Notes From the Road ... Hawaii

By Anthony Bourdain on January 4, 2008 1:46 PM | Permalink | 322 Comments

I was sitting poolside in Waikiki, after a hard days shoot, taking a brief break from my club sandwich and boat drink to check on my e-mail. Michael Ruhlman had cut and pasted something for me and sent it along for my "immediate attention". It indicated under "subject" that it had originated from the Food Network and it looked like a press release, so I assumed it would be of about as much interest to me as Guy Fieri's hair styling tips or Carrot Top's breakfast preferences. But I read a few lines and immediately almost spit up my Mai Tai:

"Food Network will reprise original series 'A Cook's Tour' this December, it was announced today by Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network. The series, featuring outspoken chef Anthony Bourdain, returns to Food Network with a Christmas Day Marathon, airing four back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, December 25th from 9-11pm ET/PT. The series will then join the primetime lineup in its new timeslot on Tuesday, January 8th at 10:30pm ET/PT. "Anthony Bourdain is a passionate foodie who has amazing stories to share as he takes viewers on a unique tour of our planet" said Tuschman. We look forward to introducing new viewers to this memorable Food Network series and know they will enjoy Anthony's unique voice and unforgettable adventures."

"Why? Why that old show? And why now?"
I howled out loud in the general direction of the sea. A few small children by the kiddie pool began to cry - frightened perhaps, by my primal outburst. Why - after all these years - would they put my old episodes back on the air? The damn things were filmed in 2000 and 2001!! They have nothing newer, or fresher or better - after all that time - than my first, stumbling, nascent attempts at making travel/food television? They don't have any material from anyone else - like from someone who doesn't make constant rude and obscene suggestions about their stable of "stars?" Surely they haven't reached so far down the bottom of the archives as to want ME back?!

This was like being unexpectedly groped and publicly slipped the tongue by the ugliest girl at the prom. You're flattered by the attention - but frankly ... embarrassed. And the timing seemed suspicious. As I ordered two more and then a third Mai Tai, paranoia began to set in.

"They're not putting the show back on because they like it. They're trying to destroy me!" I theorized. People will surely comment on the striking - even horrifying - decline in my appearance since those few years ago - and will wonder why they would still watch someone who is clearly dying of some hideous hair whitening, skin puffing, tropical bloating disease. Or maybe they're putting it back on as a deliberate strategy to break off and confuse a segment of potential audience who might otherwise be tuning in to the exciting new season of NO RESERVATIONS (the vastly superior and more expensive series on TRAVEL CHANNEL)! Maybe ... maybe it's vengeance for some of the Rachael Ray cracks. In fact...MAYBE it's part of some secret deal to keep her on the network ... some ultra hush-hush rider to her contract! I've been trying to buy those old shows back for ages - to make DVDs. They've refused to sell, sitting on them year after year. Until now.

Coincidence? Or conspiracy?

Or, I pondered, is this an ill considered scheme to buy my silence? Perhaps the reasoning goes that with my old shows running on the network again ( a development which, to be perfectly honest, will be very good for my book sales), I'll shut up - as one chef at a time, the Old Guard of Food Network stars are dragged off to the slaughter house and "disappeared"... that with newly restored vested interest in Food Network's good will, I might be less inclined to make mention of the look of sheer ... terror ... I recognized in Paula Deen's eyes as she laughed and guffawed dutifully on Iron Chef America's holiday sugar challenge. If you watched closely, the mouth moved as ordered. But the eyes ...The EYES. They had seen things. Terrible things. Kruschev had the same expression on his face early in his career - when he had to laugh at the Boss's jokes.

I finished my Hawaii shoot in a state of agitation, dreading the FN promos to come, figuring it'll be like being publicly identified as a Milwaukee Brewer long after having moved to the Yankees.The rest of the week, I rode the wild, North Shore surf at Banzai Pipeline and Sunset (in a jet ski), hovered over boiling magma on the Big Island, was offered every variety of unexpectedly wonderful local food - but my mind was elsewhere.

Finally, back in New York, I opened the New York Times - and reading closely between the lines, got to the heart of the matter:

"All good things come to an end and it was time to do something new'" network pres, Brooke Johnson is quoted as saying - describing the net's inexplicable decision to piss on their biggest star and founding father, Emeril Lagasse by cancelling "Emeril Live". " RIGHT NOW, WE'RE FIGURING OUT WHAT THAT SOMETHING NEW IS," (emphasis mine).

I gotta tell you, by the way; if I were a Scripps stockholder, I wouldn't want to hear my network press talking any shit about "figuring stuff out" I'd want to hear "We KNOW what we're doing." "Floundering around trying a buncha different shit - kind of a scattershot approach. Throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and see what sticks kindofathing" doesn't sound like a business plan I want to invest in. But maybe that's just me.

Watching that very public and very painful process of "figuring out" has provided some pretty hilariously embarrassing viewing over the past year of declining audience share for Food Net( Down 36,000 total day ratings and 15% for its weekend bloc according to the Times). There's last year's Great Hope, Guy Fieri, who reminds me of the "Poochie" character in the classic Simpson's episode where it is decided that Itchy and Scratchy need a "hip, in-your-face, pro-active" new sidekick to bring in a younger demographic. Poochie (and seemingly Guy) is created by committee and an assemblage of compiled stats from focus groups: "Twenty percent more rasta" "needs more surfer" ...Then there's the shockingly offensive nitwit on "Have Fork Will Travel" a comedian (we are assured) who appears to have been hired so that he can travel the world making fun of other people's accents.

There was the gruesome public spectacle of "Next Food Network Star" which Ms. Johnson, in yet another in a series of transparent howlers, suggests is the prototype for "Top Chef". If you missed the scandal, the subsequent show-trial and 'confession' of front running 'Jag' and the last minute switcheroo where 'fired' contestant Amy ended up winning a seemingly botched call-in audience vote, you missed one of the most entertainingly screwed up, colossal clusterfucks ever. The Times article goes on to describe the "way more onerous" new deals being offered the on-air personalities; contracts where the net would grab a piece of book deals, merchandise, licensing and outside activities. Ms. Johnson, sounding not unlike Carlo Gambino, is quoted as responding with, "we like to be in partnership with our talent in a variety of venues." After this blood-chilling remark she adds, "TO MY KNOWLEDGE, the talent is happy with the deals we have with them." This last is notable for two things: First, the lawyerly use of "to my knowledge" which generally means "when you present me with the inevitable evidence to the contrary, at least I can say, I didn't lie." And the unconscious use of the word "talent." As anyone who has ever worked in front of a camera can tell you - when the producers or camera people or crew refer to you as "the talent?" They mean "asshole."

Continuing my research, I found the last of a staggering series of Tourettes-like diplomatic blunders when Johnson responded to Eater.com's question about the new Rachael Ray deal that "Rachael is the quintessential example of the homegrown stars we create at Food Network." Now ... however true it might be that Food Network grew Rachael from a culture in a petri dish, I doubt very much whether the bestselling newly, superpowerful Oprah-charged Ms. Ray would like to think of herself as "created by" anybody - much less Ms. Johnson and her cohorts.

On reflection, I think I'll enjoy being - once again - the turd in the Food Network punchbowl. I shall tune in, for sure. Squeezed between "Follow That Fudge" and "America's Ultimate Deep Fryers," my younger, thinner, darker-haired self will stare back at me, still unknowing, blundering through my first adventures in television, my first, eye opening trips to Asia, Africa and South America. Two short years. The suggestions of dude ranches, tailgate parties, chili cook-offs and barbeque, barbeque, barbeque would begin soon - like a gathering storm. And I would be gone - to toil in happier, more productive fields.

Tags: food , network , anthony , bourdain , cooks , tour , no , reservations , travel , channel , tv , show , ideas , vacation

322 Comments

1

Jena - January 04 2008 @ 3:30 pm Personally, I was thrilled (though perplexed, as you were) to see "A Cook's Tour" back on - my husband and I spent a good part of this holiday vacation (I'm a teacher) watching it as well as the "No Reservations" marathon on New Year's Eve. Since winning some Fox promotion that gave us a trip to NYC to dine at Les Halles, we've since read all your books and watch whenever we happen to catch you on TV. Now, sounding like a blithering fangirl, I'll simply say that it wasn't my intent to be so simpering, that our dinner at Les Halles has made any steak eaten since seem like stewmeat cube steak and that I hope to catch some new episodes of whatever show you happen to be working on soon.
2

Broderick - January 04 2008 @ 4:01 pm I've got my DVR set! I've never seen ACT so I'm looking forward to it, and the new season.
3

Shannon Lynch - January 04 2008 @ 4:02 pm Fact is, they are putting it on for more viewers to watch The Food Network. It's become devastatingly froo froo. Everyone's forced to eat their own cooked food with a smile, and you are so right about the eyes. Their eyes tell it all. You, however, have this image of rawness, rough honesty, and experience. People want that today. Therefore, A Cook's Tour is back on the air. And you don't in any way look like you are deteriorating. You look handsome as always. This isn't about Rachael Ray; she's fading. It's about ratings, money, and viewers contribute to all that. Instead of worrying that they are out to get you, look at it like this: They need you to look good.
4

Kira - January 04 2008 @ 4:07 pm Tony, Just wanted to say I LOVE your show, and watch it as often as I can. I think you are quite handsome and have an amazing personality. You are strightforward and seem to speak your mind, which is great. Keep on rockin and I'll keep on watchin!! Oh, loved the episode from Peru (my mom's family is from there, and I'm hoping to visit one day and see it all for myself. Much love from RI (by way of NJ) Kira
5

Yuriy - January 04 2008 @ 4:26 pm Just as the poster above, i was also excited to see 'a cook's tour' back on. You on that show, singlehandedly, got me interested in all things food... You weren't a pretentious p*k who was simply excited to use his best french accent to say 'au gratin'... And although we are all dying of a skin-cracking, hair-blanching, face-puffing disease called life...i must say you look as nimble and spry as a young meerkat...
6

