of food in a vacuum. You need to graze -- or at least know that you can graze (should the urge arise), bouncing from one place to another, a mouthful or two of what's good here, a glass of tinto, a few mouthfuls of what they do well over there -- another glass of tinto and so on. In fact, the whole customer base has to re-groove to accommodate this notion. They'll have to accept the idea that a small can of tuna -- or clams -- can actually be better than fresh stuff. And worth about $150 bucks.

That the fat of Spanish acorn fed pigs is the stuff of which dreams are made. That there's nothing unusual about growing up with Goya, Dali, Bunuel, and Gaudi. That midnite is a normal time to sit down to dinner.

The best example of What They Do In Spain that We Can and Never Will Do is to be found in the Extebarri scene near the end of the show. Here, at a rustic pub in the mountains near St. Sebastian, grilling has been raised to unthinkable zen-like heights. Hand made charcoals. A separate fire for each individual order. Separate grills -- and custom designed and crafted pans and implements to best achieve perfection.

Ingredients of a quality undreamed of by most mortals. This, in a simple, neighborhood-looking joint with a smoky bar and a self-taught chef who grew up in the village. It's where the Adrias, Arzaks and Aduriz's go for their own pleasure -- high end comfort food.

Back before cable, if you took a baseball bat and smacked it upside a television set in the middle of a show, there'd be a black and white sputter, a flash -- and then white noise and static. That was what my first bite of grilled elvers was like there. And the grilled gambas. And just about everything else in that chilly, wood-smoke smelling kitchen. A jarring, flood of endorphins, then brain overload, and for a second, a blinding light. Momentarily, the synapses shorted out. Sensation returned in a warm, intensely pleasurable afterglow of flavor. It was a sensation that related directly to the experience of a few weeks before -- in Tokyo. At Sukibayashi Jiro. Two seemingly simple things done well -- as well as they can be done. In Tokyo: old school sushi.
In Spain, grilled stuff with a little salt and a light spritz of oil.
Nothing, as it turns out, could be better

 

Tags: anhtony bourdain blog , blog , bourdain blog , no reservations , spain , chef , food , wine , albert adria , tokyo , barcelona , madrid , el bulli , michelin , shanghai , san francisco , espinaler , quimet and quimet , singapore , hong kong , manhattan , saint sebastian , sukibayashi jiro ,

