- SHOW INFO
- Home
- TV Schedule
- About the Show
- Meet Tony
- Episodes
- Travel Guides
- In the News
- FEATURES
- Alternate Universe
- Crew Blog
- Emmy Awards
- Meet the Crew
- Tony's Blog
- Recipes
- Quiz
- PHOTOS
- Location Slideshows
- VIDEO
- Missing Scenes
- Show Highlights
- Tony and Friends
- INTERACT
- Message Board
- Mobile Alerts Club
- MySpace
- YouTube
- iGoogle
- RELATED
- Bizarre Foods
- Food and Wine
- Man v. Food
- SHOP
- Bourdain Fan Gear
- Travel Channel
…..I Shall Wear the Bottoms of My Trousers Rolled
By Anthony Bourdain on September 5, 2009 10:58 AM | Permalink | 125 Comments
I slipped my thumb ring off my finger and into the Bosphorus the other day. It was the last of many steps in an ongoing, inevitable and long overdue process of de-Fierification. Call it an embracing of my inner Cosby. My sous-chef Steven gave me that ring a long time ago. Back in the day, we, all of us in the crew at the Supper Club got them, on the eve of a James Beard dinner event. A phalanx of famous, better known and (frankly, better all-around) chefs and their assistants were joining us in the kitchen the next night and we wanted something appropriately white trashy to set us apart, distinguish us as the home team. Like the skull and knife logo, I drew on our jackets for the occasion, the rings signified a sort of underdog unit pride.
We may have kind of sucked—but we worked hard, dammit—and if nothing else, habitually cranked out a helluva lot more dinners than anybody on the visiting team. By the time I dropped the thing in the water, the ring had outlived its usefulness. It went the way of my earring, joining—in one sense or another—my Dead Boys T-shirt, my telescoping billyclub and my crack pipe in some Davey Jones locker of once cherished but now abandoned objects. I think Steven will forgive me.
Speaking of rings, it's worth noting that they're notorious hiding places/vectors for bacteria and thus frowned upon in food handling. With each added ring, a cook is increasing your chances for infection exponentially. When you eat food handled by a guy with four or five rings on his fingers, it's like the gastro-intestinal version of unprotected group sex: each added protuberance makes it that much more likely you're picking up something -- really nasty. You might consider that next time Guy Fieri makes you an order of wasabi meatballs.
----------------------------------------------
My shame and misery while shooting the upcoming Outer Boroughs show was entirely heartfelt. It's shocking and unforgivable that I've lived so long in New York City, have seen so much of the rest of the world, and know so pathetically little about the wonderlands of food just across the river. The world has passed me by in no small number of ways, but this is painful in a fashion that my other areas of ignorance are not. Residents of Brooklyn and Queens in particular will carp that I show so little of their exploding food scenes—that I missed so much. Exactly.
Just eating around Flushing leaves me feeling much as I do in China, confronted with every bite by my own mortality and the lack of sufficient time left to do a proper job with a humongus subject.
On the plus side, I did get to down tiki drinks with David Johansen--though his enthusiasm for the New York Dolls of old seemed less…fervent than mine. Staten Island, it turns out, is the home of the last irony-free Hawaiian/Polynesian tiki palace in New York. A fine and beautiful thing. I brook no snickering with my flaming pu-pu platters.
-------------------------------------------------
In keeping with the "wallowing in my own ignorance" theme of this blog entry, let me say that any preconceived notions I might have had about Turkey being mostly about meat on a stick have been proved terribly wrong. Istanbul is a freakin' foodie paradise. It's downright brain bending how much good stuff is to be found at even everyday eateries—how difficult it is to walk down the street—any street—and not want to eat everything in sight. Table service is stunningly good as well—something of a rarity on this scale.
------------------------------------------------
Finally, may I refer any of you who have inquired, jokingly or otherwise, over the years, about a job on the show, to production assistant Helen Cho's excellent Crew Blog entry. She discusses the seamy underside of a day's toil at Zero Point Zero, citing a "to do" list that included the wrangling of a bong, a compliant pet store, a rodeo clown and three dead prostitutes. I'm guessing life's a little less weird over at Passport To Europe. But then you never know.
125 Comments
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.
About No Reservations
"No Reservations" dives headfirst into life's colorful and rich pageant. Join Anthony Bourdain as he circumnavigates the globe on his conquest to discover the cities, villages and countries that provide life's truest surprises. Learn more about the show.
- Alternate Universe
- I Told You I Smelled Emmy!
- …..I Shall Wear the Bottoms of My Trousers Rolled
- FOR PARENTS ONLY
- Big Sky ... Thick Jungle ... Zero Tolerance (and Diane Saves The Day)
- State of Siege
- I'm Not Angry
- A Drive by Shooting
- Tony 'n' Zamir's Excellent Adventure
- Swag Bags For All My Friends!
- Antonio/Antonia
- Dear Rachael
- How Can I Miss You, When You Won't Go Away?
- Not Fade Away
- Hierarchy of Pork
Anthony Bourdain Video
Follow Anthony on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
- Marc Jacobs Sunglasses: I love the post. The information about Spain restaurants are really useful.
- Good Night Quotes: That's really a great piece of letter written by Anthony Bourdain, well this kind situations...
- online games: Oh my. Tony, you rule. This is perfect. As the father of a three-year-old, this is so spot on...
- free online games: My Thai wife and I were on Surin Island of the west coast of Thailand when the yellow shirts...
- free online games: Love your show. You always strive to be fair. I live in SF. And it may be a good place to...
You all at Zero Point Zero better brace yourselves for a deluge of job applicants! I'd bet my favorite Japanese noodle bowl that there are a lot of folks who would love to spend their workdays tracking down whatever is needed to keep turning out some of the best television ever. NR just keeps getting better and better!