Andrew Lee - January 04 2008 @ 4:44 pm I always wondered what Tony thought about that show that blatantly copied our favorite show and concept. I literally cussed the TV screen every time that stupid commercial came on as if I had Tourette's syndrome. Which begs me to ask... what ever happened to that show..? Wasn't it on Tuesday nights? Oh guy (whose name we don't remember) we hardly knew thee... &$#%$^# nitwit... I'm glad that "A Cook's Tour" is back on, a bunch of us have been jonesing for that French Laundry episode to appear...
7

Apricotica - January 04 2008 @ 4:45 pm Reading this was the most uplifting part of my day. F*&^#@! hell. I saw those Cooks Tour eps, and I was all, "was he dying of the AIDS back then?" You look better all puffy and wrinkled, man. Back then, Rachel Ray couldda taken your#$%in a fight. These days, eh, not so much.
8

Brenda Tohlman - January 04 2008 @ 5:20 pm Anthony, I have enjoyed watching your show for the last few years. You have inspired me in many ways, one being cooking. Reading your lastest blog, I could not stop laughing. Can't wait for the new season to begin. I'm from a small town in Michigan, Chelsea. Just west of Ann Arbor, Wolverine territory. If ever you are in this area, I would love to show around Ann Arbor and {the blink of an eye}, Chelsea. We do have the Common Grill, and after all, you did go to Cleveland Happy New Year Brenda Pay us a visit
9

Steve - January 04 2008 @ 5:58 pm Seriously, Anthony. They realize that the awesome promos for "No Reservations" are working ... and they're taking a free ride. (Everyone who TiVos your new program will also be putting you on their Wish List ... and bingo! Food Network viewership goes "Pop!") And for God's sake ... quit whining and take the free publicity. You dork.
10

Reverend Xenakaboom - January 04 2008 @ 6:18 pm My take on your shows' return to the Food Network is, simply, that they are exploiting your body of work to legitimize themselves among the "hip" demographic (of which, I am, clearly not a member). Scripps is first and foremost a business, and the powers that be failed to capitalize on your vision. Perhaps last October, the programmers looked in the vault, blew off a little dust, and realized "oh s**t! We used to have that tall skinny guy on the network!" Off-topic: do you have any thoughts about how your episodes were edited to fit the time slots provided during the Travel Channel's New Year's Day marathon? I was just reviewing my recordings, and noticed that about eight minutes of material was missing from both the Beiruti and the Russian episodes. The stuff that was missing from the account of your Lebanese sojourn was particularly disconcerting. The network left in your comments about Bush and Blair's reaction to the news of the uprising, but your comments about the incompetence of the US State Department at the time, along with your praise of the EU nation's diplomats, appears to have been excised from the version that was replayed this past Monday. Is it merely a coincidence that that very material that angered certain members of the State Department (as you noted during your recent book tour- related visit to Philadelphia) was surgically excised from the repeat showing?
11

Cafelady - January 04 2008 @ 6:26 pm Tony, you look better now than you ever have! Don't change a thing! I think TFN is cashing in on your success with the Travel Channel. They're not as stupid as they look. I hope your getting hefty royalties from all this. Anyway, I can't wait to see some of the older shows, especially now since I read your books and got all of the 'behind the scenes' info. Keep up the great work.
12

Reverend Xenakaboom - January 04 2008 @ 6:29 pm My take on your shows' return to the Food Network is, simply, that they are exploiting your body of work to legitimize themselves among the "hip" demographic (of which, I am, clearly not a member). Scripps is first and foremost a business, and the powers that be failed to capitalize on your vision. Perhaps last October, the programmers looked in the vault, blew off a little dust, and realized "oh s**t! We used to have that tall skinny guy on the network!"
13

Brian - January 04 2008 @ 6:40 pm This is good news as I enjoy all things "Bourdain"...the food, the travel, the wit, the self-abasement, the books. Pretend the old you is your son and you'll enjoy the reruns more. How about using computer technology to insert a live Rachael Ray into your old episodes of "A Cook's Tour" and the current her could cook with the old you?
14

Kaytie - January 04 2008 @ 7:07 pm I have my DVR set to record it, I've watched and highly enjoyed ACT. Don't want to sound like a goof, but anything Bourdain is better than what's on FN now. Can't wait for the new season of No Reservations! Cheers!
15

phil - January 04 2008 @ 8:21 pm every show i seen was great.
16

phil - January 04 2008 @ 8:22 pm every show i seen was great.
17

Sorcha - January 04 2008 @ 8:37 pm Any chance they're doing this to try and hold onto the rights somehow?
18

Julian B - January 04 2008 @ 8:47 pm I didn't bother to get cable until 2005, so I missed out on ACT the first time around. I also missed out on the Christmas-day marathon because the Food Network has fallen completely off my radar. But I'll definitely start watching ACT on Tuesday nights. The Food Network sucks, to be sure, but in my mind more Bourdain is always a good thing, no matter who is showing it.
19

Jelene - January 04 2008 @ 9:24 pm Aloha Tony! Your feathers should be SOOOOO fluffed right now. What better compliment could you ask for? The single thought that comes to mind, "they should have let you work your magic YOUR way when they had you!" HA! Paybacks are hell, but don't let that text make you feel like spewing your cocktail, that's alcohol abuse!! Happy New Year and I can't wait for Monday!
20

michael delgado - January 04 2008 @ 9:35 pm Anothony! they are simply trying to juice your star power for all its worth your a big star no doubt...at least to civilized food loveing individuals. they know your big, and they want some rateings to fix their crappy network ahh you know you made it, when people who dont like you..use your image to get ahead..hell i wouldnt even mind seeing you in your own movie! hahaha
21

Debbie - January 04 2008 @ 10:37 pm I just found this site by seeing if Tony had a fan club LOL I LOVE HIM..... I just watched No Reservations in Korea....Keep up the great job and BTW you look HOT ;)
22

Josie - January 04 2008 @ 11:28 pm Anthony....anything Bourdain is welcome. The Cook's Tour reruns are no exception! I will certainly be watching and recording every savory episode. Two of my life-long passions have been food and travel and I remember the first time I saw your show and being immediately and forever hooked. Even though watching a younger Bourdain's adventures is always a treat, please don't be fooled: you're better as time goes by, wrinkles, and all. Welcome back and cheers!
23

malcolm - January 05 2008 @ 12:43 am good to see my worst fears werent true meaning you were another of the many old food network stars of the past returning to the network. i noticed they were pimping jamie olivers return hard and hes even going to be on budget iron chef or rather iron chef america ( seriously though that show is so %#@! sad sugar, pizza dough and hamburger battles?) im waiting for the inevitable air and water battles to come soon enough or hell maybe they will even go as far as to do a stone battle and take a page from that story about stone soup. i knew the network was desperate when most of the channels lineup consisted of random 10,000 dollar contest battles nobody has ever heard of or could care less about and even after their once golden boy bobby flay got exposed for the hack he is in his show throwdown ( seriously how do you lose a stickbun battle when you know the opponents recipies ahead of time and you have help)?. what once was a ggood idea hs basically become a parody of itself though they still have a few watchable shows like good eats and the show with the british guy who looks like a pro wrestler and likes to yell alot that channel is pretty unwatchable.
24

Kristi - January 05 2008 @ 1:43 am My fiance bought me one of those Global knives that you rave about in your books and wow, those things are magical! I'm a little afraid I might chop a finger off because I get the urge to cut all fancy like a chef, and I clearly don't have the skill. But I got the knife! I'm convinced it makes my food taste better. No Reservations is fantastic - I am a vegetarian and your show is the only thing that has EVER actually made it tempting to cross over to the dark side when traveling :)
25

Lourdes - January 05 2008 @ 1:55 am Food Network? Why? WHY!? Marry me. Actually, let me take you to my family's home in Mexico for an amazing dinner.
26

Reagan Dishman - January 05 2008 @ 2:30 am Don't fret. You're amazing and I hope that you are on TV as long as you can stand it. They're putting you back on cause your awesome! I was in Piedras Negras on New Year's eve and I thought about your show that you did there on the Eagle Pass/ Piedras border. I told all my friends about it that night in a drunken stuper. Personally, I think you should have gone to the Del Rio/Acuna border. Acuna has the best hot dogs ever. Come back! I made my mother watch an episode of No Reservations and she was hooked. My mom secretly thinks you're hot, and I'm not gonna lie I do too! Haha. You probably really don't read these comments anyway. So I'm not gonna go on forever. Cause it's pretty off topic anyway. -Reagan
27

nycnative - January 05 2008 @ 8:11 am Why now, you ask, Bourdain? Because... if I recall correctly, after this year, FN loses its rights to ACT and they revert back to you? If so, then, it's their last chance to cash in on ka-ching from advertising revs, as well as to rub it in your face. Hopefully, one day, you'll see fit to officially release the series. After all, even if you diss FN, you started there, and it's not as if TC's The Feasty Boys is any better than FN's Boy Meets Grill. Peace out, and keep up the non-smoking.
28

loveatfirstbite - January 05 2008 @ 8:58 am I love "A Cook's Tour." I am glad TFN is re-airing the series. This will give new fans an opportunity to see how it all began. I'm glad they are at least linking to your books. "A Cook's Tour" is a great read for anyone who is a fan of this series. @Andrew Lee: I posted a clip from "The French Laundry Experience": Season 1 episode 18 of "A Cook's Tour" on Tony's FanSpace: http://www.myspace.com/tonybourdain
29

Ryan - January 05 2008 @ 10:00 am I'm sure none of us know what it's like to be in this type of situation, but we all LOVE No Reservations... My wife gave me the first season on DVD for our first anniversary, and we watched every episode, one after another. I watch FN all the time and was surprised to see that they brought ACT back. Rachael Ray makes my skin crawl, with her "sammies" and E V O O, I'm from albany, NY and we didn't like her there either. I don't know about you, but it's supposed to be about the food, and not the largest %#@! piece of sugar you can build or a show about cakes that look like bumper cars(does anyone actually eat fondit anyway?) I guess I'll end this brief rambling tyrade now before I go off on barefoot contessa, or some other pretentious snit. Peace man, good to hear you quit smoking too!
30