155 Comments

  1. 1
    Susana - August 18 2008 @ 10:49 am Thank You, Tony Bourdaine & Company. For finally hilighting the great food and cuisine of Spain. As a Spaniard, and growing up with an all spanish family. Eating (exactly the way you did on your trip to spain) all my life. And spending the majority of my summers throughout my childhood and till I got hitched, in beautiful España, finally, an American is putting us on the culinary map, as true "foodies" in Europe. Thank You. Muchas Gracias VIVA ESPANA! S. Diaz (I've been trying to explain that to Italian Americans all my life!) they just don't get it.
  2. 2
    JennieTikka - August 18 2008 @ 10:49 am Uh oh - wasn't that the original premise of the show.....to find the "best meal" of your life?? Now what?! :)
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    Misselle - August 18 2008 @ 11:35 am Sounds good, Tony. I plan to get to Spain soon and seeing it through your eyes first will definitely help us plan what to do!
  4. 4
    David McD - August 18 2008 @ 11:46 am Looking forward to the episode. My wife and I just took our honeymoon to Andalucia area with no itinerary, just rented a car and figured it out as we went. Spanish food is an excellent example of simple food made with a lot of p&%$ion and love. What a great time.
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    Jeff Givens - August 18 2008 @ 11:53 am With your comment about replicating the tapas experience here, you hit the right on the head. Aside from quality (obviously), the essential element to a tapeo is walking from bar to bar. There are so few places in the U.S. where a car is unnecessary and even fewer where like-minded restaurants would want to group themselves in such close proximity. One thing that I noticed in Spain is that in spite of so much imbibing of drink, there is a nice lack of alcohol-induced &%$holery.
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    Melissa W. - August 18 2008 @ 11:59 am I can't wait to see this episode. Last year I managed to discover Quimet Quimet on what was my first ever Thanksgiving not spent with family. Instead my husband and I spent an hour or so standing blissed out at the tapas bar.
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    Melanie - August 18 2008 @ 12:17 pm Thank you for providing a weekly fix of much needed Escapism. On the contrary, that is what makes it truly beautiful - these places exist.
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    Ursula - August 18 2008 @ 12:40 pm My husband and I always talk about visiting Spain--if for nothing other than Goya, Pic&%$o, and Hemingway. But the food, who knew? Growing up in the South (North FL near AL; and summers spent in SC), I can't imagine life without the pig. We host pig pickins when others normally grill hot dogs. We pick the meat right from the cavity, tail still attached. Raising your own pigs with love and devotion to their well-being always renders a better product. If we can find that in Spain, we just might be sold on spending that wad of cash to go fumble our way through a language and experience some jamon Heaven.
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    Kate in the NW - August 18 2008 @ 12:59 pm I wonder if Spaniards feel that way about anything in NY (or anyplace else)? What is it they travel for? I imagine someone traveling from Spain to Scotland (or to my own beloved Pacific Northwest) for a week, waking every morning and absolutely reveling in the coolness, the omnipresent verdency, the mutifarious shades of green, the softness of the light. Maybe the food can't compare, but perhaps there is some other draw that we locals take for granted. The gr&%$ is, perhaps, as they say...always greener. I am so happy to live in an age where we get to travel. As much as I complain about airplanes, they offer us the opportunity to wrestle with the lovely conundrum of discovering new places and experiences that can only be had THERE (wherever "there" is...). Thanks for writing to us again. Looking forward to the episode (and as always, I'm insanely jealous! Dang, I hope you appreciate your life...!)
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    Rick Nielsen - August 18 2008 @ 1:23 pm Not since my favorite English music journalists of the late 60's and 70's, has any writer consistently described the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the World, time after time, in my minds eye, in an irreverent perfection, with all the whit, words and wisdom than that of Anthony Bourdain. Rick Nielsen - Cheap Trick
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    Jen - August 18 2008 @ 1:24 pm So...it was good?
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    Lisa Shames - August 18 2008 @ 2:17 pm You know you're in a special food country where even the grub in run-of-the-mill truck stops is pretty darn good. I spent a year living in Madrid and still can't get it out of my system. Luckily I have a lot of Spanish friends here in Chicago who love to cook and don't mind an extra guest or two.
  13. 13
    MessyONE - August 18 2008 @ 3:04 pm The Japan show was amazing - The Boy and I decided before we finished watching it that we're going back. We may even put Argentina on hold. Spain is a cursed destination for us. Twice we booked flights, set up hotels, made reservations at half a dozen restaurants, and twice we were forced to cancel because of The Boy's work. It was intensely frustrating both times. I have a sneaking suspicion that watching tonight's show will lead us to try again, choosing not to deal with our dodgy dollar. I have an off topic comment and it will probably cause my post to be wiped, but I have to tell you (That would be provided you ever read these, which I doubt). I've been accepted into the Cordon Bleu program in Chicago. The Boy thinks I'm insane and flatly refuses to help finance this (admittedly crazy expensive) endeavor. I've arranged to sell my car (It's breaking my heart to do that) which should be good for half the program, and I'm selling my book collection. Today, I found an unread first edition of Kitchen Confidential for virtually nothing. I don't feel guilty in the least about it, because I figure anyone who bought it and didn't read it deserves whatever they get. I have a copy, and I'm selling this one. It should be worth at least a day's tuition. I just thought you might like to know that your book is helping.
  14. 14
    Morag Hartmann - August 18 2008 @ 4:28 pm Hello, My husband and I visited Spain this summer and it was by far the best food we have experienced during our years of travel. Tony you are absolutely fab, we really have enjoyed all your shows and books!! M.
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    Ladymissgailo - August 18 2008 @ 4:39 pm Omnipresence...just like the owner here.
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    Jackie D. - August 18 2008 @ 6:30 pm Mr. Anthony Bourdain, As one of your devoted (albeit less-creepy) fans I'll obviously be looking forward to the airing of No Reservations: Spain this evening. Spain wasn't a place I &%$ociated with culinary FABULOUSNESS, however, if you say so I'm more apt to believe it. Oh and speaking of which, gotta say (despite the countless others before me who have already) you're a big inspiration to me. I'm a college student studying journalism in the boonies of M&%$achusetts and frankly, I'd be lucky if I got anywhere near as successful as you. Sorry if I'm spamming your blog with all this but there was no fan mail address for me to send all my musky perfume-saturated letters with your name written in calligraphy and sealed with wax. ....I'm joking, honest. Anyway, have fun, be safe and don't eat too much hog anus. Bad for the complexion.
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    Feisty Bourbon Girl - August 18 2008 @ 6:40 pm You b*****d. You utter b*****d. I am so supremely jealous I could SPIT. Seething with envy I am........... Once again, your writing has made me drool. I. Need. Grilled. Pork. Now.
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    Gabriella Opaz - August 18 2008 @ 7:13 pm Ahhh Señor Boudrain, After three years of documenting the world of Iberian cuisine, you've hit the mark dead on in referring to a culture of food that sorely needs some attention. However, as you so accurately pointed out, tapas are so much more than simply small plates of food, they embody the boisterous and diverse cultures of Spain. What is a Spanish tapas experience? 1. The ability to find a fresh produce market, the size of many American's living rooms, on any given corner. 2. The chance to walk into any half dozen bars on a block to not only commiserate with our neighbors, but to savor the rich smells of fried squid, cubed potatoes in a spicy paprika sauce or simply a bowl of tiny, but sweet, alberquina olives 3. The experience of going for a "tapeo" is to not only to enjoy a series of tapas in bars located shoulder to shoulder, but to hear the loud raucous jeers and laughter from small groups of Spaniards debating a given topic, the shuffling among a layer of crumpled nonabsorbent napkins that line the sticky bar floor, the hot and jostling sensations of dozens of people all battling for a space along the thin bar, the loud voices blaring from the television propped on a high shelf along the wall, or simply the vision of grandma and grand daughter sharing a bowl of gazpacho at 1 in the morning. 4.The notion that each region, and subregion, have an enormous amount of pride in their food. And despite the fact that every region is "different" in the way they prepare their dishes, the ingredients are almost always the same - fresh fish, cured meats and produce all touched by fresh olive oil and a dash of salt and/or garlic. It's truly easy to fall in love with Spanish food, and once you begin exploring their wines as well, you'll never go home.
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    CARMEN... not "karma" - August 18 2008 @ 7:30 pm Looking at BRAZIL on a early trip home from work.. OKAY TONY! I know I said I was gone... for good in the "dear Jon" letter... BUT I got the best parting gift for you! EAT THIS! 2 pounds bull testicles* 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup kosher salt 8 cups cold water Milk 1 heaping tablespoon white vinegar Salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cornmeal Garlic powder to taste 1 cup milk 1 cup dry red wine Louisiana hot sauce to taste Peanut oil for frying With a very sharp knife, split the tough skin-like muscle that surrounds each "oyster." Remove the skin. In a large bowl or pot, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 cup kosher salt in 8 cups cold of water (water should cover the "oysters); add the oysters; cover and let set for 1 hour. Drain and rinse under cool water. Place "oysters" back into the bowl or pot (which has been rinsed clean) and pour enough milk over them to cover. Cover the bowl and let set for another hour. Drain and rinse well under cool water. These two steps help to draw the blood out. The milk-soak also helps to draw out the saltiness. Transfer "oysters" to a large pot. Add the vinegar and enough cold water to cover "oysters". Bring to a boil. Reduce heat immediately and simmer for about 6 minutes. Drain again and plunge the cooked "oysters" into large bowl of ice water. Let stand until cool. Slice each "oyster" into 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick ovals. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides to taste. Place the milk in a shallow bowl. Mix the wine and hot sauce to taste in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal and garlic powder to taste in a shallow bowl. Dredge each "oyster" slice in the flour mixture. Dip into milk, then into the flour mixture. Dip into the wine mixture quickly. (Repeat procedure if a thicker crust is desired). Fry oysters in hot oil until golden on both sides, being careful not to overcook the "oysters", since the longer they cook the tougher they become. Serve hot. Serves 8. *Also known as calf fries and prairie oysters. Lamb or turkey testicles may be used also (pst! don't tell your wife !) smile Okay, no more being BAD I'm watching SPAIN tonight....