" It's shocking and unforgivable that I've lived so long in New York City, have seen so much of the rest of the world, and know so pathetically little about the wonderlands of food just across the river."
I feel exactly the same way about Los Angeles. I have the pleasure of eating at the best restaurants in the city, and only recently seriously started to venture out into the food gold-mines of ethnic Chinese, Thai, Korean & Japanese (to start) neighborhoods.
They say you can never go home. It must be the same for food. If your gone long enough the MBA is Restaurant Management will have destroyed it.
New is fun but hit or miss, never leave home or mom.
Hi Tony, I already spammed your Twitter a moment a go, but wanted to leave a comment here too. I just got home from Taksim, where I saw you having dinner at the Balık Pazarı/Fish Bazaar in İstiklâ Blvd. Do you remember that woman that ran up to you saying- 'you...you're....it's you!!'..and you just replied 'Yes..uhh...I am' hahaha, that was my Mom. We used to live in Oregon, but we're Greek/Armenian, born & raised in Turkey. The couple with us were some Oregonian pals who'd come to visit.
My Mom and I are HUGE fans of the show, watched it ALL the time. In that manic shock, my Mom couldn't even remember your name. Lol
It was so great to see you. If you noticed the girl in the black/white shirt, shying away in the corner...that was me. I'm so sorry for the way they acted- like total groupies. If you weren't filming, I would've asked to take a photo with you.
I hope you enjoy your stay in İstanbul :) if you need a your guide, I'd be glad to show you around!
Love the show, and you- all the best:
Sunny
PS: How did you like the food? & sorry about the ring :( Maybe some fish will eat it, and it'll end up in someones dinner plate.
As I pre-heat my Stainless Steel Propane-Powered Grill for the obligatory scorching & slow cooking of pork parts (and assorted other prescribed meats) prior to, and partly in commemoration of, Labor Day, I find myself missing an integral part of the All-American Holiday Weekend Diet--
Excellent Re-runs.
Why the Travel Channel would deprive of us such journeys of exquisite delight as are presented in your programs eludes me.
We should be having a smorgasbord of past delights, a cornucopia of Food Porn, as it were.
I salute you, Mr. Bourdain, and all your co-conspirators in the ongoing task of Making Some of the Best Television I Have The Privilege of Watching, and wish you the Happiest of Labor Day Weekends.
I hope that this hearfelt elucidation doesn't come off as the jibber-jabber of some twisted fanboy, or the ravings of a lunatic- When the Going Gets Weird, The Weird Turn Pro--- Selah!!!
Shame on you, Tony for not exploring the wonderland of gastro-delights just outside your window. (God you people from Manhattan are sooooo self-absorbed! LOL Meanwhile where does my family come from? I digress)
Sarcasm aside I share your shame in lost opportunity so close, and seemingly so far away. I have lived in NY State all my life, with a brief and disasterous 3 years in south Texas...(I was going through a phase...) and yet I have seen and eaten so little of it. Believe it or not, I know Ruhlman's home town better than the town I live in. If you ever think about doing a full NYS episode and spanning the rest of the state, I would love to show you around what I know and possibly learn something myself. Worse comes to worse, we can always go up to Lake George, make fun of Rachel Ray and make a run for it...
I Think i know that Tiki spot, is it in a Strip Mall ?? Gotta try that joint.
Better to work hard @ something you enjoy then 2 watch the clock until its punch out time !!!
I say good riddance to your thumb ring. I have just been reading Kitchen Confidential. Your writing is a far better means of communicating that you are an interesting and creative individual than your thumb ring could ever convey.
Hi Tony,
I must say your recent entries leave one wondering what to comment on but I picked one.I feel a great injustice was done to the Montana show with the inclusion of the here and now. I like many have been with you from the getgo and Montana was a fix for us former users that only the best of drugs could provide. Congrats to you and the crew........ Later
Tony,
I enjoy your show every chance I get and I've told friends and family, "you've got to check this guy out!"
I recently read your book Kitchen Confidential, good stuff, had me laughing; made me think of my sister-in-law, she's in the biz. I passed the book to my brother, he told me he knew of you and liked you, your style/ attitude. He enjoyed your book too.
I am reading your blog now and look forward to more books and the shows. Keep it coming.
Take care, Teri
PS: I like the jewelry but understand, besides less is more and hygienic.
Hi Tony,
So glad to hear that you are enjoying Turkey!
I am actually heading there myself in just a few short days to visit my finaces family (and take a well deserved holiday). They are all total foodies, and how could they not be with so much amazing food around. I can't wait!
Enjoy the rest of your stay, and maybe I will run into you at the airport!
Pam
Tony!
I am beyond excited that you are doing an Istanbul show. I just spend my summer there studying abroad, and fell in love. The food...amazing, i miss and crave it everyday now that Im back home in the states. I know it wont air for a while, but I will be patiently (or impatiently) waiting for its air date.
Enjoy and be sure to eat lots of those delicious tomatoes and the sour cherry juice!
Nicole
Hear you are coming to Denver --my husband and I have a great neighborhood joint and would be so amazed if you would join us for some kick ass food, wonderful people, and much love!
Amy
303 388 0299
Tables in park hill . 2267 Kearney st Denver co 80207
Hi, Tony
I get what you said about the outer boroughs of NYC. In my case it applies to ALL borough. I've lived in the city for 9 years now and haven't tasted much. I better get working on changing that. Love the show, you're very much a new yorker to me...When are you going to the Dominican Republic?
I think you should keep the dead boys t-shirt - that is timeless. The other stuff - defiantly worth ditching.