Dan - January 05 2008 @ 11:48 am Why am I suddenly reminded of the time Alice Cooper appeared on The Muppet Show?
31

cathelou - January 05 2008 @ 11:49 am We saw promos for the show just a couple of days ago on our flight back from Utah (they were sandwiched between outdated "get a new car for Christmas!" and Nestle cocoa ads). Seems you are part of the "macho lineup" including the Ace of Cakes and some other guy I can't remember . . . . maybe all the testosterone is an attempt to compete with ESPN. Hey--how about football teams competing in a cake decorating contest for a chance to play in the Sugar Bowl? There's an idea!
32

Steamy Kitchen - January 05 2008 @ 12:00 pm naaah, i think you're way hotter now.
33

jgodsey - January 05 2008 @ 12:07 pm Basicaly I stopped watching that channel the day they started running 'Semi-Homemade Cooking' WTF do I want to watch someone who cooks from the back of the box? The only thing worth watching is Ace of Cakes for its creativity, but I will wait for the DVDs.
34

Alice - January 05 2008 @ 12:51 pm Basically, from what I can figure, any sober person with an IQ over 70 has mostly stopped watching Food Network and has drifted over to the Travel Channel because of No Reservations. Good Eats is on less and less and has been replaced by non-stop Mark Summers Infomercials. While Ace of Cakes is somewhat interesting (though not exactly food related), there is only so much I can take of the bong-smoking Duff crew. Iron Chef America would be fun (cheap materials or not) if only Bobby Flay didn't do 90% of the episodes. (However, I will watch Flay get his#$%kicked on Throw Down as a kind of revenge. That's really all I tune in to see, and I feel cheated if he doesn't lose.) And what the HELL was with the show about the 2 younger guys with a catering business? When I saw the commerical, I thought, "FINALLY! They are going to put something intellegent on about chefs with something to new to say." YIKES, what a disappointment! I couldn't even make it more than 15 minutes into an episode without dozing off. Basically, I haven't watched Food Network much until I saw that A Cook's Tour episodes were going to be on. (I've wanted to see your first Viet Nam episode for a while now. Hope they show it.) This is about a weak attempt to steal back some market share. I hope you sell a lot of books from it at least.
35

Alison - January 05 2008 @ 1:24 pm I watched ACT for the first time the other night. See, I was living in France when it was first broadcast, so I considered it one of the many Things I Missed Out On. After reading your books and watching No Reservations, I am a fan, so I'm glad to be able to watch these old shows! Bonne Année, bonne santé, Tony.
36

Phil - January 05 2008 @ 1:28 pm Boo Hoo, Tony! You're laying poolside in Hawaii and the Food Network is playing your show again (by popular demand). Wow, you have a tough life. :-) I've been quietly waiting for the Food Network's demise, and the writing is on the proverbial wall now. Once they dumped Mario, the clock started ticking. Now, Emeril. If I were Bobby Flay, I'd be crapping my pants. Looking forward to new episodes of NR, and completing my home-made DVD collection of Cook's Tour episodes.
37

Abhishek - January 05 2008 @ 2:47 pm Tony, I saw those episodes on FN. I was happy to see the old episodes again, but I was certainly pissed off about how they were whoring you to promote some stupid new show by that naked guy. FN is beginning to realize that they are loosing real foodies. Almost all of their shows are geared towards the audience for who cooking (or food) is slightly more work than heating up their TV dinners. I mean, there is hardly any Mario on anymore. Apart from Iron Chef I dont think I can watch any other show. BTW, Iron Chef is also being contaminated by these specials where they hold tag team matches involving RR and Paula Deen. Anyways real foodies are gravitated towards other shows. They have to realize that and probably redefine themselves.
38

kanani - January 05 2008 @ 3:30 pm Yanno what they say, one dog's turd is another dog's meal.
39

Jessie - January 05 2008 @ 3:35 pm You must try coconut syrup dear Tony.
40

Annonymous - January 05 2008 @ 4:02 pm Look at it just like you said, it will boost your book sales. Your book is better than that show anyway. It was your audition reel for bigger and better things. Laugh (just like when moms trots out the tape of you in the school play in 5th grade) all the way to the bank and buy that baby a trust fund for college or some Ramones memorabilia.
41

lux - January 05 2008 @ 4:35 pm FN is, well, F-ed. Trying to go lowbrow / mainstream makes sense given the demographics but in reality, the middle-cl***women who would most benefit from shows that help them become better cooks and/or food as 'entertainment' are so busy working and raising their kids that they don't watch all that much TV anymore. And if they do, it's probably not Food Network. Not that they wouldn't watch the stuff, it's just not high enough on their already overburdened to-do list. Aspirational cooks / foodies are the ones who will make the time to watch lots of food-related programming - IF it's good enough. It's a smaller market segment, but more dedicated and more willing to spend money with their advertisers. Problem is that networks always want to go for the biggest audience numbers possible. Playing the niche simply isn't as appealing a proposition to the suits in their suite. If Food Network played their cards right and retooled their operations around being THE source for truly high-quality food information (in all formats - video, web, print, etc) they could create an amazing empire. For example, can you imagine annual Food Network awards that instead of being some insipid paean to their advertisers, were actually an honor that chefs fought to be a part of? Wouldn't that be something? They have the reach already. They just don't have the vision or the guts. (cross-posted from ruhlman's blog)
42

Vincent - January 05 2008 @ 4:47 pm WTF?! Food Network?! Quit Smoking?! My head is about to explode. Kidding aside, I hope you suck those people dry from residuals. I also saw the t-shirt on grillbitch.com - pretty cool. I'm gonna get one for my 2 year old girl and watch the nannies freak out at dayschool.
43

Larry - January 05 2008 @ 5:14 pm Anthony, Great work! I enjoy your show and wondering if your planning any trip to North Africa? Andrew's trip to Morroco was great. How about Algeria? Its the couscous birth place. Keep up the good work. Cheers
44

The Troll - January 05 2008 @ 5:32 pm That was a lot of words used to make the same old tired points. Newflash One: Emeril sucks! Newflash Two: Next Food Network Star is a much better show with much more interesting challenges than Top Chef. Comparing that odd cluster-&%$#@ at the end-of-the Season to Top Chef's SEASON-LONG Cluster-&%$#@ is absurd. But I'm very happy to see you're capable of writing many words without hammering the man of your secret dreams. Rocco DiSpirito. Over that crush?
45

French Laundry at Home - January 05 2008 @ 5:35 pm Bourdain: You'll have the last laugh when the ratings in that daypart are the highest they've ever been in the past 5 years. Tusch and Suze will never thank you, but the Scripps board of directors might. I say you send FN a semi-homemade fruit basket (with extra vodka and a few extra bras) in appreciation. Make 'em wonder what you're up to.
46

Zeke - January 05 2008 @ 5:59 pm Well I'll be. Never in a million years would I have expected Food Network to sign you up. I've been a fan since I read A Cook's Tour (never saw the show), and an admirer since you tried to appease the Uzbekistan masseur/sadist by telling him that Rachel Ray could cook. The Food Network is a ridiculous sham, and I hope you have a good laugh picking their pockets. Oh, and thanks for the great inscription on a copy of your book a friend of mine had you sign while you were in Santa Cruz last year ("To an obnoxious prick"). It's perfect!
47

Rocky - January 05 2008 @ 6:02 pm Dude! For the record your show is not only the best foodie program running but one of the only shows I will watch on TV. I hope your employers will take note. Your honest wit is refreshing & compelling. I appreciate the thoughtful things you have to say as opposed to the insipid drivel offered up by others. I hope you enjoyed your stay in our beautiful state. Aloha, R
48

Judyisapunk - January 05 2008 @ 6:03 pm Tony, Watching "A Cook's Tour" prompted me to check out your books. I'd rather you had control of the series but I'll take it any way I can get it. I loved that series. It's fun watching your first exploits into foreign lands. It's like watching a child discover something new. The FN honchos know you are a huge draw so they are willing to capitalize on it while they can. The only show I watch on the channel is Iron Chef. I have added "A Cook's Tour." They need viewers and they'll pimp you to get them. By the way, don't fret about the stark difference in your hair color and weight. Like fine wine you get better with time. You actually look more distinguished...like people may actually pay attention to what you say:) I like that you look less like a Sopranos extra now. Happy New Year to you and yours!!
49