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    Lisa - August 18 2008 @ 7:33 pm Off topic but I saw the name Rick Nielsen and I said "Hmmmm, I wonder if that's, no, couldn't be." Then holy hell IT IS! A member of one of my fave bands EVER (Def Leppard being the other)! Anyway, went to Spain with my spaniard buddy to be introduced to the familia. It was the best trip I've ever been on. I did not want to leave because thought I was born and bred in the states, in Spain,it felt like I was home, finally. Everything was great. And I have plans to re-locate there within 5 years (crosses fingers). Tony, you're a lucky bastard! Thank you for finally focusing on Spain.
  21. 21
    "Pink Eyed" Jim - August 18 2008 @ 8:12 pm Wow, tapas with Albert Adria and another trip to San Sebastian in general. I can't say I'm not jealous. I'll definitely be watching tonight.
  22. 22
    Peter - August 18 2008 @ 8:28 pm Tony, is it just me? Or has Season 5 been your most personal, so far? I know you've always injected much about yourself and your world view, but I don't recall a season where you exhibited such naked melancholy (Laos), personal recollection (Uruguay), political (Southwest, Saudi Arabia), and even a softer, more mature side (Tokyo). This is most definitely not the caricature of the snarky, he-man that most people have of you. Being a father does change you, I guess!
  23. 23
    montel - August 18 2008 @ 9:51 pm Well said,Tony
  24. 24
    Milena - August 18 2008 @ 10:31 pm A culinary MacGuffin... I like the sound of that.
  25. 25
    Jill Mc - August 18 2008 @ 10:40 pm Um, try the deep, dark Midwest sometime. My husband and I idly speculate about where we'd take Anthony Bourdain, if he were in the area. And out here, the pickings are slim. We live in an area where the all-you-can-eat buffet reigns supreme: quantity is valued far more than quality. The ironic thing is that we are smack in the middle of the nations' breadbasket. But try to find fresh local ingredients. Agriculture in our area seems mostly aimed towards ethanol production or the Wal-Mart corporation. There are some rays of light, though. There's a grotty little taco wagon that we drive over an hour to visit. We've discovered a lovely Italian place. If we want sushi, we have to make it ourselves. As far as genuine, Ozark-area foods or restaurants, I'm still looking. We've had far better luck patronizing ethnic restaurants who haven't figured out yet that people here will eat any bland garbage you dish out, as long as it's cheap and plentiful. Sigh. Thanks for giving us a little glimpse of the world out there.
  26. 26
    Achick - August 18 2008 @ 10:43 pm As a NYC resident who has lived and eaten around the world, I must add that economics is a big factor. Affordable neighborhood joints that all can frequent, from French bistros to Spanish tapas to Japanese izekaya, have been driven out by the industrial complex. Good food made from fresh ingredients is only available on a casual basis for the upper middle cl&%$, even in walkable urban areas.
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    Mario DeFina - August 18 2008 @ 11:25 pm Hey Anthony, the restaurant "Espinaler" do they ship their canned seafood goods? Lemme know. Thanks
  28. 28
    Lauren - August 18 2008 @ 11:27 pm Anthony, Firstly, I just want to let you know how much I admire your style and your br&%$. Right now I am a college student who has just recently returned from a 6-month stint in Spain, specifically Barcelona, and I just wanted to say how much your episode (which I am watching as I am typing) is so on point. Each and every day I wake up, in my home state of New Jersey, and wish I was still living on the beach of Barceloneta (which has some of the freshest sea-food and most enjoyable Tapas Bars in the city). Having travelled a lot of Europe, some of Africa and North America, I have seen lot of different cultures and people - but there is no place in the world that compares to the culture and the vivacity of the Spanish (especially the Catalans). Just thinking about Spain puts me in a better more happy mood because there is truly no place like it in the world. Where people work to live instead of live to work and eat like there was no tomorrow and enjoy their days as if each was their last. I just want to thank you for giving all of your dedicated viewers (and the world) a little glimpse into the beauty and simplicity that makes the Spanish culture one of the most beautiful in the world. Thanks again!!!! and see you in Atlantic City!!!
  29. 29
    Michael Russell - August 18 2008 @ 11:31 pm As usual I have given up big-time network programming for yet another episode of No-res. Having given up smoking waaaay before "Tone" yet lacking his Dean Martinesh looks I finally realize that I do not have the "buds" of future man boobs. Irreverence begets the same but I think this show and Tones style are probably the best show on television. Well, back to making cheese. Be well all. Michael
  30. 30
    Salty Dog - August 18 2008 @ 11:44 pm Tony, Tony, Tony. You've become a parody of yourself. Do you ever feel guilty?
  31. 31
    Ursula - August 18 2008 @ 11:50 pm I can't decide whether to **** my TV or go sell my body for a plane ticket. Thanks, Tony. Espana is singing her Siren song to my husband and me.
  32. 32
    Michael Russell - August 18 2008 @ 11:53 pm As usual I have given up big-time network programming for yet another episode of No-res. Having given up smoking waaaay before "Tone" yet lacking his Dean Martinesh looks I finally realize that I do not have the "buds" of future man boobs as I shockingly observed Tony displaying in a re-run. Irreverence begets the same but I think this show and Tones style are probably the best show on television. Well, back to making cheese. Be well all. Michael
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    Jennie Tikka - August 19 2008 @ 12:04 am Weeeeell *** Tony! Now I'M envious, too. And I had such a lovely week last week too....****. Egypt better suck or I'm going to need Prozac. Cursing your name, Jennie C.
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    Carolee - August 19 2008 @ 12:05 am Just finished watching - amazing show. One of the best I've seen. It was so clear how amazing of a time you were having, and how happy you were with what you were eating and where you are. Oh, and your comment about Zimmern sucking down an inner tube made me laugh so hard I woke up my mother.
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    Reuben B. - August 19 2008 @ 12:07 am OK - I lived in Spain (Madrid) for a year and traveled throughout the entire beautiful country, had some wonderful food and made very endearing friends. The only place I failed to reach was San Sebastian y El Pais Vasco. Appropriately entitled "envy" - thanks for taking us along. Da me una canya. Ole!
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    Radu - August 19 2008 @ 12:09 am Hi Tony, I like your program and tonight's show on Spain was a great example of fine dining. As a Spaniard, I would have liked to see more of the real eating experience in Spain. You went to the best places that few people can afford. Also, while the regions of Basque country and Catalonia have a lot to offer, it would have been nice to have seen the rest of Spain as well. Any town you p&%$ through will have some unknown person with a restaurant that could really impress you. Places that everybody can enjoy. -Radu
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    Ignacio - August 19 2008 @ 12:12 am I have been addicted to your show for a while now. I grew up in the Basque Country and always wondered why you never did a show there. Well, I am so excited and homesick right now, I need to tell you this show was amazing. You captured the essence of this special place where I grew up. I could smell the chistorra and bacalao, and I cannot wait to get back there. Thanks so much for highlighting our special place. Eskerrik asko
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    Brian - August 19 2008 @ 12:19 am Hey Tony I just finished watching your episode on Spain. I thought it insightful yet somewhat narrow considering you only covered the cuisine of Pais Vasco and Cataluna. I would've liked to have seen you explore the food of other Spanish regions/cities: Madrid(even though Zimmern did it), Segovia, Salamanca, Galicia, Asturias, Valencia and even Andalucia.
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    Jaime Ferreyros - August 19 2008 @ 12:33 am Fantastico... great... you were right Tony,Food bloggers like myself bled unexpectedly and inexplicably from various orifices, a fine mist of brain matter and steam issuing from the ears.
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    Mark - August 19 2008 @ 12:34 am Finally...Tony gets back to what made him him what he is. A cooking show highlighting the great talents of a wonderful country like Spain. Throw the politics away for awhile Tony and get back to what you know best. Thanks for a great episode.
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    Charles Cavanaugh - August 19 2008 @ 12:37 am Where do I buy those wonderful seafood delights in a can in Manhattan or online and what was the name of those spanish wine gl&%$ decanter type deals you drank out of. Fantastic.
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    Esteve - August 19 2008 @ 12:47 am Awesome!!! I’m catalan and I’m living in North Florida. Watching your show you made me miss our culinary culture. I used to go to l’Espinaller. I can not wait to come back to BCN, I’ll be few days in October. Thank you Anthony! Esteve
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    Cynthia - August 19 2008 @ 12:47 am I just wanted to thank you for spending a few minutes of your show in the beautiful San Sebastian, yet it deserved so much more time. It is a fairy-tale place for me in every aspect. There are many other smaller less expensive restaurants and tapas bars to highlight which are truely esquisite; as well are other very upscale chefs to visit including Martin Berasetegui. The absolute beauty of the city and surrounding area is one to cherish. I have been to Spain about 20 times and have traveled throughout the entire country, yet nothing can compare to Donostia (San Sebastian). I am planning to move there in a couple years, as my fiance is from and lives there. Thank you again for sharing this gem and it's culinary delights with my fellow Americans.
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    sally - August 19 2008 @ 12:59 am this season has been the best...
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    Sue Yurick - August 19 2008 @ 12:59 am Envy AND "morriña"a feeling of nostalgic longing for something or someone that one was fond of and which is lost. It often carries a fatalist tone and a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might really never return. Having had the privilege of eating at Arzak three times, once with Luis Irizar and Virginia, I was reminded of so many of the reasons I love Spain, especially Donostia and Barcelona. There was a long hiatus between my 1962 exchange student experience in Madrid and the trips that extended my appreciation for the Spanish culinary achievement. When you get a chance (and you will before I do, I'm guessing) visit Abac in Barcelona. Xavi Pellicer has wide-ranging experience, including at Arzak. And please include some footage of: Escriba and la Boquería if you can! Stay healthy and be thankful for that most enviable job you have! Buen provecho, Sue Yurick
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    andy - August 19 2008 @ 1:23 am Loved both the Japan and Spain episodes. The food you inhaled over the last 2 episodes has me extremely jealous here. I always wanted to visit both countries, and hopefully in time I will. Keep up the good work. check out my travel blog: travelbyandy.com