Tony,
I enjoy your show & also your books. I also am a chef & cia graduate from 1978. Also worked in nyc classical french restaurants which as you know is a thing of the past. I can identify with many things you say. I have been to some places you have been with the show. Especially enjoyed the trip to Colombia. My first trip there was with one of my potwashers. Medellin, Envigado, Cartegna. I am married to a Brasilian & have been there a few times. I think a show in Brasil, not Sao Paulo, which i have seen. The amazon, Manaus etc. The food & customs there are totally unique. The seafood is something people have never seen. Can do a side trip to Rio, allot to see & do there. And of course there is always Brasil's best resource, the women! Think about it would be a great show! Or if you want to save on the budget. you could always do a quick trip to the Ironbound in Newark, where I still own a home. I could guide you about there if you like. Ironbound which used to be Portugese is still, but is mostly Brasilian now I'd say 85%. Take care. Thomas
Dear Tony,
I really enjoy your show and I wanted to talk with you about your Thailand show. Thailand, a fascinating, interesting and mysterious food and cultural destination. You final went and did a show there - and you blew it. The theme of the show: was it government protests, an american trying to be a Thai fighter or "balls deep in the mud". I can not imagine the mud scenes were your idea. You may have realized while you were there - IT ALL ABOUT THE FOOD. Very disappointing, hoping you do another show there. Best, Shawn, NY
I enjoy your international episodes; however, your preoccupation with 3rd world countries residing in our country (or my?) leave me mentally flaccid...Perhaps taking a course in building self-esteem would benefit your future programming to appeal to those with an IQ above room temperature?...A trip to Saigon & surrounding area would give viewers a real taste of exotic cuisine & what the outcome of communist take-over is really like...Understandably, reality may offend your liberal, lefty mindset; however, a serving accompanied by good chow might preclude the need for pink stuff...Or not...
Tony,
I find it interesting that you are shedding many of your links to the past. I think throwing your thumb ring into a Turkish strait speaks volumes. Are you morphing, maturing or getting old?
Just yesterday, my wife and I were commenting on your "Answers" filler episode and reflecting upon the current season and we both agree that "the edge" has gone. The show is becoming more of an homage to Zero point Zero rather than the old perspective of truly "seeing and tasting" a place through the eyes and tongue of an articulate writer with a bit of rebel in him.
Sorry Tony, but like a knife that no longer slices paper, the edge is gone.
Just don't start wearing a fanny pack.
I am a huge fan and since I am a Jersey (shore) girl I think it's time you revisted and let me show you some new and great places that have sprung up in the NEW Asbury Park and Long Branch, for example. I can show you the best burger, pizza, upscale bar, well...you get it. C'mon Tony!
i love your show. your poetic sense of awareness and pristine sense of your surroundings inspires all of us to travel and eat. Thank you for being the only thing on television worth watching. I enjoy laughing and traveling with you at least in spirit.
Hi Tony I Love Your Show i have watched i think episode my family is from Malta The capitol Valetta I dont think you have ever visited there if your interested give me a shout I can hook you up with there cusine and tell you all about the history there and my family witch i still have there Thanks Rose
Hey Tony, Love the show, watched from the beginning. I "get" you. You are hilarious. I've noticed a change but I have noticed one in me, too. I am still eager to catch every new episode. I think the changing seemed to coincide with the birth of your daughter. Life changes us. You can only ride the Harley so fast, so long. But you can still ride... You are the best out there. And, if you know TE personally, tell him to go back to his kitchen. He dces not have a personality for this work. LOL The networks are pushing everyone out there and most of it stinks.
I was just watching your recent Thai show and as a longtime chef and food consultant in Thai cuisine, I was surprised at the errors you let pass in the boxer's identification of the salad which is known universally in Thailand as laarb.
Tony, I am in the middle of the premiere of the Outer Boroughs and I have to agree: Go***mn hipsters.
Whats up with only going to one restaurant in the Bronx?!?! Whomever does the scouting and writing for you totally missed did you and our Borough wrong. You spent too much time in Brooklyn and totally missed out on a plethora of authentic culinary experiences from many different cultures in the Bronx. What a shame. Check out Bronxflavor.com for a taste of what could have been.
Tony, I'm a born and raised Manhattanite who moved out to Park Slope about a year ago. I actually think the food scene in Brooklyn is superior to that of Manhattan. Whatever made Manhattan great somehow was lost in the 90's and the rest of the city picked up the slack. Frankly, you should've devoted an entire show for each borough.
If you aren't planning on truly exploring the culinary scene, at least out here in Brooklyn, then you really should be ashamed. If you're really a foodie, you should take the time to learn about the more interesting food scene taking place just outside your subway door.
I agree with Rob. I just finished watching the Outter Borough show and found myself wanting more. Take the time and do a show on each one.
As someone who has never been to NYC I really enjoyed Moonday's episode of the outer bourghs. There really is more to NYC than Manhatten. I really need to get to NYC.
My mom grew up in up state NY I have been there, but not NYC.
"Oh Rock n Roll. Does anyone drink anymore?"
Right?!?!!
Please consider doing a whole ep on Brooklyn - that cafe/butcher/restaurant combo looked amazing. Hey, in the ep before this one you returned to Vietnam and everything still felt new in that one. Do it do it.
Tony,
This is going to be a great season, love your show and edgy commentary! LOL the episode with Snoop and you bowling with the flat cheese was a riot!
cheers,
It's about time you got yourself to the rest of NYC. Seriously, how did you avoid going there for this long? I have always preferred Queens/Bronx/Brklyn for food, and the city for bars and movies. The "rest" of the the city is where the real people live, and where the real food is. Always been that way. The city is for overpriced foo-foo stuff. Viva the B&T: Lou Reed, the Ramones...etc...