john atkinson - January 05 2008 @ 6:34 pm real glad to see bourdain back on the bad network. seems they were losing their wise ass, chain smoking, high functioning alcoholic viewers. cooks tour is now the most redeamingshow on fn. just watch, next year they'll give a travel shot to todd enlish's punk rock nephew...ps. my grandmother had sex with paula dean.
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june-baby - January 05 2008 @ 7:19 pm Tony, All I can say is ACT is how I got hooked on you in the first place. It was nice to watch the Christmas Day mini marathon on the FN. Hey I forgot Zamir was in the St. Peterburg ACT, he even tortured you on that show too (LOL). If the FN wants to bring up their ratings and they have to exploit you at the same time (shame on the FN) let them you will be banking the money earned for all the book sales created by the F-ing head fools at the FN. When ACT was taken off I was teed-off. Stopped watching the FN right then and there. Then I saw you taking the show and hitting the road over to the Travel Channel and I was a happy girl. I have been watching NR ever since. Tony BTW you get better looking as you get older so don't get your undies in a bunch on about how you looked on ACT. Enjoy laughing all the way to the bank on your up coming book sales. BTW I my favorite ACT was when you and your brother suffered in the dead of winter in the fishing village in France where your Daddy was from. Tony you need to do a NR on that fishing village and get your Mom's take on it, because I'am sure your Dad took her there way before you and your brother were gleems in their eyes. Have a great and wonderful New Year!, doing what you do best traveling the world and showing us what is out there to eat.
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TikiPundit - January 05 2008 @ 7:32 pm Heh. Check this out. Poor Rachel Ray -- her celebrity endorsements have been noticed: http://www.yesbutnobutyes.com/archives/2008/01/top_ten_things_1.html
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bmcd - January 05 2008 @ 7:34 pm Yo Tony: I am glad that FN dragged ACT out of the back vaults. It's the only way most of us can watch it... I did not watch any cable back then. I have to agree with the other posters; Food Network seems doomed. Still like Good Eats and watch Iron Chef strictly for the camp value, but everything else seems pretty fluffy. Bobby Flay is a pompous egotistical jerk, and yes that guy with the hair needs to be banished somewhere. I continue to be an avid fan and will watch every episode of No Reservations that airs. Live Long and prosper dude. P.S. Good on you for quitting smoking!
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Rick - January 05 2008 @ 8:16 pm Dude, you always kick ass!
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Rob - January 05 2008 @ 8:27 pm Anthony--you need to go off on Bobby Flay far more often, and in your usual colorful manner, than you do. The man is absolutely repulsive. And the arrogance of dropping mango salsa on everything short of a pile of yellow labrador sh*t and calling it "Southwestern"... good Christ. Everything you've said about FN is otherwise spot-on.
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Wendy Cribb - January 05 2008 @ 8:39 pm Yes I DVR'd "A Cook's Tour" and I thought, "Hmmm I wonder how Mr. Bourdain feels about the "Food" Network trying to profit off of him now that he has made a very well known name for himself, no thanks to Butter,BBQ and Bull%$#@ network. I've enjoyed the show, though, it's interesting to notice that not only is it a "younger, thinner, darker-haired" Tony...it's a less experienced, new to the world and more easily impressed Tony. Still snarky and hot, though.
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Dale Cruse - January 05 2008 @ 8:42 pm Tony, it's great that you've joined us in the blogosphere. In fact, I blogged about it at: http://drinksareonme.net/?p=170
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carol - January 05 2008 @ 9:37 pm I actually caught A Cooks Tour on the other night. And it is much like No Reservation, but it is just one half hour long.(not long enough). Anyway, cant wait for the reruns, i telling my friends to watch it.
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Josh Modeer - January 05 2008 @ 9:40 pm Okay I just wanted to say that the trip you took to Vietnam was a great show. I did not like that dam Vietnamese leader at all I think I would have punched him. Anyways he looked like an %#@%. Thanks, Josh Modeer Kansas City Missouri Keep up the great work, you have Andrew Zimmern smoked.
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michelle - January 05 2008 @ 9:52 pm I actually caught an episode of A Cook's tour on the other night, it was a lot like NO Reservations. but only a half hour long.I stopped watching the food network about a year ago, I will watch it but only for Tony. I cant wait for the new season to start. By the way my friends and I think you are really hot.
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Victoria - January 05 2008 @ 10:33 pm Watching the marathon that ran, I was puzzled, until I kept seeing all the commercials for No Reservations at the top of every hour. I figured Travel Channel was flexing some muscle and/or footing the bill to get your show pulled out of the basement at FN. I had no idea they were planning to re-run the episodes. Good for you! They DON'T have anything better to put on. And they have tried travel shows featuring their "talent" in the past few years that have been nothing but miserable failures. Kinda like the rest of their current programing. Have some hope. Maybe it'll clue in the execs that what viewers really want to see is intelligent, educational shows back like they had in 2000-2001, back before the Rachel Ray-ification of the channel. Save Food Network, Tony, save Food Network!!!! Or, just take some of the new money and buy a couple of Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee cookbooks to piss on. That might cheer you up.
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CincyMom - January 05 2008 @ 11:25 pm Like fine wine, you have aged well. Aside from that, I guess I'll have to tune in Food Network on Tuesdays. I watched the first time, then bought the book. Now I'll get to look at them together. But, I can't wait for the new "No Reservations" season on Monday.
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Joe - January 05 2008 @ 11:49 pm Tony, In the off chance you read this.... Lets assume you have gone through your chef game of selecting your last meal and up comes the beverage portion. Do you chose Schlitz because it`s "The BEER that made Milwaukee famous" or Pabtz because it happens to have a blue ribbon. This is a much more important question than its initial irrelevane. possibily.
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J. Scott Wilson - January 06 2008 @ 12:11 am Tony, they're desperate. Let's face it, the only one they've got left with a vestige of a functioning brain is Alton, and they seem to be working him to death. And according to my sources at an event where you and I chatted last year, he won't be invited back due to acting like, well ... let's just say he wanted to do your style show, copped what he thought was your style 'tude, but couldn't produce your style talent or audience response.
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Mike G - January 06 2008 @ 12:19 am You know, the regular Food Network is unwatchable now, but I love flipping the HD version on randomly. It's basically an entire network devoted to fondant, vast hot pink lava flows cascading over my set, as luridly phantasmagorical as the parade of vintage Hollywood costumes in Kenneth Anger's Puce Moment. AB would never fit in here, though, because it's an entirely preverbal experience, sort of a Baby Einstein for adult foodies (Baby L'Escoffier?)
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ana - January 06 2008 @ 2:54 am It was about time for the FN to have your shows. Finally somebody that knows about good food. Love your show, love your attitude and overall I love how sincery and thruthfull you are...we don't need anymore Rachel Ray's, Emeril's or Bobby Flay's...enough. Ana
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Frank M - January 06 2008 @ 8:33 am Maybe they will package your old show with 'Two Fat Ladies', Sara Molson, and Two Hot Tamales-that would at least improve their ratings! Better yet- FoodTV-Nickelodeon channel will all the old stuff! FM
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Dixie - January 06 2008 @ 9:37 am I love the Food Channel's recent revisit of "Cook's Tour", about the only show they ever had the balls to show that ventured beyond "The Barefoot Contessa" serving up tasteful meals to her gay friends in the Hamptons or the horror of the "30 Minute Meal" with Rachel Ray looking she has some kind of speed induced buzz as runs around like a maniac in the kitchen, or worse yet the dizzy blonde chick serving up cocktails and pre made %$#@ on her tablescapes. I love that Tony has the heart and soul to go around the world finding the heart and soul of cuisine and have no shame in trying it all. You are why we love great cuisine Tony my boy!!
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dot - January 06 2008 @ 1:08 pm Food Network needs a show like Charlie Rose to interview all people in the culinary field. First show guests: Thomas Keller and your boy Ruhlman That Chef's Story on PBS is not working...harsh lighting and annoying host. PS Congats on baby bourdain!
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stephanie - January 06 2008 @ 2:02 pm oh my god...Guy IS Poochie! I knew there was something about him that was unintentionally hilarious!
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Maya - January 06 2008 @ 2:11 pm Well I do have a Cook's Tour Tivo'd so I'm wondering if you are suggesting that I don't bother watching it. We love No Reservations! My boyfriend is a talented cook so he actually watches FN with me although I think he's only interested in the nice "view" on the shows of Giada and Nigella. Ironically we picked up a copy of Kitchen Confidential for the holidays but my boyfriend really prefers to read on his brand new Kindle. I hope that the authors get paid for those downloads, I'm always suspicious of this online nonsense. Anyway, as a non-cook I'm learning lots, love the book! Certainly more than I'd learn from FN, and somehow I trust the information more. Gee, how do you do that? ;)
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dig22 - January 06 2008 @ 3:15 pm Yeah yeah we love you Tony, but my gut reaction to hearing the rebroadcasting of your old show on another network is that it's a tip o' the hat to your success and popularity. They think your old shows are better than what they can currently produce. They know a good thing when they've lost it. Certainly, your old shows are better value for them, especially since it costs nothing out of pocket except for commercial time. The ultimate tribute would be if they ran your old show against your new. A nightmare for ratings and side by side glimpses of your hair color, but dude, you still looking good and goddammit, graceful for a geezer. Sp keep up the good work Tony and try not to sell out by putting your name on whisks and frying pans at Macy's. If you do, we'll try and understand, as long as you maintain your honesty about the situation. THAT is your charm, my friend. Sawaddii Pi Mai Khrap.
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just another sous chef - January 06 2008 @ 6:12 pm tony, i know you have to be beholden to your Discovery channel masters now, but actually A Cook's Tour is, pound-for-pound, a better show since it is almost entirely food-oriented. i really don't need to see a celebuchef riding a %$#@ing horse or in yet another waterfall. And the book A Cook's Tour is far superior to that piece-of-%$#@ scrapbook that passes for a book pulblished for No Reservations. Count your blessings, douchebag. just another sous chef p.s.: a myspace page? what a f#@&%! joke.
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Reverend Xenakaboom - January 06 2008 @ 6:29 pm On reflection, I think I'll enjoy being - once again - the turd in the Food Network punchbowl. Two networks, one cup?
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Kelly - January 06 2008 @ 8:22 pm I was wondering what the hell that was and what the hell had happened to you. Seriously, I was channel flipping and saw the younger Mr. Bourdain and thought, "WTF? Why did he dye his hair? Why's this only on for half an hour? What is that dog chewing on now? Oh, gross..." (No, the last part wasn't about the show, just a common occurrence.) I love No Reservations so much that I'll likely watch Cook's Tour just to see more food (well, and your unique way of presenting food and travel together). Thanks to you, I'm much more likely to stray from foods I know well and actually try something new.