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    Todd E - August 19 2008 @ 1:25 am I was rather disappointed with the Barcelona show. There’s so much more to Barcelona then the inside of a kitchen or Tapas joint. I know you get off on high end food but I wish you would have showed a little more of every day life there. Stumbling from Tapas place to Tapas place drinking local wine, getting lost in the narrow streets in the wee hours of the morning…watching the sun come up by the sea in Barcelona…getting mugged or propositioned for drugs…but then again, it is your show. -Todd
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    Katie - August 19 2008 @ 1:31 am I loved the Spain episode. It wasn't about wierd foods or places, it was about wonderful foods and wonderful places. I love it when the show is about the food and not some bean counter's idea of what people want to see. I think we watch this show so we can see food and the people who love food, not some ubiquitous tourist video that anyone else could do. I adore Anthony Bourdain because he is p&%$ionate about food. I found some of his adventures interesting, but what keeps me coming back is his unique and enviable insight into what makes food art- in the traditional sense of art- as a universal truth. I'll keep watching anything Anthony Bourdain does as long as his love for food, and his ability to share that experience with those of us who share his p&%$ion, prevails.
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    Tanya Schroth - August 19 2008 @ 2:20 am Tony, As I'm sure you know, you are a truly attractive man! I love you'r show, and the wonderful way you describe the foods you are eating. Like Hemingway! If you ever need a food loving girl,that can drink,to be on the show with you please let me know! Or perhaps a lady by your side at home? Kiss kiss, Tanya
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    cog - August 19 2008 @ 3:07 am When I need a boost, I unlock my memories of Spain and enjoy them anew, from the spinning frenzy of Granada to the lazy seasides in the mist of the Mediterranean, the white-walled plazas in Arcos de la Frontera, and a hundred other slices of time and place. And all over them punctuated by the food, the huevos con patatas, the grilled swordfish and the local olives, the prawns and the ice-cream-stuffed half coconut, like a subtle underlining of the days and nights. Before I really get rolling, I just want to say thanks for the Spain episode. It was a nice trip back.
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    Kevin_Bacon's_Hair_Circa_1987 - August 19 2008 @ 3:33 am You're right, Spain really is special. Here's one reason why: I was at a club in Spain and was dancing with a 9 or 10. She whispered in my ear how badly she wanted me to make love to her. But get this. She then offered my coke. Yes, cocaine. She was offering it to me! Not the other way around, my friends. Hotties in the U.S. want coke in exchange for their time and sex. Spanish broads offer you coke to make sweet sweet love to them. Yes, I love Spain.
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    june-baby - August 19 2008 @ 3:39 am Hi I'am june-baby from Mastercard. Watching incrediable food layed out before Tony in Spain, 0 Dollars. Watching Tony eating that incrediable food in Spain, 0 Dollars. My facial expression watching Monday night's episode of NR, Priceless. I loved this episode. I will be adding Spain to my list of places to visit.
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    Chef Scott Wallett Jr. - August 19 2008 @ 4:02 am WOW....Thats all i have to really say. This is the best show i have seen Chef. I was grouling just watching the show. The food looked so amazing, beautiful and unreal. It was like art that you did not want to eat, but you did if that makes sense. Even though the way i cook is more traditional and for a lack of a better word "down to Earth" it was so interesting. My girlfriend i believe will also enjoy the show, i have it saved on my DVR and plan on her watching the first 15 minutes or so with the pastry chef and chocolatier. Keep up the great shows Chef, this one definantly hit the spot and as you say, gave me a hard on with all the food porn. looking forward to the next.
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    Aimee Gutherz - August 19 2008 @ 4:44 am Hi Anthony, In the midst of all of these COMMENTS I just wanted to give you my own personal thank you for doing what you are to enlighten others about many cultures and cuisine. So many things you can tell by the various food that so many of us love. I will keep watching NO RESERVATIONS and hope to get to NY soon! My in-laws are in NJ so the perfect time to escape and find a love fling of haunts that offer some beautiful food delights! Cheers! A
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    Terry - August 19 2008 @ 8:45 am Tony, your show has opened my eyes - and stomach -to some amazing food and the destinations that inspire them. Their history IS in the food. I am a gastronomic convert, risen from the unwashed m&%$es of ignorance. Thanks for your miracle work on No Reservations, o Padre Filo!
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    David J Rust - August 19 2008 @ 9:43 am The beauty and intense reverence for cuisine and culture in the Spain episode brought, to me, a thought that I hope -at some point- we'll see addressed in either one of your blogs or one of your episodes. You have such p&%$ion -such a deep, abiding love for what you do- how does this effect your own desires to create? When you watch the construction of chocolate art, witness the creativity of custom grilling tools, taste the locally made foods of highest quality, do you get the urge to dive back in and create something, yourself? How does your soul respond, deep down, when you, yourself, have created things in the past. Whether or not you feel this is the sort of thing you can create, yourself, is irrelevant: do you find the nearest kitchen -either on the road or at home- and feel yourself encouraged to indulge your own creativity? If so, what has it spawned? If not, how does your creative side respond to immersion in such culinary and cultural experiences as your travels afford you? Thank you, Tony; I truly mean that! Yours, David
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    Robinho Santos - August 19 2008 @ 10:00 am I know this may not be the right forum to even make this comment but, it seems the Spanish episode really skimped on it's description of Spain. It seemed there was alot more to offer besides the potato rocks !!!
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    Francisco - August 19 2008 @ 10:55 am Hola Anthony, I just wanted to thank you for your program about Spain and invite you to Extremadura to witness in situ the process of making the best spanish ham,I am sure you will love it and never forget it. Thanks again.
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    Alberto Cuadra - August 19 2008 @ 11:09 am Awesome show Anthony. As a native basque it's seriously refreshing to finally see an american show that treats our regional cuisine and chefs from an adult's and intelligent point of view. Just one small critique: flamenco background music when talking about basque or catalonian cuisine is really weird. It's a little like the Octoberfest with bluegr&%$ in the background.
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    Jackie - August 19 2008 @ 11:14 am Sorry Tony but I was disappointed. I loved the shows where you go and eat real food in real places not the froo froo stuff you ate in Barcelona. I was happier when you went to San Sebastian. Then again I was disappointed. What about the sidrerias? what about the asaderias? Pacharan anyone? Pais Vasco has so much more to offer. And may I ask what happened to Madrid(cocido madrileno) or Segovia(asados!!) I had a simple dish of pollo asado with potatoes and a salad in 1991 that I still have not forgotton. Moving south I can not say enough for the necoras, mushrooms, at the frontier of Andalucia. OH MY and JAEN and the olive oil.....UUUFFF and GRANADA!! No hay en la vida nada como la pena de ser ciego en Granada. The food is fenomenal and the TAPAS are free!!! Let me know next time you go....I will give you names and addresses of places to EAT!! AY AY AY Tony. All in good fun. I was happy that you finally did a show even if it wasn't the best show.
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    Natalie Sztern - August 19 2008 @ 11:23 am of all people currently blogging I never thought it would be you to take offense and not publish a comment......you deleted mine written on the 18th at about 6 pm and it was written with humor...tsk tsk...bye bye...just for my own knowledge: is this the place we can only give kudos?
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    Raquel - August 19 2008 @ 11:41 am Hi Anthony, As a Spaniard living in Florida for the last 3 years I couldn't be prouder when I saw your episode about Spanish food. However I have one thing I need to say: you usually go to the places where people usually eat, and Spain is crowded of those small inexpensive places where food is great. I know that as a chef, you admire those great restaurants, but the regular Spanish person rarely visits those.... instead you could have shown the Octopus and seafood from Galicia, fabada from Asturias, Ham from Andalusia, the "Cocido" from Madrid, Cochinillo from Segovia.... so many places to go. You'll definitively need to go back and show what regular people really eat! Anyways, thanks for showing this great part of my culture! I love your program!
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    Roberto - August 19 2008 @ 11:42 am Yes, Natalie, it's true--you must praise Tony and never say anything unflattering about him even if its true--otherwise, you will be banned! So much for brutal honesty--this board is for sycophants only!
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    Jen Vegas - August 19 2008 @ 12:27 pm I think a lot of what you're/we're missing here in America is an adventurous nature when it comes to eating. Most people are happier with the known than the unknown and, as such, we see a proliferation of chain restaurants (which I hate) offering a modicum of comfort to the plebian m&%$es. Every Chili's offers the same food, prepared the same way ad infinitum. We're afraid of our meat being too rare, of strange smelling vegetables, of the nasty bits if you will and this seriously hampers the growth of tasty, foreign offerings. My husband is a chef here in Chicago and has a bag of frog legs some previous head kitchen gringo bought that are languishing in the freezer because no one can figure out how to sell them where he works. It's a shame. That being said, the show on Spain was a wonderful return to form and was thoroughly enjoyed in my house. You may be singlehandedly responsible for a honeymoon trip...well, maybe not singlehandedly...The Adria Brothers surely helped the cause.
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    Ladymissgailo - August 19 2008 @ 12:53 pm I got someone else hookd on your show!!!
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    Lynn - August 19 2008 @ 1:44 pm I just caught the last of this episode!! Yelled to my husband, isn't that the chef at Arzak?! We we visiting our daughter in Spain a few Decembers ago after her term abroad was ended, visited several places in Spain, and read about this restuarant in St. Sebastian that was not to be missed. We were fortunate enough to get three seats WITHOUT reservations and had THE best experience of our lives. Kissed the chef as we left! Heaven
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    tokyoastrogirl - August 19 2008 @ 2:28 pm Your show is like the best drug out there- while watching I experience such a fantastic high, living vicariously through every smoked oyster and hunk of bread you put in your mouth. It's almost always followed by a deep, empty pit at the bottom of my soul fueled by days of depression knowing that I only got a glimpse of all the things I'm missing out on in life. So I tune in again the following week and go through the rollercoaster ride yet again. Thanks. I think.