You have been missing out in a big big way.
Next time you are in LA (my town these days) eat Korean and Thai there - LA has the largest Thai population outside of Thailand, and the largest Korean population in the US as well. Hit the Wat Thai Temple North Hollywood before the powers that be shut it down again.
thnks
Loved this season, but it does make me think about something rather... depressing. It seems that all i hear is that a lot of china/asian based-towns are disappearing outright (or at least here in NE). In boston, a lot of great places to eat (the cafeteria as my sister an I called it) are disappearing or relocating somewhere i can't get to easily, and being replaced by overpriced, snooty condos that nearly no one can afford. Which no one wanted btw, if the huge number of protests were an indicator.
What's worse, chinatown was the only place to have number of non-americanized chinese resturants in one place to freakin chose from! Now there are little shops here and there throughout the states, but even then, they're suffering from lack of buisness. [insert grumbling]
Loved the show anyways, and I do hope the rest of the season is kick arse
Getting rid of the thumb ring and Dead Boys t-shirt?
I can understand the thumb ring... but to somehow start distancing yourself from great old music is dumb, man.
I know it's just because you found out Rachel was into the Dolls... you subconsciously cannot stand to be in the same company as someone you have often derided.
Remember... do your own thing. It's never too late to learn that "rebellious" doesn't equate to "contrarian".
That being said... if you show up on TV with frosted points on your hair, I will feel compelled to punch you in the nuts.
Should I be concerned that my weekly To Do list is strikingly similar to Cho's?
Aha! Anthony Bourdain...quoting T. S. Eliot? Quoting from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"? Perhaps you should consider the stanza and lines preceding the rolled trousers:
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;
Am an attendant lord, one that will do
To swell a progress, start a scene or two
Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,
Deferential, glad to be of use,
Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—
Almost, at times, the Fool.
I grow old . . . I grow old . . .
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
Nah. Just don't grow more civilized and refined. Enough is enough these last two or three years. Stop with the civility before you get too courteous to return to DETROIT and MICHIGAN and do more than a trio of ethnic enclaves in the dead of winter. Try summer. Try the rest of Michigan. Try summer. Try staying somewhere other than a casino hotel. Just come back. See a Great Lake or two.
I guess by now all have heard...next week Tony will bring wifey on the show. It was just a matter of time. An inevitability. So, let's get it over with and hope its a one shot deal. I'm sure most of us are happy to know that Tony has settled down into husband- and fatherhood. While this better late than never found maturity has taken a little bit of Tony's edge off, it hasn't really changed NR that much. Emphasis on "that much." But let's keep the wifey and the baby at home Tony. That's not what NR is about after all.
Hey, Tony:
My husband has a great saying, "Let your past drown in a sea of forgetfulness." Leave it to you to be so literal. At some point during an AB/NR marathon at home, as I was viewing and trying to master a perfect custard pie for my husband (simple, not easy) I distinctly heard the words "Three Emmy Award Nominations." Even you are not cool enough to blow this off. I could only think, "I hope they win ALL THREE!" Maybe it would make up, in a way, for them overlooking "Beirut," and "New Orleans."
I am a big fan of the show but, I feel it needed to be said that you completely over looked the Bronx on this weeks episode featuring the five boroughs. How is it that you only showed one restaurant in a one hour show. Unfortunatly, the Bronx may never lose it's crappy reputation!Thanks for helping,Anthony!!!
Please tell me you aren't going to start dressing like Mr. Rogers.
NY is a wonderland of Italian food due to the large Italian-American population. Yet, you did not touch on that in your boroughs episode. :-( Mexican? I live in Colorado. If you want Mexican food, come here. And, I miss your earring and all the things that made you you. Now it's the thumb ring. . . . Please don't age gracefully. You are not that boring. XOXO
Hi Tony,
I'm working for Milliyet newspaper in İstanbul. That would be great if you let me interview you shortly for my newspaper. Obviously few questions about your trip to İstanbul... What do you say?
Thank you...
Tony,
I like your No Reservations program. It takes me back to my thoughts of my dearly departed father in law who was once a head Chef in Hollywood/Miami area during the period from 1938 to 1941, then again 1946 to 1953. Man, could he make something out of nothing. From gizzard omelots, beef tongue, excellent ruebens and many other things that escape me now. I do miss him, and I miss my x for culininary reasons only. She was excellen with her food preparation. I guess she had the learning experience from the master-E.J. Mac Dougall,not known today more than likely. Anyway, i thought I would just blog these things. Thanks
Really great show, Tony. It was all about the food and your passion for the subject shined through. And to see that many of the joys of Asia's (un-americanized/"authentic") cuisines are available and well done in the burroughs is fantastic.
any foxnews cheap shots?
Amazing, I have often thought of forming the mail equivalent of the women's Red Hat Society for men of a certain age and calling it the Rolled Trouser Society. From this blog, both its title and content, I feel that you could qualify as a charter member. Now that you are over 50 you would fit right in.
Don't feel badly about that whole outer-borough thing. My wife and I live in Downtown Brooklyn and we haven't been to either of those places you mentioned on your show. We will be, though.
If you ever get to my neighborhood, right across the Brooklyn Bridge, look me up and I can show you around. I went to a thousand bars one year so I can help you find a few. Check out my website - www.thousandbars.com
What I wouldn't have given for that ring, or anything of Tony's! I love him. I love his mind. I love how naughty he is. The next time you feel like throwing something away, post it for sale and donate the money to charity!!!!!
Although I understand wanting to put away the Peter Pan-ish things in life when hitting a certain age, an earring seems like taking a bit far. I've shelved my thumb ring too, after having worn one since 1978. I'm trying more grown up clothes at 53, but think that those of us who toil(ed) in any restaurant kitchen for a bunch of years will never be "normal" no matter what we take off.