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Eric King - January 06 2008 @ 9:19 pm Hey Tony, First and foremost as a chef myself, i really enjoy your current show and the culinary ideas it brings to me. i think since FN knows about the growing success of your show and the new season starting tomorrow... they want to capitolize on that and try to bring the NO RESERVATIONS viewer over to FN. clearly they cannot compete with your new season cause viewers want to see the NEW. so... to cash in on the proverbial "double-whammy" re-air ACT on tuesday. Take it easy, i look forward to new BLOG entries
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Maurine - January 06 2008 @ 10:00 pm I can only hope this means that FN has figured that most of us can't tolerate the froth they currently serve up. It's unfortunate HGTV doesn't have anything of yours in their library...
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Tampa Girl - January 06 2008 @ 10:01 pm Tony, Fear not, you're the %$#@! I believe that I have seen every episode of both shows. I have to say that I was a little excited to see the old you. Not to mention the beating cobra heart that has haunted you since. I am a little concerned about how much you know about what is currently going on on the food network. Are you a closet fan? Just kidding. ;) Tpa Girl
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Wolf - January 07 2008 @ 12:44 am Honestly? As long as they don't play at the EXACT same time slot, I'll happily watch both, because that means double the Tony fun. No Reservations is, of course, by far the better show. But it'll still be nice to see where you started out, even if only briefly.
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Randy Martinez - January 07 2008 @ 3:28 am Tony is right on with his ongoing fingering of the Food Network. So much crap on that channel right now...the one person that I would love to have thrown off that channel is the ultimate Food Nerd, Alton Brown. I cannot stand that mother f'er...! He and that jerkoff guy that pretends he is the nephew of Chairman Kaga...oh don't get me started...Alton Brown is the posterboy of what is wrong with Food Network. Nerds trying to make food into something way way too serious...
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Sam Fujisaka - January 07 2008 @ 10:11 am Quit your bitchin. Both "Cook's Tour" and "No Reservations" are shown--in no particular order--here in Colombia. Yes there is a thinner and a fatter guy, one with darker hair and the other with whiter. So what? The writing is as good, if different, in both shows. The second guy is often just too nice, however.
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Joel Johnson - January 07 2008 @ 11:04 am Mr. Bourdain, When you get back to the city give me a ring and I'll take you over to Barcade, Spuyten Duyvil, and maybe Gutter so you can check out the now-totally-hopping Brooklyn craft beer scene. First one's on me. Joel "No, You Don't Actually Know Me" Johnson
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tracey - January 07 2008 @ 11:09 am Hey, personally Tony….I think after viewing the pictures from A Cook’s Tour the “hideous hair whitening, skin puffing, tropical disease” wears well on you.
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David J Rust - January 07 2008 @ 12:04 pm I find it interesting to watch the shift in Food Network's programming. It isn't, after all, like there's no place for a show like Rachel Ray's or "Emeril Live" but, for several years now it seems like those are the only kind of shows on the air other than "Good Eats" and "Iron Chef America". Who knows? If they're feeling out their options by re-running your old episodes maybe they'll get a bit of a bump and realize what it is that they need: variety. It's funny: when I dine out or cook at home, I don't need massive quantities. I really crave variety in what I eat. Every person I know who enjoys cooking or viewing food programming is the same. So why would it be a surprise to FoodTV execs that what their viewers want is variety and not cookie-cutter replications of non-threatening, middle-of-the-road cuisine? Whether the old "Two Hot Tamales", the sommelier David Rosengarten, or even that show (the name of which escapes me) that did restaurant reviews around the United States and Canada, Food Network has lost a lot. Then again, who knows? Maybe the turd in the punchbowl will add some spice to the recipe... One can only hope.
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artnlit - January 07 2008 @ 12:12 pm As others have correctly noted, it is quite simple: the FN knows they lost a GREAT show with a GREAT host and now they want to milk the fame (and get ratings) as much as they can. I highly doubt it anything else. For those who did not see the original series and are only aware of No Reservations, it is interesting to compare the two; it is apparent how Tony and the show developed and has now become what it truly was meant to be. Fear not, Tony; you still WIN. Cheers, artnlit (Bonnie)
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shel - January 07 2008 @ 12:59 pm I'm not so sure, Tony...after witnessing that sleeveless cowboy shirt ensemble you had on in one of your ACT episodes...the FEAR began to creep in. Not sure if I can handle another such shock to my brain stem...
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Annette - January 07 2008 @ 1:28 pm From a fan's perspective . . . old or new, I'll take your contributions to television and literature any way they come. Unarguably, your fans will welcome the opportunity to reminisce as they watch your old FN episodes. You are entertaining, sapient and easy on the eyes. Any airtime is positive.
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John Mansfield - January 07 2008 @ 1:36 pm Quite frankly I'd rather watch the raw and rough at the edges Cook's Tour than most of the pompous and self-promoting cooking shows that turn up on the Food Network these days! Can anyone really count themselves as a real chef if they advertise doughnuts (or the so-called coffee that goes with them)?!!!!
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The P/A - January 07 2008 @ 1:59 pm Maybe they're using ACT as a guinea pig, Tony. Depending on the ratings that result from the reprise of ACT, Scripps could use that data as a reason to change the Food Network's current suckluster appeal and improve the legitamacy of the FN shows in development. If they have any good business sense, they certinaly should do it now, while they have rights to ACT. Scripps has a legal duty to operate in the best interests of shareholders, so if Scripps finds out via hot ACT ratings that making more FN shows similar to or in the spirit of ACT brings in more viewers and money(N.B. French Laundry at Home and artnlit are right -- ACT's ratings will kickass), Scripps better go in that direction . . . or else be in breach of that legal duty. Scripps does not want that. ACT might save the Food Network from going ALL the way down the dumper. I'd love to see more FN show's like ACT, even if it is only 30 minutes! It's what hooked me on the FN in the first place.
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Kevin Johnson - January 07 2008 @ 2:06 pm I was amazed to see you back on the Food Network after all this time, I'll bet they are even going to resent the royalties! Maybe Racheal Ray and the rest of the gang can come up with some good recipes for crow. 20 Minute Crow anyone? Iron Chef Challenge "Crow" Loved your new book, looking forward to this season! Regards KMJ
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Claudia - January 07 2008 @ 2:10 pm Ummmm . . . (a) maybe, realizing their rights to A Cook's Tour expires in June, FN wants to air the crap out of the show while they still have it, and (b) they are doing it because, although you're about as welcome at FN as a leper in Club Med jacuzzi, they realize (painfully) that you are a hot commodity (TV-wise), and your Q factor are off the charts . . . . soooooo . . . they are naturally going to try to squeeze whatever ratings spikes they can get out of your "Q" factor with whatever material they have on hand - i.e., A Cook's Tour? Because, you sure as hell won't be shooting anything for them any time soon, right? No TV network is going to use up a prime time slot (8-11) just to "va fangool" a maverick ex-talent. Oh, no. There's money involved here. At it's embedded in your ratings and recognition factor. Just thinking out loud here . . .
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JMR - January 07 2008 @ 2:22 pm A little bit off the topic - but you have some hot tour guides, specifically Namibia and Japan....
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Anne - January 07 2008 @ 2:23 pm I did a double-take when I saw the commercial the first time. I had to check and re-check to see that it was the Food Network actually airing it. My own feelings are that every channel should be more than happy to feature you - obscenities and all. At least I wasn't the only one caught off guard.
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Pedro Velasquez - January 07 2008 @ 3:33 pm I was flipping around one night in December hoping to catch an espisode of No Reservations on Travel Channel. I needed my fix! To no avail it wasn't on when I suddenly saw your face plastered on the Food Network! It was interesting to see the early days of Bourdain with the weight of Momma Food Network weighing down on what was really boiling up in that head of yours. "No Tony you can't say that." Now I sit here watching you eat delicious Korean soup waiting anxiously for the new season tonight. All the best -Pedro
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Melana F - January 07 2008 @ 3:35 pm FN has become such a melting pot of talentless hacks. I can tell you exactly why they put your show back on the air. Because the programming they have - trying to reach the young male demographic - isn't working. They're finally realizing that the audience they've been targeting is extremely fickle and has a short attention span. Here's to the downfall of the f*#!&$* idiots in charge of putting these abrasive (yes that would be Rachael Ray), immature (here comes Guy...), boneheads (2 Dudes Catering... come on) in our faces 24 %$#@ing 7. I hope they all choke on a sammie.
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marshAL SANDLER - January 07 2008 @ 3:41 pm Anthony, I am a 71 year old blogger , grew up in the industrial laundry business ! Over the years dealt with food service all areas ! Lately have problem with the new Food Business ! I get the feeling I am eating a percentage ! I find value only in Middle Easter stores, Vietnamese and Thai ! The great old Kosher Deli at least in Michigan is as dead as Custer ! I among other things as you do enjoy organ meats ! The old deli's had a great stew mad with lungs and hearts, it is now health departmebt no no !
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Joe Corey - January 07 2008 @ 3:51 pm Let's face it, Bourdain, they need your mug on the Food Network to keep the ladies watching. Next month they debut "Greatest Crackerbarrel Chefs" competition with Paula Dean's Second Cousin's ex-husband. Shame the Discover channel's PR folks didn't hook me up so I could interview you for quickstopentertainment com. But I'll plug the new season in the column. The URL link is for an idea for your new season "The Air Conditioned Nightmare Part 2." Did you get to hang out at Jim Nabor's Macadema plantation in Hawaii?
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Virginia Selley - January 07 2008 @ 3:58 pm Sorry Anthony ... I was ecstatic to see your old episodes of "A Cooks Tour". I was frankly sad when the episodes left the Food Network. You were the only reason I watched cooking shows. Heck I'd pretty listen to you all day. My only qualm was "Keith Famie" when he resurrected as Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel.. I was surprised- pleasantly but perplex at the same time! Think of the rebroadcasting as a compliment to your appeal and their stupidity for letting you go in the first place. I saw that Food Network edited "Keith" out "A Cooks Tour" Episodes. Man that took some poor person hours to remove and edit. So who's idea was the Keith name? hummmm? My daughter says if she finds a guy with your crack up humor and cynical expressions she's going to be his travel companion... PS Im on READY for the new episodes tonight!! Whoo Hoo!! Thank YOU! Best Wishes Virginia
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Pamela - January 07 2008 @ 4:03 pm Tony, You are too funny! I'd watch you stand in front of the camera doing nothing for 60 minutes on ANY channel. You can come and cook for me anytime! Cheers....