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    Lee - August 19 2008 @ 2:30 pm Last night's show was a pure delight. i am not a "foodie" nor a "traveler." this show is simply the most worth while experience on tv. anthony/tony, which ever he prefers to go by, treats his hosts with such reverence. everyone is "my friend." he is warm and this kind of warmth is just plain old good for the soul. they craft their foods and display them proudly before him and he NEVER lets them down. he is sincere and filled with gratitude. do you need to state that you are close to God? no way! you ARE close to God even if you do not realize it when you are, kind, respectful, curteous, laugh a LOT and enjoy the heck out of the simple things. rock on No Reservations. Rev Lee
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    Michelle - August 19 2008 @ 2:54 pm Anthony, I had to write. I had to congratulate you. This episode in Spain was great. More than great. It was fantastic. I don't know why I ever doubted you. For it shames me to admit that when I saw your next episode was going to be in Spain, I thought to myself, oh, no, Tony, don't ruin it for me. You've done it before. I'm a poor Okie whose never been the f--- anywhere. And I long to experience these places you so fortunately get to see for what seems like, well, frankly, for free. And so many times, especially in Asia, after seeing you climb through a wet jungle just to swallow bird s*** cooked in a pigs ***, I think to myself, Man, I'm glad Bourdain saved me the trouble. I like this Travel Channel. I like travelling vicariously. Sitting on the couch saves me a lot of money. And a lot of disappointment. So, with wonderment and awe, I happily viewed this episode in Spain, and it was all I had hoped it to be. You actually made me want to travel there even more, Tony. Forgive me for having doubted you. I should have known you wouldn't let me down. Not in Spain anyway. It was educational and inspiring and just what a travel show should be. And I can't leave without mentioning the ironic coincidence that(although you will more than likely never read this, I am a proud mother feeling the urge to brag) my son, the college age, pot smoking, cl&%$ical guitar player who worships Segovia, just the day before, on Sunday, was playing that very same little tune you ended the show with. He thought it was a pretty cool coincidence. I thought it was confirmation. Spain or Bust. I'm getting the kid a plane ticket.
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    Olympia - August 19 2008 @ 3:32 pm Nice program, thank you. However.... this episode really shouldn't be named "Spain" because it reflected the culinary experiences of elite Spaniards and tourists in a very distinct part of the country. San Sebastian and Barcelona are phenomenal cities, but they're very unique and don't really represent "Spain." (Heck --- many people from both regions are offended to be considered "Spaniards".) Where are the markets? Where are the hole-in-the-wall discoveries? Where is the cuisine that really makes up the heart & soul of real Spanish food eaten by real Spaniards? Where is a meal that actually costs less than $100?!?! Since you had such a great time, I hope you go for seconds next season and explore more areas of the country.
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    Angelica Marriott - August 19 2008 @ 3:45 pm So one of my favorite parts of this show was the onion and wine/vermouth drinking. I wanted to be there playing futbol with a tingling head and good company. Where can i get a hold of a "parone" not sure on spelling. i loved that thing!
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    Lana - August 19 2008 @ 3:46 pm I just so happy I found you while channel surfing one night. I am forever hooked. Thanks Tony,
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    Regina - August 19 2008 @ 4:06 pm I have an unhealthy attraction to Anthony Bourdain. I realize this could be construed as a problem, but since I'm not the stalker-type I think we are are okay. I don't know if it is his New York attitude, his obsession with food, or the fact that I am so envious of his life...like so many other times, watching this episode nearly brought me to tears. I could see myself eating the calcots and wiping the wine from my chin, tasting all the grilled food, and just enjoying life the way it should be lived. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
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    Dave - August 19 2008 @ 5:06 pm Bourdain envious??? I never thought I'd see the words put to [virtual] paper. I must agree, though. I've spent some time in Castellón de la Plana and you can't go 2 feet without finding another "best restaurant in the world." I'll need to tell my ex-pat Spanish friends to catch your show, they'll be sooo jealous...or should I say envious??
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    larry whalen - August 19 2008 @ 5:15 pm I would rather see a program showing more of the day-to-day food eaten by the Spanish people rather than what is being served in restaurants I cannot afford and probably the majority of the Spanish people also cannot afford. Are you an elitist, Tony. larry whalen
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    Tingo - August 19 2008 @ 6:05 pm Gothamist, your hometown online rag - has a link to this story.
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    AngryStonedHamster - August 19 2008 @ 6:31 pm i liked the Spain episode...good stuff. i dont know how you cram down all of that super rich food and not end up out of action for half the day though! 6 hour siestas between meals? is that the method? that one black slab of beef looked especially awesome.
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    Patricia - August 19 2008 @ 6:36 pm Yeah, well, I always love to watch shows about Spain because I grew up there (Madrid). Regardless that the show featured a fancy new-age restaurant, it still indirectly captured that Spanish soul for which I ache. Family & I traveled to Barcelona, San Sebastian, Toledo, Granada, Puerto de Santa Maria, Sevilla, all over, & we ate in plenty holes-in-the-wall. Even criadillas in Puerto (my apologies to you fainthearted - those are bull's testicles). But this comment is really about food misconceptions, (or maybe I never got the news). People expect such different things when they visit a country. I have to say these things -- never heard of tapas until I got to the US. We called them tasca bars, & we ate pinchos (bitefuls), just like the lady called them on the show. I've also lived in Italy & Greece. A friend of mine was disappointed when he went to Italy & found the food "bland." There was no spicy "marinara" sauce. Yeah, man, "marinara" is white seafood sauce (from "il mare"). Also, Greek souvlaki, I hate to tell you, is not a shish-ka-bob served with Tatiki sauce, or whatever you call it. It is very thinly sliced roasted lamb in a pita that one buys on every street corner, and it comes topped with tomatoes, onions, parsley, & oregano; no sauce. Where did that come from? I thought perhaps I just didn't remember, but last time I went to these places, I checked. I like the way No Resevations tells it like it is.
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    Sara - August 19 2008 @ 7:21 pm I never really had any desire to see Spain...it just never seemed that exotic to me. Now I'm interested in it!
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    Jackie - August 19 2008 @ 7:52 pm someone asked about getting a PERON....the thing Tony drank wine out of.....latienda.com sells them. pinchos is a term more used from Madrid-north....tapas is a term used in Madrid also but I have seen it more so in the south. Viva Espana! anyone interested.... Valencia is playing Real Madrid on Fox Soccer Channel. Valencia is winning.
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    Wilma de Soto - August 19 2008 @ 10:14 pm The beauty of this blog entry is that Tony gets what most of us do not. Those who break the rules, such as the Adrian brothers and other featured in this show, are skilled masters of the rules right down to the very basic and simplest things before they take it up to another level. Their creativity does not occur in a vacuum. Rather it stems from centuries of tradition, custom and culture. The Spanish temperament is also a factor; the energy, (dinner at midnight), the steadfastness,(some might say stubbornness), and the appreciation of beauty in all forms is very much a long-standing cultural ethos which lends itself to the sort of culinary greatness we have witnessed in this show. Americans often feel creativity is just being different; tradition, discipline and custom are shackles to the creative mind, to be discarded. That's why American Pop Culture is just so much "flash-in-the-pan" schlock and upstart chefs are trying to do molecular gastronomy because it looks cool, not realizing what traditions gave birth to it. Study has gone out the window and novelty now dominates without the sort of roots these Spanish chefs have. Tony is right to be a bit envious. That's why we can't have that here. -Wilma de Soto (AKA Wilmita)
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    Rule Man - August 19 2008 @ 10:19 pm The majority of the love blog comment freaks are back in full force but at least there are some sane and descenting ones in the group. My favorite was Natalie Sztern... Nothing quite like bringing up a deleted post to show everyone exactly how many colors of crazy you have in your crayon box! The Spain show, as others have mentioned, seemed overly focused on some pretty pretentious eating experiences. I dont give a crap how many Michelin stars these clowns have... I understand molecular gastronomy is all the rage right now, but can someone explain to me how deconstructing a strawberry and then reconstructing it as a flipping SORBET strawberry piece of art is brilliant??? Yes, its technically incredible but it does nothing but remind you that a strawberry in nature is a pretty brilliant piece of work in itself... Im guessing something was lost in translation. Tony seemed clearly inebriated and in love with everything and everyone in his orbit while there. I think for all his talk about "simple" and "pure experiences, Mr. Bourdain has clearly been swept away in the grandness of it all. And honestly, who wouldnt? Its almost enough to make you watch Bizarre Foods with that test tube freak of nature.... Almost...
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    Patricia Messier Adams - August 19 2008 @ 10:42 pm Jackie! Yea! Always played la quinela. Yeah, the "pichintos" in the south (like Puerto) were shish-ke-bobie-like pork pieces, but still never heard tapas. I was there many years ago, mind you. Think Penelope Casas coined the phrase "tapas" (for "tapados") since I left and they've picked it up -- much like Madrillenos call sandwiches "san-weeches..."
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    Steven - August 19 2008 @ 11:42 pm Does anyone know the name of the instrument Anthony uses to pour the wine directly into his mouth? I want to buy one and can't understand exactly what he's saying on the show. Please help. Thanks, Steven
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    Golden - August 19 2008 @ 11:52 pm Tony, There is no doubt about your greatness, and the greatness of the NR crew. That being said, I can't believe I sat through another hour of rare progamming and didn't hear a single mention of Rachael Ray, Food Network, etc... Let me be a clear as an Indian Fortune Teller. If we don't hear a new disparaging Rachael Ray reference soon, there will be severe viewership consequences to be paid, not to mention possible bad food karma. C'mon Tony. Don't wuss out on us now that your blowing up around the world. Just one little flame is all we are asking for.