Tony, I was born and bred (breaded?) in the Bronx before living in Manhattan and Queens and Jersey and before dumping all that to move to Hong Kong. And I've been a fan of yours since Kitchen Confidential and that other series as well as never missing an episode of the current one. I never wanted to go to Paris until I saw your "Why the French Don't Suck" and I went there soon after and had a brilliant time.
I get to New York about once a year to visit family and since my New York has disappeared, I'm always wondering where to go eat and was looking forward to what you'd uncover in Da Bronx. Yeah, that place looked good and I want to try it, but just one place for Da Bronx?
The thing is - I'm sure your regrets about not getting off Manhattan Island are sincere and it's always nice to see David Johansson anywhere (especially since the Dolls ain't likely to be gigging in Hong Kong any time soon).
But beyond that, who was the show aimed at? Are there really New Yorkers who don't know about the Asian options in Queens? I know about them and I left New York a decade and a half ago. Did you have to show a dim sum place when you could have made a stop in Astoria for Greek food (as just one example)?
Guess I'm just disappointed that you didn't uncover more Bronx greatness. Looking forward to Sardinia.
The Bronx is a bizarre place. There are a lot of strange characters lurking around.
Also, I am angry, young, and poor and feel no aversion to sex trade workers, whether turning tricks in sequined bootie shorts or recently expired.
Will you eat a peach as well, my friend?
you are coming off sounding like a wuss- sounds like you really didn't want to lose the thumb ring or the dead boys t-shirt or the ear ring. You can look at that thumb ring and it will bring you back to all the roads you've traveled (to paraphrase Jim Carroll- the sinner will always be in love with his sins) Some of the detritus of the past needs to go away (like the crack pipe, like the endless pieces of paraphernalia I used to possess)but others????
Don't get rid of your dead boys shirt. punk is timeless. Your the punk chef. You should come to San Diego we have some weird places to eat out at, even if it takes rocker to a cheesy level :)
Normalicy is over-rated, Tony. I'd rather work the weird than Passport to Sanitized Travel ;)
You know, I'll miss your thumb ring. I think I wear mine because of you.
Is it weird that I hear your voice in my head when I read your blog?
Dude, have you been faced with your own mortality (again!)? It's actually funny reading your blog, because I can see you speaking as if you were talking to me. You write like you speak...not sure if that is a good thing or not...
Tony, Tony, Tony - it isn't necessarily what you wear that speaks to age. Rather, it is how you act. I will miss seeing that thumb ring but life will go on, somehow. Seriously, man - get a grip; put your big boy drawers on and suck it up! ;-) You can only be yourself, and that is fine enough.
As to poking around in your own backyard (so to speak), everyone is that way. I have lived in the Dallas area for over 35 years, yet I have never seen Southfork. I just choose not to get sucked into tourist traps. Lose your regrets and carry on.
P.S. Thank you so much for the entertaining walk through your life. Come to the State Fair of Texas to enjoy a wide variety of fried foods ranging from that old fave-the corndog-to more interesting fried finds including butter, Coke, and peaches 'n cream. The Fair opens in a little over three weeks. Ciao!
Also, Paula Dean and her rings.....ugh!
Tony, I don't want to inspire a doner sandwich deluge on your blog, but if you're still in the 'Bul, find time to take one of the ferry's over to Kadikoy, on the Asian side, and sniff your way over to the first doner sandwich vendor off the ferry landing (to your left as you get off the ferry)....there you shall find 'the' best doner sandwich anywhere. The fish guy right next to him is a close second. Go ahead - splurge for a few for your noble crew..the doner are about $1.50 each. Enjoy.
ah tony, that kind of saddens me to hear that your earring and thumb ring have dissappeared... those were two of the things i loved about yoou, but, hey, if its a rite of passage then so be it...
Tony,
I just found your blog :) I am a frequent watcher of your show and find myself looking forward to it more and more. Thank you for the interesting look into the food world but more importantly, thank you for gifting us with your words, you're captivating and I appreciate it. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Regards.
ps- You should stop by Minneapolis soon.
Though the letting go of your thumb ring may finally be appropriate, I feel somehow that a piece of you is now missing. It's there during every episode, subtly adorning your thumb as you break bread and partake of great food eaten with the hands, and now I believe I will find myself constantly looking for that sense of familiarity, that gleam of metal, and it simply won't be there. When I first discovered you, your books, and your wonderful show, your style captivated me as well. The thumb ring and earring were key elements to me of this sort of rockstar writer and traveler that you are. I suppose that we'll get used to not seeing these accessories, much the way you will. They've served their purpose, as you said, and I guess life moves on. I look forward to the next book you'll write sans jewelry. I am certain it will be just as honest, soulful, and delightfully snarky as always!
Keep on keepin on; I am constantly roaming the Circle in Chicago looking for Gastronomical adventure. From Thai Pan Noodles to incredible meatball/marinara combinations.....
Always on the lookout for something new.....grabbed a mystery pepper from my Summer Garden....4.5 on the heat scale, whew! a refreshing way to finish breakfast.... Love your show, books and enthusiasm for nourishment....jf...rock county, wi.
I totally understand shedding the objects of yesteryear but please, PLEASE do NOT start wearing ugly Cosby sweaters! If you feel yourself reaching for one, refrain! ACK!
Tony's drift into middle-aged melancholy is obvious from the title of his blog, a quote for The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Elliot. The first line of the stanza is I grow old...I grow old.
My hat is off to Linda with her "eat a peach" reference. which is in the next stanza of the poem.