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Tammi - January 07 2008 @ 4:11 pm I hate to do this but I feel compelled. I have a son with Tourrette's and feel the need to point out that only ONE percent of all people with Tourrette's have Cropalalia (shout out obscenities). While I understand the need for metaphors and humor in writing, I also get tired of the media portraying everybody with Tourrette's as witless moron's shouting "crack wh*&re" at hapless passerby's on the street. It's just not the norm for people with Tourrette's. Thank you for giving me a chance to educate. I must say I am THRILLED to finally be seeing new episode's of No Reservations as is my poor husband who has to see me morph into a whining gelatic m***everytime I tune in and see that we are enjoying another re-run. Take care
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Mehmet - January 07 2008 @ 4:22 pm Hey Tony, Why dont you ever travel to Turkey. I am sure you will find the most amazing food ever! Say, in Istanbul, you will be able to eat Kokorec off of street vendors, In Bursa, you will have Iskender. Try it.
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S McK - January 07 2008 @ 4:30 pm Never watched the show before, have now and I can not wait for the new season. Love it.
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John B - January 07 2008 @ 4:39 pm Tony, I’m glad FN is bringing your old show back in reruns. We all know at the end of the day it’s about ratings and ad revenue. Show biz is dogs eat dog world, and they are looking to cash in on your popularity, I would do the same. It will be one of the better shows on the network however; FN has gone down a lot. But let’s face it; Travel Channel has a lot of drivel as well, Cash and Treasures, Most Haunted, World Poker Tour, and how many times do we need to see Vegas cheats or Hawaiian Beaches? They are doing it for the ratings just like Food Network. We just have to pick out the few gems from all the garbage. PS. I hope you go back Beirut and give it another try.
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sheila estep - January 07 2008 @ 5:15 pm I'm tellin ya, I love your show. I simply love your honesty. Your great. Rock on!! You make me laugh.
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sheila - January 07 2008 @ 5:22 pm Tony, as I was still living in Ireland the time ACT was first aired, do you begrudge a loyal fan the treat of seeing your first tv venture? I hope not. Of course, FN is (hopefully) doing this because maybe they have finally realised that hordes of former fans have deserted the channel in search of Julia Child et al. They have seen the popularity of NR and are cashing in on that. Get your shows away from them, out of their evil clutches before it's too late man! Anyway, I can't wait for the French Laundry episode, so sorry if I don't feel sorry for you. As as aside, we need something decent to watch besides Paula's Party and the Deliverance Family Vacation.....shudder, I mean, who cares? Maybe FN is finally getting it.
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Jason Thornton - January 07 2008 @ 5:23 pm Thank you for the Poochie reference. That sums up Fieri perfectly. If A Cook's Tour ever does make it out on DVD, I'm hoping for some juicy commentary tracks.
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Vicodin - January 07 2008 @ 5:25 pm Tony, How in the hell did Paula Dean's sons get their own show? "Road Tested". Yeah, right. Clearly, the show was NOT 'audience tested', as I've seen more personality and charisma from zombies in George Romero movies. If you put the brains of both of these guys together, you might just muster up enough IQ points equal to that of being able to legally buy a beer. Keep up the great show, the brilliant writing and the intriguing narrations. -A brother in MEAT!
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Allison DeYenno - January 07 2008 @ 6:57 pm Tony - You are fantastic. Just keep doing what you're doing. I found myself fantasizing during the new year's eve marathon about how amazing it would be to travel, eat and drink with you. (There's an idea for a sweepstakes if I ever heard one. Although, I can only imagine what it would be like if a complete imbecile won. Now THAT would be a fun show. I can only imagine you ditching them at some restaurant to escape their idiocy.) Your honesty and appreciation for what the world has to offer is contagious. Allison
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Maryann - January 07 2008 @ 7:07 pm I'm just glad to watch you. Anywhere :)
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Todd - January 07 2008 @ 7:40 pm Hey man, As an aspiring hardcore/punk/post-rock musician and skeptic seeker of all things both pork belly and independantly musical in nature, I couldn't help but wonder why you haven't incorporated gr***roots rock into your show more? Don't get me wrong, I like Queens and Josh H. too over holiday home chef stock but where is the proclaimed punk influence to help the kids who actually need a plug on the show? How about every city has a small music segment to complete the credibility wheel here? This seems like a natural crossover which hasn't been explored yet. My show ideas rule.
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Edgar - January 07 2008 @ 8:33 pm Tony: I was disappointed at FN when they pulled ACT from the air. I read that FN wanted to focus more on local (U.S.) destinations than foreign. When I saw your show on TC I noticed that FN was loosing audience. That's why ACT is back on the air, FN is trying to get some of us back full time. I still watch them but wont trade any show when you are on. Hope you come back to PR to eat more pork skins. Wish you the best in the new year. Edgar
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munchmouth - January 07 2008 @ 8:42 pm Hey Tony, Keep up the honest and upfront style you have about the food and the places you visit. We are looking forward to the next show!!
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jiji - January 07 2008 @ 8:57 pm I'm going to start reading this everyday. he's so funny!
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Ray - January 07 2008 @ 9:40 pm Thank God you are out there saying what most of us are thinking. These people on FN aren't chefs, and most of them aren't cooks. I don't think any of them have any training. Let's see what they do have: Giada has a VERY famous grandfather, teeth like Ms. Pacman, and a bod. Easy to see her talents. Paula Deen's southern mama shtick is wearing thin on me, and those boys better thank their stars that Mama has given them careers. And when is Bobby going to just come out of the closet? Emeril was the one true godsend chef to that network, and while his cooking for me left a lot to be desired, it was cooking with thought and discipline behind it. Iron Chef has become a joke. Chef Besh not winning - ridiculous. and the First episode with the new guy was so rigged it was crazy. Did anyone think he was going to LOSE his first time out? You on the other hand provide me with gustatory and delinquent viewing pleasure. You are my Pope of pig, my avatar of alcohol, a high priest of decadent delights. Long may you wave and inspire all of us to eat - not healthy, not correctly, not fashionably - but with respect, reverence and relish!
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Annonymous - January 07 2008 @ 10:09 pm I'm 21,you are incredibly sexy, lets rock the boat
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Jen - January 07 2008 @ 10:10 pm I started watching your show (No Reservations) because I remembered you from Food Network so long ago. That's what made me google you and start reading all your books. Let me just say that after reading A Cooks Tour before actually seeing all the episodes made it so enjoyable when I got to see it years later. I like your earlier "raw" show. You seemed more vulnerable, still the same as you are now, but everything was new. It's refreshing to see your reactions in your earlier touring. I would definately take the airing of your show as a compliment to you, your views and sharp observations your viewers all love.
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jaylew - January 07 2008 @ 10:48 pm tony.....i completely understand why people find solace in the frenzy of narcotic usage.....and for those who fight the urge to repeat that kind of solace and go on to find alternatives or frequent replacements for all of that and "it".....i recommend they watch any of your television appearances...no matter what network they appear on...best wishes for 2008 tony....find the alternatives whereever they may be....and if you struggle or trip.....its no big deal....its just the way it is.....i completely understand.
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Lisa - January 07 2008 @ 10:53 pm OK, so I checked out the blog and the new "fan wiki." I love your show to pieces; it's one of the few I regularly watch. But man. I gotta ask: As a person, doesn't any of this phenomena freak you out?! Surreal.
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Hongyuan - January 07 2008 @ 10:57 pm Hi Tony, I love your show. I've seen you travel everywhere on your show. I come from northeast China, which used to be called Manchuria. The culture is different from anywhere else in China. I think your show should travel there for some fantastic cuisine and to visit a very beautiful part of China. Your show has not visited the northeast part of China because most tourists do not visit there. You can still experience the traditional culture of China and people who have not changed much for many generations. Let me know if you want to go, I can be your tour guide!
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RJ - January 07 2008 @ 11:11 pm I'm reading A Cooks Tour right now! It's awesome!
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Lyn - January 07 2008 @ 11:46 pm Tony, I am sitting in Minneapolis, watching you in Singapore, my hometown. I am so jealous! 2 of my favorite things in the same spot, and I am not there!!!! Looks like you were there in 2007 during Chinese New Year ... %#@!, I will be making a trip back there next month for Chinese New Year. Will you be there again???? I can probably take you to taste my fav S'pore food. Rock on, Tony!
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richard - January 07 2008 @ 11:49 pm Hey Tony, You made it out of Beirut alive, now back on the food network, two Miracles in one year.
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Gerlie - January 07 2008 @ 11:56 pm You freakin' rock!
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Jenny - January 08 2008 @ 12:20 am I want your job.
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Lily Lee - January 08 2008 @ 12:24 am Hello Tony! just wanted to let you know how enjoyable it is to watch you. Not only do you make me envious to want to visit, taste, and smell all your adventures but you just make me laugh. I don't get to watch much tv with 3 kids but when i do happen to catch you on i'm happy. Keep up the great work!
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Ann - January 08 2008 @ 12:26 am Your irreverent and blatant comments on food, culture, friends, crew are a feast for the tired television watcher! Not the usual ‘food’ or travel show – keep up the great travels and reviews!
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Rebecca Gaudet - January 08 2008 @ 12:27 am Tony, I've got to say, i'm in love with your show. I was very excited when i woke up this morning that there was an all-day marathon of what seemed to be all of your asian shows in preparation for the Singapore episode tonight. The one in Japan is definately a favorite of mine. Oh, and Seoul. Hell, i love them all. Just wanted to stop by and say thanks for making food shows fun, unlike most of the crap they put on food network nowadays. And i insist that you do a show in Rhode Island, or at least Providence. We're home to the second best culinary institute in America (only to be outshined by CIA of course)(and Emeril himself went here), and we have some sort of statistic like we have the most privately owned restaurants per capita or something, i'm not exactly sure. But we're great here, and hardly recognized. Please come do an episode here. I would be honored to be your guide through the food and culture of this amazing state. In food, friends, and fun, Rebecca
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Dominick - January 08 2008 @ 12:32 am Hey Tony: Fugeddaboutit...have another drink, play some Ramones " Job That Ate My Brain ", then takes us trippin' on some of those Travel Channel journeys.
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Kate - January 08 2008 @ 12:34 am Hey Tony, I LOVE No Reservations and I LOVED A Cooks Tour. I was very disapointed when you fell off the Food Net radar years ago and thrilled to see you again on Travel Channel. Food TV is just trying to capitolize on Travel Channel and your great success with No Resrvations. I sincerely hope that you are making some $$$ from the rebroadcasts, because as much as we all hate the Food Net we will tune in and enjoy watching ACT again. It is so refreshing to watch a REAL person visit real places and not just some network concocted charcter go back to all the top Fodor restaurant picks.....