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    MDsimon - August 19 2008 @ 11:53 pm Does anyone know what Anthony Bourdain takes for an upset stomach? Seems to me after watching what he eats,"don't get me wrong it all looks good to a beef eater from Nebraska" but many of us could never handle it. Mike, Omaha
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    Joan Carpenter - August 20 2008 @ 2:49 am I'm reading "Typhoid Mary" and remembering my own bout with the dread fever and all that goes with it (eww!) Picked it up when living in Mexico and grabbing a juice from the street vendor every morning as I took my son to school. Ended up very sick, but the Dr. at San Javier knew before lab confirmation what I had. After living on mineral water and coughing like a seal for a few months I started making my own juice. Can't do that now, Wyoming has sparse selection of good fruit. Love Mr. B's writing, it's more conversational than his monologues on the tv. Cheers! joan
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    Annonymous - August 20 2008 @ 10:32 am The Spain episode was AMAZING! I had to watch both back-to-back episodes to make sure I didn't miss anything! On another note, I was wasting good time at work this morning and noticed a slide show on msn.com comparing male celebrities to see who looks older. Tony made one of the comparisons but they compared him to... wait for it... Sting?!?!? Is this a joke? Maybe Karma is getting Tony back for the Nugent episode? In my opinion, Sting's got nothing on Tony. http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/well-groomed-male/staticslideshowbl.aspx?cp-documentid=9533221&imageindex=8
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    Jen - August 20 2008 @ 10:36 am The Spain episode was AMAZING! I had to watch both back-to-back episodes to make sure I didn't miss anything! On another note, I was wasting good time at work this morning and noticed a slide show on msn.com comparing male celebrities to see who looks older. Tony made one of the comparisons but they compared him to... wait for it... Sting?!?!? Is this a joke? Maybe Karma is getting Tony back for the Nugent episode? In my opinion, Sting's got nothing on Tony. http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/well-groomed-male/staticslideshowbl.aspx?cp-documentid=9533221&imageindex=8
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    MessyONE - August 20 2008 @ 12:38 pm I looked at all of the photos and I have to say that without exception, the men that looked younger had more plastic surgery than Pam Anderson. A certain actor has been lifted so thoroughly that I was looking for his belly button on his chin. I've never seen so many eye-lifts and quarts of botox in one place before. Is there anything wrong with looking your age? It's one thing to look like ten miles of bad road, but generally a night's sleep and a shower can cure that. Your face is a road map to your life.
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    sarah p - August 20 2008 @ 1:56 pm I am no foodie, but I have to agree with Tony. Good sushi in Japan and tapas bars in San Sebastian are the equivalent of heaven on earth. Heck, bad sushi in Japan tastes 10 times better than sushi where I am. I think it's because I'm a really simple eater - I don't like too much going on. Just pure fresh seafood. Watching Tony gorge on the sushi at the end of the Japan episode was the highlight of that episode for me, although I wouldn't mind grabbing a seat by the bar in the chicken restaurant either. I was slightly disappointed with San Sebastian because I felt it was a bit disjointed. Chocolate eggs to chic up and coming restaurants to basic tapas bars. I think I just wanted Tony to go into one tapas bar after another, hanging out with the locals...where were the churros Y chocolate?! :) I mean as beautiful as they were, chocolate eggs and fancy up and coming restaurantiers can be found anywhere - that is not uniquely Spanish. So far I have really liked the Japan and Columbia episodes, followed by Saudi Arabia and Spain, although I thought the Spain episode could have been much better. The format of the Uruguay episode bored me, and the American Southwest episode was torture. I think the best work Anthony can do is in Japan, Vietnam, Laos, (I would love to see Hong Kong), India would be great, but can you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NORWAY or HOLLAND? I know it's not really your taste, but with the right attitude i think you could really do a good show on this! I also think it would be really cool to do Newfoundland - I have found them to be the friendliest I have ever met, and if you can do Iceland, you can do Newfoundland.
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    sarah p - August 20 2008 @ 1:59 pm One more comment on the Japan episode - the only place you should cover alcoholic drinks is Brazil. Caipirinhas in every flavor. Seriously - is there a better drink? I don't think so. After sampling those, I could care less what concoction some award-winning bartender comes up with. So that's my only complaint about the Japanese episode.
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    Jrod - August 20 2008 @ 2:34 pm BEST EPISODE EVER! I'll make a comparison to that other country that is habitually revered for their great food. Having eaten my way through both Spain and Italy on numerous occasions, Spain consistently wins hands down. It is as it should be--any country that has a Museo de Jamon is destined for culinary greatness...!
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    GGrill - August 20 2008 @ 3:28 pm Frankly, the chocolate egg didn't impress me much. There's more amazing artisan chocolate a mile from where I sit (Chris Elbow), and I'm in freakin' Kansas City, for pete's sake. Anyhoo, it all looked wonderful, but I'm ready to get back to "eat what the locals eat." I got the feeling a lot of the food in Tokyo ("greatest sushi chef in the world") and Spain (150-euro tin of oysters) weren't exactly every day fare for most.
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    Barbara Jean - August 20 2008 @ 4:22 pm Your show on Spain was wonderful !! I have not seen you in a while and immediately noticed how good you look. Healthy and strong and younger ! I said that I bet you stopped smoking. Then I looked you up in Wikipedia and read that you indeed stopped smoking last year for your new daughter's sake. Good for you ! And congrates on the little one . Isn't it amazing how becoming a dad can change you overnight.? I saw the same change in David Letterman when his son was born. You seem more in tune with the world, happier and much more relaxed - almost kinder,gentlier - that raw edge is smoother but still manly. Again, Spain was fab and am looking forward to future shows.
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    Jennier from Canada - August 20 2008 @ 4:33 pm Tony- Will you marry me? I have read everything you have ever written and you are my idol and inspiration. I am currently doing my stage in Tuscany but from Toronto and I have recently been feeling a pull to New York. We will meet one day, I hope. Fingers crossed, Jennifer
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    Wilma de Soto - August 20 2008 @ 5:32 pm To Steven: The wine drinking vessel you asked about is called a "porron", or "porro", in Catalan. Here's a link where you may buy one for $19.95: http://www.tienda.com/table/wine_service.html Hope this helps you or anyone else who wants one. -Wilmita
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    Polly - August 20 2008 @ 6:22 pm Hello Tony and Crews, My husband and I enjoyed the stories in Tokyo and Spain...and we are so glad with NO RESERVATIONS new season!! And I will be very happy that you often introduce my country, Japan. But I always think there is more interesting place in Japan not only Tokyo or Osaka...for example, YOKOHAMA (where I am from). Yokohama is the first place that American commondore Matthew Perry arrived to demand that Japan open several ports for commerce after a long period of isolation with foreign countries since 1639. So some cultures are mixed there, and so as food. We found some fantastic restaurants like Teppan-yaki (Hibachi), Organic, Japanese-Western, Ramen noodle, Soba & Udon, of course Sushi (posh ones and unexpensive great ones) and International food (Greek, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Middle-Eastern etc). It would be great if you can introduce this wonderful city on your program!! (Of course, we can guide you) Thanks for great shows and we can't wait for the next one!! Polly
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    CARMEN... not "karma" - August 20 2008 @ 6:38 pm I'm here again... just to relay the AWE I hold in the bravado of persons who travel more often than the number of times they turn on their own kitchen appliances. AWESOME. I come from a family where the "adventure" of the year was a monthly trip to RIVERVIEW Amusement Park which was just north of Chicago. No one went near water... for unkown reasons other than the proclaimed innability to swim. My aunts and mother often boastd awsome fear of sea creatures (sharks) but only ailwife could be seen at the Chicago beach that we rarely were taken to or less rarely, allowed to attend with anyone other than our own parent. Waterplay was an occaisional hose jet sprayed at us in surprise by a spiteful or resentful family member. SANDRIDGE NATURE CENTER offered a small grimy wading pool with a mud ditch just beyond it. I was a "neat nik" kid.. and detested the grime; and NEVER went near the mudhole. I hated turtles and wasn't going to be touched by a fish other than on my dinner plate. Now in my "old age" and not necessarily wiser, I have access to swimming pools of chemically cleaned status, and a sauna jacuzzi per a local spa. YOU GO TONI! Jump into that pirahna laden Amazon river! Dive under that HOLY GHANGES and red mud river down in Texas. After booking two or more cruises and never taking one of them, I have a feling the elders have rubbed off on me! If it ain't in the bath tub or shower, I ain't going there. My daughter called some time ago to ask for money to fly home to Georgia. Flight is better to her... but she ain't fond of that and she voiced her terror of deep water situations. She takes baths frequently but insisted she was never going near any ride that would take her over water that may cause her to swim or fight sharks. She ended up with trael tickets for GREYHOUND. Does that tell you anything? GO TONY ... GO. Waiting to see ya in the NILE RIVER. EPA says it's clean water.
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    Todd E - August 20 2008 @ 7:33 pm Reading the posts on this site is nauseating. Rule Man seems like the only sensible person posting anything constructive or interesting around here. Frankly I feel embarr&%$ed for you reading your posts…it’s like watching an episode of the office...only WORSE because this is real life. Many of you people slobbering over yourselves, hanging on Tony’s every word. Get a life. To use Rule Man’s term “Freak Show” …there is no better way to describe this foodie/groupie neurosis. I like the show too… and think Tony’s one of the only things worth watching on TV…and I commend him for it but come on…the Rock Star status is ridiculous. You people are in love with this guy. It’s stomach-turning. -Todd E
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    mal - August 20 2008 @ 7:46 pm That's it, my next vacation is going to be San Sebastian. No need to go anywhere else. If I can spend a month there, then I can die happy. excellent episode!
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    DrKoob - August 20 2008 @ 9:07 pm This was your best show ever Tony! Outstanding. Simple food done well. We were in Barcelona last fall and thought the food was the best! Your Japanese show was great but this was outstanding.