But Tony, it isn't too late too explore more of the outer-boroughs, just hop on a subway (and a ferry to visit Staten Island). You can do it, you are still edgy. Well, kind of edgy. Maybe avuncular is more like it. I think it is all of the weight you have put on since you stopped smoking.
Fifteen years ago I hung up my cooks torque and traded it for a pocket protector. One of the joys of doing so was being able to once again wear my rings (4 of them) and not have to spend extra time scrubbing them with soap, water, and alcohol. Very few of the cooks I worked with ever took the time to pay attention to their jewelry. Even now when I cook at home, my wife chuckles as I strip off the rings to wash my hands before I start doing anything. Old habits die hard I guess. Part of the curse I guess from eight years of working in a hospital, trying to be a little different,by cooking something that was actually good and not just warmed over cardboard.
I feel for your loss. I know how it is to have a moment in time when you have your friends around you doing what you love. Then due to jobs, family, or some other reason, you part and scatter to the winds. Then all you have left are the things, the objects that remind you of those moments.
But when even those things are gone and all you have are the memories, it starts to get tough to remember those moments with all the activity of each and every day.
I really feel for your loss.
Keep up the wonderful work. Your show is a bright spot in an otherwise dull landscape. Perhaps one of these days, you could challenge "Guy" to a cook-off and bury him. Or maybe just have Zamir kick the crapout of him.
Nice blog title, J. Alfred. Nostalgia and regret go hand-in-hand.
I don't have any personal criticism for you, just a note that I am saddened/pleased to see people stay punk rock without the punk rock accoutrements. And an aside (reminded by the Fieri remarks) that every time you dis Zimmern, a little flower blooms in my heart.
Did I see Denver above? Tables is very nice. Luca d'Italia is wonderful. But eat a meal at Masalaa ... the little South Indian joint in a strip mall that seems under the radar, yet many have enjoyed a dosa there. Mmmm ...
Sweet TS Eliot reference, Tony.
You are perfectly edgy... and I learn something new from you every time I watch. Who knew there were so many of us out there that enjoy these experiences. And what? You can star in a show about what you love & make a fortune? Life is grand if you're Tony and us if you get to watch.
Anthony, love your show. Just read "Kitchen Confidential." Enjoyed it. Found a typo. How about a deal? I'll tell you where it is if you autograph my copy?
The blog reminds me why I loved Kitchen Confidential. You write like a champ, and anyone who quotes from Eliot isn't as much of a tough cookie as he'd have you believe.
Love the show, didn't love the segment on Cleveland, though. Cincinnati chili is from the opposite end of the state.
Tony,
I watch your show quite alot. Always learning something new about the world does broaden the horizons. But heck it reminds me of my dearly departed Father in law chef of excellence in his younger days in Hollywood/Miami -Fountainbleu where all the actors hung back in the day like 30s and 40s. He had some stories and bro he was a drinker and smoker thats for sure. I guess it came with the territory. Anyway keep the shows coming.
Tony,
I just returned from an extended stay in Prague and won't be able to leave the country again for awhile, which means I need to travel vicariously through NR in the meantime. Enough of this talk of getting old. Eat that peach, and don't reach for the white flannel yet.
FYI I LOVED the ring and always wondered, "Hmmmm, what is the deal with that kooky thumb ring?" I'm actually depressed now. Thanks for ruining my night, Tony!
No more thumb ring, what's next, will you be wearing LOAFERS instead of the COWBOY BOOTS?
Hmpf!
LOVE YOU TONY!
P.S. BLOG MORE OFTEN!
Tony, the outer boroughs show was excellent. I agree with the poster who said that each deserved its own hour. But, what can one do? Dang Tony, you are so humble, so reflective and so considerate of others. It suits you well. Guy Fieri ought to just team up with the pig out clown travel channel who gorges himself. No not Andrew whathisname, the other one who pigs out on burgers and pizza. Okay, so I am bad, but I would never eat anyhing Guy Fieri cooked. Gawd, the makeup budget for Fieri may rival that of "she who must not be named."
I can understand the earring going away until any and all kids are old enough to understand DON'T GRAB THAT, and I can certainly understand the thumb ring going. I've tried wearing them, and I always gave up in frustration when the damn thing kept catching on everything. But the T-shirt? Unless it's falling apart, keep it. Wave that freak flag high.
Feel free to grow old gracefully, though. In my neck of the woods, that doesn't include being some boring old geezer. My grandmother painted her own back porch when she was 101, my 80-plus great-aunt helped smuggle Central American political refugees to Canada, and most of the older members of my mother's church are more physically active than the younger members- and I'm not talking Blue-Hair Aerobics, either: carpenters, farmers, blacksmiths and the like. That's growing old gracefully.
As for the discovery of what's right in your back yard, will you feel any better if I tell you that it's a common phenomena? There are any number of places in the Boston area that I found as a newcomer and introduced my native friends to, much to their chagrin.
One final question- how do you do a show about Turkey without dealing with an issue that can get you jailed for discussing? Denial ain't just a really tired cliche.
Not the ring. NOOOOOOOO. I don't want to loose my thumb ring, or my pierced parts, or hide my tatoos, or *gasp* cut my hair. But if you do it, that means it is not too far in my future, as I am just a fewish years younger. I'm not ready to!!! Stop this nonsense now!
Well, good friggin' riddance to the thumb ring. Thanks for all the miserable and vibrant restaurant-mares that I suffered after reading Kitchen Confidential-you are writer that is fun to read.
anthony b. you say what is on your mind, and you say it well. you remind me hunter -gonzo-thompson.
Growing old gracefully. Pity.
Actually I used to think the thumb ring was there so you wouldn't cut your thumb off during some super fast carrot dicing...
Yuck. I don't know anyone who cooks with a ring on but that's really disgusting.