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Marita - January 08 2008 @ 1:00 am LOVE YOUR SHOW!!! I just watched the season opener on Singapore and can't wait for next week, Berlin. Too bad I can't Travel Channel in HD on my cable system. They have FN in HD. What a waste of band width! In defense of Zane Lamprey, host of "Have Fork Will Travel": Zane hosts "Three Sheets" on the HD MOJO Network. It's an international exploration of local alcohol and drinking customs. It also covers hang over cures, which is why FN might have been interested. I'm a huge fan of the show and I looked forward to his new show on FN. What a dissapointment! They took the alcohol out of a drinking show! The good news is that the new season of "Three Sheets" begins soon on MOJO. Hopefully, Zane will get off the FN train wreck right away!!
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Sheima Hassanlou - January 08 2008 @ 2:01 am Dude. I'm totally inviting you out to The People's Republic of Boulder in Colorado. We are the land of restaurant after restaurant, of every ethnic sort. Some stick around for the long haul, others die in the sea of anonymity. Come for the microbrews. Stay for the food. Breathe in that hippie smoke.... hahhaha. much love to my punk rock chef....
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Shelley - January 08 2008 @ 2:16 am I'm not going to add to the theories here about why Food Network decided to bring Cook's Tour back from their graveyard. (I like Claudia's ideas, though.) What DOES puzzle me is why they didn't tell you about it. You had to get a press release forwarded to you by Ruhlman??? That is bizarre. And it's a good indicator of how FN treats their talent.
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Marc - January 08 2008 @ 2:18 am You were in HI? Dude! You GOTS to check out Maui next time you're around!
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Eric - January 08 2008 @ 2:47 am I can't stand to watch the Fool Network any longer. Now it's you, Anthony and Andrew that capture my attention. How Scamdra Lee has a show on the Fool Network is beyond me. Check out this site that blasts Scumdy Lee. One may want to wear a pair of Depends so they don't piss in their pants when reading about her at this site. http://community.livejournal.com/semihorrible/ Keep up the great work Anthony...I'm sure the Fool Network regrets losing you. They are digging deep to have Rectal Raytard and Scumdy on the air.
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colleen - January 08 2008 @ 3:20 am Tony, Aah, what eye candy!!! The food, the locales, and you--pure indulgence! I feel spoiled! Thank you so very much for 'No Reservations' and now two shows at once, oh my! I can't wait to pack the passport again... If only you, or actually your producer would be so kind to let us know where we can find a hot chef when traveling... c
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Madelyn - January 08 2008 @ 3:32 am I haven't read the preceding 104 comments from other groupies, so I can't know if this is original commentary or not. Firstly, I don't watch tv. I'm not one of those, "I don't watch tv except for blah-blah show." I mean, I don't watch tv. (I often use my free time to cook instead of watching personalities talk about it.) That said, I haven't seen much of your on-air adventures. I have, however, enjoyed your writing immensely. Your wit is shun sharp and you pull no punches. KEEP IT UP! I did spend a couple of weeks watching tv with my father-in-law & husband several months ago after my mother-in-law passed away. I watched enough Food Network to make my eyes bleed. I'm glad that they've pulled you back onto the roster. Clearly, you are among the only true talent (not the derogative PR use of the word) that they had/have. The only other host that I do like is Alton Brown. But I digress. The whole reason that I sought out your blog (which I didn't know about previously) was because I was just posting a review of a bread recipe I made tonight and epicurious asked me to take a survey. It started by asking me what show came to mind when I thought of travel & food. I said, "Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations." The survey revolved around your show. (Would it have spun differently if I'd said Bobbie Flay?) They wanted to know my reaction to the advert where they use a taser on you. "How likely are you to watch the show based on this ad." Someone in a market research company somewhere is going to wonder how I could possibly be in the income level I am in, be the age I am, the gender I am, altogether constituting their key demographic AND NOT WATCH ANY TV. Ha! Go and live a little bit instead of watching other people do it for you. I never meant to throw a diatribe down here, but I guess your post incited it in me. Anyhow, yours is one of the only programs that I would consider turning on a tv for. Though I can't help your ratings by sitting in front of a flickering box, I did want to tell you that your work is appreciated and your words strike a chord in this bookworm foodie.
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Paul Mcsharry - January 08 2008 @ 4:20 am Yes Tony, those Thugs at the Food Network are out to bamboozle you until you lose your mind and start to act like Alton Brown.
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Steve Munger - January 08 2008 @ 4:39 am Just wanted to say thanks for your on air and on blog honesty. Your humor, humanity and no bull attitude makes paying my cable bill seem like a worthwhile endeavor. "Please sir, may I have some more?"
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TC - January 08 2008 @ 4:48 am I was pleasantly surprised while trapped in my room wrapping Christmas presents to turn on the tv and see your old show. At any rate, your old show beat the pants off of FN's usual fare, so for whatever reason they dug it out of the vault, I'm happy. Ah, Food Network. I used to love Paula Deen but frankly she's starting to scare me. Her Iron Chef performance was revolting. Who wants to see a grandma make out with that dinner impossible guy? Paula is losing her charm and selling out to the suits who would market her as a product, any way they can. It's a %#@! shame. I've watched your pal Rachael Ray on CBS in small doses but pretty much have given up. Can't take that much peppiness and energy at 9 am. Too much. Would rather have my head dunked in a bucket of ice water. Ina Garten and Jeffrey. At least they haven't procreated. Giada's pregnant. Good. That means re-reruns. If I hear her say spah-ghett-tee one more time, I will choke. She needs to give her skys-the-limit vacation show a rest and get real. Half an hour of watching her shovel food into her enormous mouth and groan ecstatically is enough to send anyone over the edge. The gal they chose for the Next FN Star this year is about as interesting as a slice of Wonder Bread. What was her name again....uh huh, my point exactly. Bobby Flay. Throwdown? Throw UP. His day in the sun is over. Happy grilling, Bobby. Please take an anger management class. Alton Brown scares my children. They won't say why. Emeril and Mario - colatteral damage. For shame, FN. For shame. Tony, I knew after watching one episode of No Reservations why FN couldn't handle you. Their loss. And with the yahoos that are on now, they will need some serious revamping to get back on track. Keep up the good work on Travel Channel and don't you ever sell out!!
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Hulagirl Living In The Snow - January 08 2008 @ 6:49 am Wish I had known you were going to p***through my old stomping grounds in the great 808 state. Meat & Beer! Red hot & Ice cold. My family digs a hole, throws in a pig, drinks a dozen 6 packs of beer, and bingo! it's done. Hope you had a grand time in Hawaii, next time you want some real Hawaiian cooking come visit me in Connecticut.
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De Vallion Piper - January 08 2008 @ 7:42 am Mr Bourdain, wait until you come back to Asia, I've been able to watch No Reservations AND A Cook's Tour on Discovery Channel Japan for the last month or so. Its good to now know why I haven't been able to buy A Cook's Tour on DVD. Have you ever thought about coming to Okinawa? Okinawa has a distinct cuisine from mainland Japan, they really like pork here.
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Stella Samooj - January 08 2008 @ 10:52 am Hi Tony Caught your first show of this season last night, Singapore, as wonderfully entertaining as it always is. I am such a big fan who talks about you non-stop so much so that my husband is starting to get annoyed with me......too bad he'll learn to live with it.Who are you Tony you're unlike anyone I've ever seen. Well you keep up the great work and keep on kicking#$%you SEXY son of a bitch.
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Rick Merola - January 08 2008 @ 11:40 am After watching that fiasco called 'The New Iron Chef', I think I can total agree with Mr Bourdain's idea that the Food Network is having some issues. Is it me, or does 'Iron Chef America' seem fixed? After watching 'A Cook's Tour', I'm so glad that Mr Bourdain made the move to the Travel Channel. You just can't fit all the cynical greatness of 'No Reservations' into a measly 30 minutes. Mr Bourdain, please keep up the fantastic work.
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Brandon (Harrisburg, PA) - January 08 2008 @ 11:43 am Tony/Chef/Mr. Bourdain (your pick): While, yes, it must be shocking to find out the dimwits at the Food Network suddenly decided to re-air your old show, I'm of the opinion that there's no such thing as to much Anthony Bourdain. That being the case, I don't choose to look at the network's decision to re-air "A Cook's Tour" as some sort of elaborate conspiracy theory; rather, I think it signals the fact that those morons realized they flat-out %$#@ed up by pulling you off the air. When The Food Network was still in its infant years, I had three reasons to tune in: you, Jamie Oliver, and Alton Brown. Now, Oliver's proved himself to be a pretentious prick, and Alton Brown has emerged as a soul-less, money-driven whore pandering to the masses. (Iron Chef America? Really?) You, Mr. Bourdain, did the one thing that endeared you to me then and continues to do so now: you remained honest. You were honest to yourself and therefore honest to your fans. I've read all your books and I've caught nearly every episode of both "A Cook's Tour" and "No Reservations." While I'm most definitely a "foodie" (ugh, awful term) and find myself intrigued by the locations you visit and experiences you have, let's face it: I tune in for you. Would either of those shows worked had they substituted you for, say, Racheal "The Antichrist" Ray? Hardly. And why is that? It's because she's a fraudulent c**t with the people skills of Hitler. Seriously, the mere sight of her makes me wish I had a cyanide capsule under my tooth. Again, Chef, take solace in the fact that even though this news has been sprung upon you suddenly, those of us who appreciated your honesty, rawness, greatness and likeability only relish in the fact that more, in this case, is better. Godspeed, BD
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Helen - January 08 2008 @ 12:31 pm I agree with what's been said above: Food Network = cashing in on the No Reservations popularity (no complaints here, thanks to dvr) NR Tony = teh hotness ACT Tony = someone I feel the desperate urge to force to sit down and feed something, dammit Both shows = highly entertaining. I think they're both enjoyable because of you. You seem to be a crusty sarcastic bastard to hide the intellectual softie leanings. You're fearless in trying new things, energetically curious, brutally honest, and respectful of other people's customs and feelings. I hope you film for many seasons to come.
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Jenny - January 08 2008 @ 12:35 pm I have only just recently started watching the show and have only seen a few episodes and I really enjoy it. Has anyone ever heard Anthony Bourdain say that he did not like something that he tried? He seems to love everything he tries. Surely there must be something out there that is disgusting to him?
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Jill - January 08 2008 @ 12:42 pm I agree with everyone above.... but most of all am so psyched to find this blog! The more exposure to Mr. Bourdain, the better!
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Joe Corey - January 08 2008 @ 12:51 pm Bourdain, When will there be a No Reservations: Springfield? I want to see you devour a Krusty Burger, eat at the Italian joint, the seafood place and slug a few beers down at Moe's with Homer and Barney.