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    Peter - August 21 2008 @ 12:12 am Rule Man, I think it'd be easier to accept your criticisms of the show without the jabs at the other people who post here. I mean, I've read a few of your posts now, and it all comes down to a variation of "You guys have no life, posting here, and kissing Tony's a$$ to the sky, his shows OK, but not the be all end all". If that's your opinion, fine. I, for one, don't think this is anywhere near his best season, but I'm still a fan, I look forward to each new episode, for there are more nuggets of glory in his 43 minutes than anything else on television. If other bloggers are more effusive in their praise, then what's the harm? But it clearly irks you that people can appreciate a show or a person so much. Puzzling. Perhaps you should follow your own advice and, you know, get a life.
  104. 104
    Kate in the NW - August 21 2008 @ 1:19 am Todd E - Maybe those of us who are "kissing ***" just don't see the point in being negative, even when we see something we don't particularly care for on the show. Maybe we listened to our Mamas and if we can't say anything nice, we don't say it at all. Why send flame mail to someone whose work, on the whole, we enjoy? It's tough to keep an artistic endeavor going. It's tough to be a celebrity (okay - it's not ALL misery, I'm sure...but still...). Lord knows, TV is so chock-full of utter crap that it't GOT to be hard to keep something as interesting as NR on the air. Don't knock us for being supportive. Being kind doesn't make us (all) psychos, nymphos, or sycophants. It just means we're not crotchety nitpickers. We are (figuratively) at Tony's table here - I think we owe it to the guy to be gracious guests. I enjoy the guy's show, and even more, his writing. I like wasting 10 minutes a day banging out responses on the boards. So sue me.
  105. 105
    Chrissy - August 21 2008 @ 2:56 am I posted a comment earlier, I'm not sure whether you got it or not, but I simply adore your show, and you. You are fantastic. The way you write, and the way you speak. I run in kitchen at Concordia Language Villages, and we cook tons of european cuisine, so watching your show has proved incredibly insightful, in some cases. Thanks for being great, and I finished your book a few days ago, cl&%$ic!
  106. 106
    *The* Lauren - August 21 2008 @ 10:50 am For the past few seasons, my friends and I have been dreaming that you'd finally tackle Spain. If anyone should expose Spain's food and culture, it's definitely you! My family's Spanish/Cuban roots led me to go to Spain when I was in middle school (about 10 years ago). My only regret is that I was forced to eat the Americanized food that the tour company scheduled for us. So now, you've confirmed that I must go back and truly experience Spain for myself. My friends and I adore your show and your books. We only wish you'd venture South to Georgia and come party with us in an orgy of food and culture especially the Atlanta punk scene! Much Luv, *The* Lauren
  107. 107
    Rule Man - August 21 2008 @ 11:06 am KatePeter&%$orted grades of blog-humpersCivilized folk(Todd E,etc..), We're at Tony's table(per Kate in the NW)??? Its a blog comment section for gods sake, we're nowhere near him! Thats my point! Some of you actually think he reads this thinking "Wow... I really am interested in what that "Carmen-Not Karma" commenter is yammering on and on and on incessantly about..." WHAT???... I repeat... WHAT? Maybe its the grizzled, "crotchety, nit picky" ex-New Yorker in me. Maybe its the fact that i've been in situations similar to Tony's where people are heaping effusive, unrealistic psychotic praise on me that makes me literally physically sick to my stomach. For a person like me, hearing that you want to marry me or have my babies or how you think i'm incredible based on an edited representation or BEFORE you know anything REAL about me is absolutely psychotic. Maybe thats not Tony's style and for your sakes you should hope it isnt... The only thing that sort of thing shows me is that you have an unhealthy attraction to fantasy, two dimensional images and book ink. Heres the kicker... I like Tony's show. Ive read "Kitchen Confidential" and "The Nasty Bits" and enjoyed them for the most part. Ive been to a few of the restaurants and places Tony has enjoyed also. As Ive said before, he is a self admittedly imperfect man with an imperfect show. Still a show that is better than most of the cookie cutter Food Network style &%$embly line clones out there. He does tend to have good insights along the way that make for good entertainment. Everyone has their own opinion and definition of fandom, thats understood. Some handle it in a seemingly constructive appreciative way (Peter, Im actually talking about you... Can you believe it?!). But that doesnt mean you have to debase yourself and look like a complete tool by offering your firstborn to a complete stranger for a chance to sniff his pit sweat (Yes it is that bad... Look up 'Jennifer from Canada's comment as an example of how to ensure a police presence at a Tony Bourdain book signing) Trust me, i'm not telling anyone to get a life. How can I if I sit here typing all this nonsense up? Moreso, the message is "GET REAL". I write what I do because IM SURE Tony and his NR crew could give two craps about the insane ramblings of me or any other psycho responding to his blog. The most you could hope for is that some unpaid, low level intern will be forced to read thru some of these posts as a sadistic joke... or a way to justify a college credit in "Hands On" Journalism. In the end, none of our ramblings matter... See? So that being the case, continue stocking up on lube because the blog-orgy continues...
  108. 108
    EB - August 21 2008 @ 12:06 pm When you said food bloggers would s*** their cages... you weren't kidding. We are.
  109. 109
    Ursula Deljanin - August 21 2008 @ 1:43 pm Oh Tony, Mr. Snarkolicious himself. Unlike the other Ursula posting here, I will not be ****ing my television anytime soon. But I have got a craving for tapas after watching the show and wondered what's the best tapas place in NYC????
  110. 110
    Brett - August 21 2008 @ 3:52 pm Hey Tony, So we were planning on taking a trip to Italy next year, but now I think we're going to fly into Barcelona because of your show. One day won't be enough, but we'll just have to go back one day soon. Thanks for such an amazing show. My husband's comment when you showed the finished chocolate eggs? "I just want to f*$% them they look so good." I couldn't disagree. PS. I stopped in Les Halles for the first time recently on a work trip to NY and ended up chatting for a long time with Philippe and meeting Timmy and Carlos. I casually mentioned I was a fan of yours and tried not to appear stalkerish.
  111. 111
    MIKE ZULIM - August 21 2008 @ 4:20 pm I must comment on this show on Spain. It wasn't that great at all. The dining at high end establishments and eating 230.00 cans of razors isn't for the everyday foodie. I have watched all your shows since the inception and this was off track from the others. Real food/people weren't displayed on this episode. 55 euro chocolate eggs and a dessert that looked like crap, I don't think I will be eating in Spain very soon. You should have had more on tapas and street/market food like your other shows. Please don't lose focus of your original motto "real food, real people" Thanks other that that keep up the good shows. Please!!
  112. 112
    Mike Tom - August 21 2008 @ 10:44 pm Talk about envy. You have a show where you get to make up and use the word "felchtastic." I thought I'd never watch a cooking show. I started with Zimmerman. I liked your guest appearance, and now I am hooked. In fact, I have a backlog of your shows, because I hate to stop watching in the middle. &%$imilating my friends, one foodie at a time, Mike
  113. 113
    MaDukes - August 22 2008 @ 1:01 am Tony: Absolutely loved the Spain episode. A descriptive word keeps coming to mind while viewing your adventures and comments, and that word is "gracious." The ecstatic "this does not suck" look is very cool, too. Thanks for a new terminology, "high-end comfort food" also. Another clarifier for my own food/restaurant philosophy.
  114. 114
    Jose - August 22 2008 @ 6:03 am ""Steven said: Does anyone know the name of the instrument Anthony uses to pour the wine directly into his mouth? I want to buy one and can't understand exactly what he's saying on the show. Please help. Thanks, Steven"" It´s called "Porron", in summer time we also use it to drink beer with some kind of Mountain Dew we have here
  115. 115
    Jessi - August 22 2008 @ 11:47 am Thank you Tony. Thank you No Reservations crew. Thank you, thank you. This was perhaps the most beautiful episode to date. I've never been to Spain but it has just been bumped from number 10 to number 1. Tony, you made me feel as if I was there smelling, seeing, touching, and tasting everything you were. Thank you.
  116. 116
    seemorekitty - August 22 2008 @ 12:00 pm Tony, You are generally my hero, but did I actually hear you utter the DEMOCRATIC when you were eating $200+ canned delicacies? My husband muttered "try plutocratic" under his breath. I understand that street food was NOT the thrust of this episode, or Tokyo episode, but you might want to throw the middle-middle cl&%$ a moderately-priced bone here and space out these epicurean fantasy episodes.
  117. 117
    Raquel - August 22 2008 @ 12:26 pm Steven, the instrument is called PORRON
  118. 118
    John Walker - August 24 2008 @ 2:52 am The. Best. Episode. To. Date.
  119. 119
    Thomas - August 24 2008 @ 7:43 pm A lot of useful travel information, i would also only recommend this translator thanks again!
  120. 120
    Gabe - August 26 2008 @ 10:58 pm No **** kissing here. One of my Top Three favorite episodes. I truly enjoyed each segment... Hard to top that one Tony. Maybe you can grab new fan Rick, Robin and Bun E. for a NR show in England ;-)
  121. 121
    Charles - August 27 2008 @ 8:46 pm Hello Everybody. First time on the blog. I look forward to posting and learning from you all. For right now, I am digesting the posts (pun intended) would love to join the foodie journey. Respect,
  122. 122
    Captain Jeff - September 07 2008 @ 4:03 pm Ingredients of a quality undreamed of by most mortals.* A.B. i disagree Sir... after living in and attending college in Spain (Salamanca) and returning frequently, traveling about every where and nowhere in the p&%$ionate lands... I've tasted, drank, and 'bedded' all that spain has to offer...(Spain does offer other 'vices' than food)my dreams can be rather boundless... (Dr. Freud would have to add a new chapter to his book, "Interpretation of Dreams" to fully explain all) one of my fellow bloggers suggested a "NR" rated show... however, until your producers work on it, is there a book out???
  123. 123
    Captain Jeff - September 08 2008 @ 10:05 am i have yet to find anything bad with spain... the wine, women, song, and gastronomy are the best kept secret...and you, tony, are letting the cat out of the bag... i went to college there (salamanca) for a year, visited spain many times there after, even (funny story) met and brought home the ONLY girl my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and fellow officers all said "MARRY HER!!"...yep. even p&%$ed the 'mom' test...
  124. 124
    caligal - September 16 2008 @ 3:24 am Loved the food in the tapas bar. Love how happy most everyone looks. What I still don't understand (I went to Spain when I was a teeneager and my husband went about two years ago) is how the Spaniards get up and go to school and work after eating super-rich heavy meals at 9:30, 10 PM every night! By the way, was that your wife seated next to you on your left at the very end of the show, when you were all eating at Arzak? The one with the cool hair? Spain is back on my list of places to visit...our kids have always wanted to go. Madrid and Granada are amazing but I'm sure Barcelona (which I never got to) will be a pleasant surprise. Cheers!
  125. 125
    Anon - October 01 2008 @ 11:50 am