A friend of mine has a place in Turkey and he's invited me there a couple of times. Maybe I'll go there this time coz of the food.
p.s. I wonder if you still smoke coz I don't see you smoke on TV anymore. Did you smoke when you were a chef?
Missed meeting you in Turkey, I am sure you got some e-mail about it? Hope you missed the floods in Istanbul, looks scary!
I hope my host Dilara Erbay finally got to meet you, I told her we should call off our trip to the Aegean coast, but she insisted, it was fun, we ate sea urchins!
Happy cooking!
Jeremy
Get another Thumb ring, put The Dead Boys T-Shirt back on and put you earring back in! The crack Pipe can be deep sixed! Don't go changing Tony, we love you just the way you were! Read your book and watch the show regularly!
Peace Brother
Tony, speaking of how dangerous rings canbe, have you ever seen Paula Deen cook? If I was her husband, I would tell her: Honey, I paid some really good money for those rings, would you mind taking them off before grinding something up with your hands? I've seen those rings get covered with everything from flour to ground beef.
All youze guys that want the "old" Tony back - did you even read the last post? Whether it happens at 52, 32, or even 22, kids are a revelation - the biggest change you ever have in your life. Ok, maybe getting laid the first time comes close (hah, hah).
Gonzo was great to read, but Thompson never changed. Pure - right up to the very bitter end. I expect much greater things from Tony. After this series, more books - fiction and otherwise. More bringing us places and foods in the world, and more to the point, bringing us what he loves about the places and food in the world. And Music - speaking of which, I think their budget went up. Motley Crue? But no more warthog anus. Above all, I expect, Tony will be a great Dad.
If you don't grow (or change somewhat) you go stale. Losing certain accoutrements may be the harbinger of better things to come. Nicht war?
Anthony, first off i find your show enticingly interesting. you combine all the aspects of travel, vacation, poetry, philosophy, and more. i was wondering if you could point me in any type of direction in becoming a travel writer. other than plain old journalism, were there any areas that set you apart from others? was there something about you or your degree that made you stand out to your employer? i would be very appreciative for any type of advice on travel writing. and once again, love the show!
Bourdain,
I'm about to travel out of the country for 6 months. I've been watching No Reservations for a long time now, and I think it's safe to say that thanks to you,(and possibly Andrew Zimmern) I'm totally excited to try new, interesting foods that I might not have before. And I'm going to write about it... while definitely keeping your writing style in mind, it's fantastic.
Thanks
PS- are you related to Humphrey Bogart?
Because you really look like him.
Lots.
Mr. Bourdain, love your show, love your writing. I have a question that I would appreciate your input on. I am at a crossroads and am looking at going back to school. If it is at all possible, I would like to discuss the merits of an education in the culinary arts with you.
Please feel free to contact me at your leisure,
'Dookie'
In the opening of your show on the Outer Boroughs, you say that you "missed the train." You did more than you know - when you were at Jade Island here on Staten Island (one of my favorites BTW) two doors down, in Golden's Deli was an actual NYC Subway car. Perhaps you should have Cousin Brucie bring you by.
Love your show Tony, but the outer borough show left a little more to be desired. I am speaking specifically about the trip to Staten Island. Much much better and more interesting spots to eat at and visit than Jade Island.
love ur athoritive and sexy voice, oh and the show
Well, I have to say I'm disappointed in some of the posters here. I fully expected and half hoped that you'd get a crowd howling about that octopus tastily squirming about in the hot pot. I love to watch the veggies and PETA-ites pitch fits.
As to the age thing. I've ignored it for as long as I can, too, and even though I have no kids, I am the godmother of a Cool Niece who's about the same age as your daughter. Aren't they terrific at that age? Having obligations can be a pain. I sold The Car - a huge sacrifice to me. I don't dress like a kid any more, and I was doing so well, right up until I hit age 45. Then I just had to do something.... So I got this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26351859@N00/2472319660
Dude, old punks never die. We just get better ink.
Hi, Tony
I'm Brazilian, but I don't speak English. I always watch your TV program, it's excellent. I live in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil.
Congratulations,
Bye,
Patrycia
You are the realest guy with a good life ive ever came across on tv. Props to you i watch the show you wont fake anything like an honest, raw, real, new yorker.. Only because of your show have i relized how important travel with other cultures is on living a good life. Thanks Tony.. Did you bring some of those coca leave back with you?? =)
Shall you now come and go? Speaking of Michaelangelo? Props for the Eliot. Enjoying this season! Congrats to all on the Emmy. Will you ever visit North Carolina?
Hi Tony,
You rock man! Your television shows are a platter full of delight. They are one of my favorites, as I am a great foodie.
My views about Turkey were same until I read you. LOL……….But now I am shortly planning a trip to Istanbul banking on your advice. I know I will return with all my olfactory senses satisfied.
First and foremost, congrats on the Emmys for your team! Second, I am a student studying abroad in Istanbul for the next 4 months and after hearing your buzz about Istanbul and it being a foodies paradise, I wanted to ask you about some back alley food places and districts for me to check out. I am working on a project to detail my travel though Istanbul and turkey through the food and how it relates to the history, people, and culture. If you could offer me any advice on how not to become a pretentious foodie and stay true to my goal as well as recommending some non traditional places to eat for people with open minds and empty stomachs, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and keep up the great work,
Jordan
Hi,
I did see Anthony in Istanbul at Egyptian Bazaar (in the beginning of this month). First focused on the cameramen walking down the street and then saw a familiar face. I tried to stay outside of the pictures but I did take two photos behind the cameras. I was just checking the pictures and found out that in both of the pictures Anthony is looking straight into my camera.
Anyway, I have been a fan of Anthony's shows for a while, and it was really nice surprise to see him suddenly on my vacation on a strange town.
Greetings from Finland.
-Tuomas-
I was about to write your show asking why you had never done an episode on Turkey, but I see that you have that covered.
Yeah, I know how you feel. Life gradually drains from those old cherished things. I felt the same way when I finally gave up on my Chelsea boots and classic 80s - call it the golden age - porn.
Did ya ever notice? The videos on the Guy Fieri pages on -forgive me- the Food Network site start off with, among others, Marie Callender's ads. Hilarious!
Did ya ever notice? The videos on the Guy Fieri pages on -forgive me- the Food Network site start off with, among others, Marie Callender's ads. Hilarious!
Firstly Tony, I just watched Into The Fire and felt for you. But I was shaking my head too. I said, hey, what does an old boxer do? Get back in the ring with the kids?! No, he coaches. That is life. What I loved though, was that you were pious. Yes, chef! was your mantra for that day and it was refreshing, a master who knows to play the apprentice when he needs to.
Shedding stuff. What can I say? It has to be done. The ring had to go sometime. My rule is: if it don't go in me pocket, it don't go. Anyone who doesn't get that has Fred Sanford Syndrome. forget about it.
Steve
I agree with th e comment above about the BRONX being a strange place..
Great FOOD though
Why throw away the Dead Boys tshirt? That's weird, man. I think I liked you better when you were a little cracked out. Time to go on a bender...
What about lord of the rings :)
yummy,yummy
ps. Have you eaten ever "Tatar" - true polish cuisine :)))
Why is it that when I read you, I hear you talking in my ears? Even my husband says I can read your blog the way you would say it in your show. Anyhoo, we love you, Tony! You're the man!!!
Why is it that when I read you, I hear you talking in my ears? Even my husband says I can read your blog the way you would say it in your show. Anyhoo, we love you, Tony! You're the man!!!
Veryy good
Pitiful attempt to help justify the retirement of your thumb ring to the notion that it "harbors bacteria" and could cause infections the likes of those contracted during group sex. PA-LEEZ! How many infections have YOU had under that ring in the ?? years you've been wearing it? Common sense says, take it off while in the kitchen, and GEE wash and dry under it occasionally. I would think most eating establishments would have a policy requiring the removal of jewelry in the kitchen, or the use of gloves. I work in healthcare and we are required to either wear gloves or remove rings, watches, bracelets when getting down to the nitty gritty. Not only to protect our patients (our customers) but ourselves! And who says you have to embrace your inner Cosby? Why can't you continue to just embrace your inner Tony, the earring, thumb ring, (and occasional Ramones t-shirt) wearing guy from NYC we all fell in love with on "No Reservations"? I think there is something more going on here than you want to admit to the world. All I have left to say is this, "Tony, don't eat too much!" (a quote from the Sardinia episode) and see you in Waukegan, Illinois on Friday November 6th! Love ya, Tony!
uuummm-wha!
wow you were here. way back in september... so glad you finally made it to istanbul. my buddies and i had been wondering when you would come to Turkey...if you happen to come again give us a holler. we had made a video for the contest and we made it on the shortlist. super glad you and your crew came.
Wasabi meatballs are the best :)
I agree, Guy Fieri is a plague carrier with all that jive jewlery. Where ever he goes, he puts those dirty hands into other cook's food preps.
Congrats on deep sixing the thumb ring to Davy Jones Jewel box.
Burton Dale
WOW BOURDAIN, is funny how I visioned you in Istanbul, and is now that I get to read it...shame on me for not being in Istanbul at that time, since Istanbul is my second home...There is this sense of Turkey that is magnetizing and keeps pulling you in...is the city of Atlantis afloat...( if Atlantis existed) is where East meets west,as you set foot on Ataturk Int. Aiport,you feel this energy that's hard to describe...getting high off the scent of Istanbul...seeing the minarets pop through the clouds...sunset along the Bophorus...is a distinctive feel, Istanbul to me is like your Laos...I have been there twice and tell me people about my experience in Istanbul, the long forgotten country that hosted so many cultures...I smell that this will be part of your next episode...I hope you went to Kadikoy, and ate Fish in Uskudar...boy, I am hating...I could of recommended some great food in Fatih(the place that tourguides tell you NOT to go) but food is just as hearty and rich like any other corner of the city, Fatih is a place in where you may try the most humble turkish coffee and interact with the working class...hope you captured the vapurs to run away from the turkish cliche and take you across the Bosphorus to enjoy Turkish Hospitality at is best...the best Doner kebab by Kadikoy...the best lokum and tea houses standing proud echoing the Ottoman habitual way of gathering with friends, sipping on tea and smoking a hookah...I gasp and miss my everlasting friend...Istanbul; which by far is a city with it's own classification...why do I visit Turkey???? to find a sense and meaning of traveling..better yet...to remind myself that our planet is a never ending labrynth of beautiful settings making us..human beings...the most priviliged species to understand it...to enjoy it..Cheers Bourdain...and may this episode meet my expectations...yours truly, Yumilka Ortiz...
Wow I've never tried Wasabi meatballs, that's definitely a food item that's on my to-east list
>> We may have kind of sucked—but we worked hard, dammit—and if nothing else, habitually cranked out a helluva lot more dinners than anybody on the visiting team.
In the end, that's what matters, isn't it? Do more, learn more, get better faster.
I salute you, Mr. Bourdain, and all your co-conspirators in the ongoing task of Making Some of the Best Television I Have The Privilege of Watching, and wish you the BEST.
I have been a fan of Anthony's shows for a while, and it was really nice surprise to see him suddenly on my vacation on a strange town.
Witty as always, Anthony.
Awesome dude!
I'll be wary of cooks with rings from now on then!