    I can charge you 150 euros for some King Oscar canned seafood should you miss Spain any time soon!

  126. 126
    Joseph Shepard - October 25 2008 @ 8:31 am
    WHEN I spent a Summit in Barcelona- A daily thing was to hit this tiny CAVA Bar where all they had was Champagne and Sausage sandwhiches- best thing ever- and one can NOT reporduce this- sitting ona curb drinking Champagne from a Bottle and gulping down sausage sandwhiches of various kinds with various sauces spilled all over it..then ****** in a cab of course
  127. 127
    betsy - October 28 2008 @ 10:46 am

    What is the name of the sparkiling white wine he was drinking with the father/daughter. I think it was something like "chocolit?" It had high acidity/low alcohol and was made from local grapes?

  128. 128
    Scott - November 12 2008 @ 7:59 pm

    Does anyone know the name of the wine bottles they use in the Spain episode with the calcot and romesco sauce? Would love to order a few!

    Thanks!
    A.B. fan

  129. 129
    Christine - November 12 2008 @ 10:59 pm

    Scott: The bottle is a porron

  130. 130
    Christine - November 12 2008 @ 11:01 pm

    Joseph, are you talking abut Can Paixano? I looove that place, everyone packed in like sardines drinking cheap and delicious cava!

  131. 131
    andie davis - November 18 2008 @ 3:00 pm

    i heard the phrase 'coated in edible clay' during this episode. does anyone know what this was? what is it made of? i would like to research this further and don'tknow where to begin, but as a potter, i am intrigued.

  132. 132
    chat - November 18 2008 @ 8:14 pm

    Thanks

  133. 133
    Ben - November 25 2008 @ 3:01 pm

    Without a doubt, the Spain episode speaks to me in a way I cant describe. The expressions on Tony's face and the unscripted emotion is refreshing. As a kid, I spent summers in Provence (when are you doing that show?), I was able to live that excitment like Tony did.

    Tony gets it. "It", what Americans (I'm one too) dont get, passion. Doing 1 thing and doing it prefectly, every time. It's passion for the craft, In the states it's passion for success. We, as a country need to take a lesson from the rest of the world.

    Tony, thank you for what you do. I spent 15 years working in kitchens and your honesty and no BS approach is appreicated. Dont ever stop.

  134. 134
    KevX - November 27 2008 @ 4:44 pm

    ...that's what i'm talking about...so what's "better"?...fly the stuff in from where ever...fake the atmosphere, or create our own local foodie experience?...kinda a trick question...

  135. 135
    Caralien - December 17 2008 @ 7:08 pm

    I was lucky enough to live in Madrid for a year during university. Prior to then, in Heidelberg and Paris, where I maintained vegetarianism. Not possible in Madrid. Everything smelled and tasted so good that I gave up 12 years of avoiding meat, and haven't looked back. It's that good.

  136. 136
    Al - December 30 2008 @ 4:18 pm

    I am a 58 year old guy that lost his job, and was really depressed after many week of sitting at home going broke. I discovered "No Reservations", and have been recording them all. I make popcorn and watch the shows all day long. I watch the great ones several times. I can no longer afford to travel, and eat great food, but thanks to your really cool show, I no longer give a damn.

  137. 137
    tala karınca yumurtası yağı - January 02 2009 @ 8:20 pm

    good
    karınca yumurtası, tala, tala yağı, karınca yumurtası satış

  138. 138
    Susan - January 05 2009 @ 10:43 pm

    Anthony B. why eating barracuda in the Caribbean is bad: Ciguatera is caused by the consumption of subtropical and tropical marine finfish (ie barracuda) which have accumulated naturally occurring dinoflagellate toxins through their diet. The symptoms of Ciguatera poisoning are paresthesias and weakness and can persist in varying severity for weeks to months.

  139. 139
    Jenn - January 19 2009 @ 1:48 pm

    Oh the calcots...that is my version of "food porn". I need them in my life. For some reason I can think of nothing better than draping those onions into my mouth!

  140. 140
    Richard Wexler - January 23 2009 @ 7:03 pm

    Your comments on Spain,On the Road Adgain (appearing in EaterSF) aside from your normal uncontrolled crudity were at best an example of your real "Envy." Triggered by the friendship among the four leads and the sheer joy (absent cynicism) of their shared experience seems to have oversome your ability to see that documentary for what it was. Too bad.

  141. 141
    Alex D - January 26 2009 @ 1:07 am

    Anthony you're ability to craft a metaphor makes me misanthropic and deeply envious! Just started reading your writing recently, absolutely love it. Welcome to the pantheon of television celebrities that I'm thoroughly captivated by, it's all you and Penn Jilette.

  142. 142
    David - January 28 2009 @ 4:32 pm

    It sounds like, Spain and it's restaurant owners are great at marketing. The theatrics of cooking have overtaken the essence of food as SUSTENANCE. Taste all you want, you will die without substance.

  143. 143
    chris - February 23 2009 @ 5:16 pm

    At the restaurant Etxebarri ...does anyone know the name of the type of chorizo (something like chistodo??) that the chef was grilling?? I have been trying to find out...thanks!!

  144. 144
    club penguin - May 24 2009 @ 9:28 pm

    I’m catalan and I’m living in North Florida. Watching your show you made me miss our culinary culture. I used to go to l’Espinaller. I can not wait to come back to BCN, I’ll be few days in October. Thank you Anthony!

  145. 145
    chat - June 14 2009 @ 3:33 pm

    network programming for yet another episode of No-res. Having given up smoking waaaay before "Tone" yet lacking his Dean Martinesh looks I finally realize that I do not have the "buds" of future man boobs as I shockingly observed Tony displaying in a re-run. Irreverence begets the same but I think this show and Tones style are probably the best show on television. Well, back to making cheese. Be well all. Michael

  146. 146
    Annie D. - July 27 2009 @ 2:23 pm

    Watching the San Sebastian show again. A lifetime dream of mine was to visit there, after knowing Arnoud Etchemendy -sheepherder extrodinnaire- and eating his food. This episode kills me with the travel bug.

    Thanks again to Tony for this wonderful show.

  147. 147
    travesti - August 15 2009 @ 5:04 pm

    Ferran, is a chef/owner of the three Michelin starred El Bulli, the hardest to reserve, restaurant table in the world. He's a national hero, an international superstar in

  148. 148
    advair diskus - September 05 2009 @ 6:47 pm

    Tagging along at Quimet and Quimet, shoveling in the tapas with a big smile on his face. Out in the country, with a silly red bib, a blissed-out expression, sucking down the calcots and the red wine like it was his last meal on earth.

  149. 149
    ugg boots - October 21 2009 @ 10:42 pm

    If we can find that in Spain, we just might be sold on spending that wad of cash to go fumble our way through a language and experience some jamon Heaven.

  150. 150
    air compressor - October 27 2009 @ 4:12 am

    wow, ur show is always amazing, spain,wait for me

  151. 151
    musik klipleri izle - October 27 2009 @ 7:02 am

    Spain this summer and it was by far the best food we have experienced during our years of travel. Tony you are absolutely fab, we really have enjoyed all your shows and books!! M.

  152. 152
    Sport Video - October 27 2009 @ 7:03 am

    am so supremely jealous I could SPIT. Seething with envy I am........... Once again, your writing has made me drool. I. Need. Grilled. Pork. Now.

  153. 153
    erotik seksi video - October 27 2009 @ 7:04 am

    wonderful seafood delights in a can in Manhattan or online and what was the name of those spanish wine gl&%$ decanter type deals you drank out of. Fantastic.

  154. 154
    runescape money - October 29 2009 @ 8:52 pm

    began to lose runescape money their alreadyrunescape money tentative grips on reality. One scene after another, a glimpse here, a face in the crowd there, lurking

  155. 155
    Marc Jacobs Sunglasses - November 20 2009 @ 3:17 pm

    I love the post. The information about Spain restaurants are really useful.


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Anthony Bourdain

Meet Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain is a 28-year veteran of professional kitchens, having worked as a dishwasher, line cook and chef in places good, bad and horrible -- most of them in New York City. Read Anthony Bourdain's full biography.


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