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Anne - January 08 2008 @ 12:54 pm Tony, And next, The New York Post is going to ring you up for your old transcripts for their NEW weekly Pulse column. It's all good. xo anne If there ever, ever was a leech on me, I'd go to you. Only the best. http://www.annebocci.com
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Marc - January 08 2008 @ 1:00 pm Tony, I love both the old and new shows. I agree that FN is floundering and becoming yet another one of the marketing driven networks. I am worried that the Travel channel is heading in a similar direction with shows like the Feasty Boy's! Are you sure you wiped your feet before coming over from the Food Network? Keep up the good work with No Reservations!
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Jenn - January 08 2008 @ 1:35 pm Tony, I love your show, I love your style - I want your job!!!!!! Need an assistant??? Im living vicariously through you buddy. You have the best job ever. Take care - keep up the good work with No Reservations. Much love from Texas!
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Miryam - January 08 2008 @ 1:41 pm The Singapore show was a total hit!!!! The reflexology part was awesome. Stop drinking? No way. Stop smoking? Not you. De-ja vu from other shows? Yes, ouch. While the show's locations and food are dreamy, your devastatingly alluring personality is what the viewer craves. Bad boy image? Not at all, you are not a hypocrite. The show projects you as a real person relishing life, unafraid of challenges, unhappily accepting bad outcomes, bold, humble, charming and yet timid. Why were you surprised that the Food Network put you back on? While Rachel Ray has uniquely earned a star in the sky, your charisma absolutely outshine the entire Food Network put together.
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Pam - January 08 2008 @ 2:48 pm I am going to be checking it out as well, never saw ACT when it was first on. I love ya Tony, you are one of my faves, but I do have to disagree about Guy Fieri - "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" is really a lot of fun and my whole family enjoys it.
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Marina - January 08 2008 @ 2:51 pm Great show last night...I was looking forward to it all week, and it did not disappoint! Always good to watch a show that is NOT a babbling brook of bullsh*&*t..any suggestions where I can get some Singapore dishes in NYC???
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FriedLumpia - January 08 2008 @ 3:05 pm Jenny said: Has anyone ever heard Anthony Bourdain say that he did not like something that he tried? He seems to love everything he tries. Surely there must be something out there that is disgusting to him?---Watch the Namibia episode for NR. I think it's fair to say that Rayray wouldn't be in Namibia filming 40 dollars a day. Love his show, met him briefly at his book signing at Stacy's bookstore in SF. He also guest blogs for Michael Ruhlman's website, which is also an awesome website for foodies and AB fans alike.
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Rich - January 08 2008 @ 4:09 pm Watch the Iceland episode.
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Fran - January 08 2008 @ 4:30 pm Tony, You are an inspiration! Stop fretting about your past naiveté being regurgitated. We all started somewhere. It's your journey and we viewers appreciate your generousity sharing it with us.
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Earl - January 08 2008 @ 4:50 pm Tony, I think the Food Network is trying to soften you up by putting your old show back on their lineup. I predict Food Network will ask you to compete in a four-way match, with Rachel Ray as your partner, against the opposing team of Batali and De Laurentis in a future installment of "Iron Chef America!"
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ArtsySF - January 08 2008 @ 4:52 pm Tony, You are the best! Love your books and "No Reservations" series on the Travel network. I have watched the Food Network since it's it's inception, but I have lost interest with it's current vapid choices of "stars". Loved your recent "Singapore" show. We were there a few years ago and your show gave us some great memories. But a memory I won't forget from Singapore was that I got terrible food poisoning from eating at the Raffles Hotel buffet lunch. It was so bad that we had to cancel our pre-paid side trip to Malayasia the next day. Sorry I missed seeing you at Stacey's Bookstore when you were here in San Francisco. Did you film a show here in SF? If so, when will it be aired? Marjie in San Francisco (aka ArtsySF)
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Mila & Tony - January 08 2008 @ 5:12 pm Tony.. Indonesia, Singapore and Mexico were great! You rocked! We're both from Russia and had lots of fun watching you drink vodka and flying jets with "kgb agents the whole Moscow episode..people there never change.. Hope to visit one of your restaurants soon, and read some of your books. Thanks for good mood! Best Wishes from Atlanta
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carol - January 08 2008 @ 5:29 pm Last night i was eagerly waiting for the new episode to appear. I have to say after watching the whole episode i was a little disappointed. That episode was a little to mainstream for me. Tony seemed a little to happy, to me. Was anybody else thrown off by that, or was it just me? I love NR and Tony. I'll give him another chance to "wow" me.
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chief chicken in charge - January 08 2008 @ 5:49 pm AB, You are so hot. Please come to Nashville and stir something for me.
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Tammy - January 08 2008 @ 5:51 pm They need you to cl***up the joint. With the departure of Emeril and Mario the lack of culinary talent on TFN is astounding. That said, I can't wait to see a younger prettier you.
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Kate - January 08 2008 @ 6:10 pm I thought it was a new show/revival of the old show and was very confused.
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Lynn - January 08 2008 @ 6:56 pm I just love the show and feel inspired by your journey.Have a great New Year!
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Tiger - January 08 2008 @ 7:54 pm The FN makes me want to scream. I've written more than one vitriol soaked diatribe about them and my hatred of their stars, which does encomp***Rachel Ray, by the by. Still, I devote the bulk of my hatred to Sandra Lee, who is like a version of my stepmother. That is, if my stepmother had no poise, charm, warmth, or talent. It's like watching someone %$#@ all over your favorite book of poetry. Anyone who advocates Cool Whip, and tells viewers it;s just fine and dandy if they want to slather it all over everything, gains my eternal loathing. Things such as, oh, TASTE aside, does no one care about the health of such items? Does one care that you'd be better off eating the paste they gave us in second grade art class? The FN no longer cares about food, and it's really sad to see everyone who had even an iota of passion about food get kicked out into the cold, especially since they're doing it so Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee can meld into a two headed screeching neckl***beast and RULE THE WORLD.
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Mike - January 08 2008 @ 7:57 pm Is this a last ditch effort by Food Network to squeeze some final profits from A Cook's Tour before their rights expire? I hope so. I want those shows on DVD!
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Chad Toll - January 08 2008 @ 8:49 pm Tony, my family and I love your show. We just got back from Puerto Vallarta, they have a huge festival every December 1st thru the 12th. I think it would be a great spot to have a show. The people are amazing and the food is out of this world. We felt like we were in one of your episodes eating all of the exotic street food, and meeting the local people. What a experience check into it you wont be disappointed. Thank you, Chad
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GINA - January 08 2008 @ 9:00 pm Hey Tony, I personally think the food network is going downhill and they see how popular you are on the Travel Channel (btw, who are the fat F*'s called the Feasties Boys? Jesus, pls. but an apple in their mouths and serve them up on your next show! Is the Travel Channel lossing their mind??? to give those two %#@% heads a show??? wtf???) Anyway, back to you...love your show...got my 19 yr old daughter hooked on it also...I admire your honesty and boldness...it is fresh and new to the kiss#$%robots that are on television! Planning to purchase your T-Shirt, and DVD's of all the episodes...it is not just learning to trust the street food of cultures, but also, a learning experience for those of us who are not so fortunate to travel to all these great places..We all have one thing in common...we love food, we love the honesty put into it...and we all bleed red...I hate people who are put off by other cultures...we have so much to learn from everyone! Thank you for opening up my eyes which had blinders on for so many years to giving street food a chance and bringing so much enterainment to televsion...How how I hate the bull%$#@ that is on TV now...and I dispise realtiy TV...give me a frggin break! All the best to you and the Mrs...and to your new addtion..(baby girls are way better then boys!!!)...I'm sure you have melted into mush by now by your new buddle of joy!!! Much love and respect, always! Gina from New Rochelle, NY
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Gina - January 08 2008 @ 9:21 pm I had friends who were at your hotel in Hawaii at the same time; heard the weather was lousy. Who goes there for rain? I am anxious to hear your opinions about your new Travel Channel "collegues" as they are in heavy commercial rotation during your shows. At first I thought the remote had slipped and I was on TVFN. But I will wait to see the show to render judgement. And to the person above who kvetched that Tony always "likes" what he eats. Folks, he's nothing if not a gracious guest to the foreign hosts. THAT is what voiceovers are for. Didn't any of you just watch his time in Singapore? With the gold/wheelchair restaur-u? My husband had sent me a photo of that place when he was there last month; we had a good point and laugh session over the fact that he ate there! Viva l'anti-foam!
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Jessica "Su Good Sweets" - January 08 2008 @ 9:23 pm Hi Anthony, wow I hope I can write like you one day. Maybe the Food Network put you back on because they realize the errors of their ways. Maybe they figured out that all the competition shows are boring.
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Annonymous - January 08 2008 @ 10:26 pm Have a great New Year! I Love No Reservations and I LOVED A Cooks Tour!" I love you!!!!. from Argentina
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shasta - January 08 2008 @ 10:54 pm Dude, never thought I'd hear someone old guy talk the way I do. Now I get to see myself in 20 years 'cept I'm a chick, god help me if I look like you! I f*&!@ laugh out loud with you, thanks for the giggles, and for being (ugh) "down to earth" yet supremely eloquent, its a lost art.
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John Dittmer - January 08 2008 @ 11:26 pm Tony: You would think the TFN would have showed you some respect by updating your bio on their web site if they are going to put on your old show. It's at least two years out of date. Check it out before your new wife sees it and gets hurt. It's par for the TFN course, especially after the way they move Emiril to a bad slot and then cancelled him (much like NBC did with the original Star Trek.) Take care and keep rocking and cooking, bro!
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Lena - January 08 2008 @ 11:32 pm I can't believe I missed Monday's new show! I thought it was on Tuesday, but I guess not! Glad to have you back!!! Love the new book, I got it for Christmas and LOVE IT!!! LOVE YOU ANTHONY!!!!!!!!!
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Lewis - January 08 2008 @ 11:56 pm I just watch the show and I have to be honest...it is almost identical to his current show. I MEAN IDENTICAL... IMHO
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Antoinette - January 09 2008 @ 12:05 am I've discovered No Reservations. Just as when I discovered the Dog Whisperer, I am mesmerized. Top 5 reasons to watch No Reservations rather than the Dog Whisperer: 1. I love food more than dogs 2. I wish to see the progression of your tropical bloating disease as I think I am afflicted too 3. I am fascinated by what you will put into your mouth 4. I wish to travel to exotic locales vicariously through you 5. Cesar does not get bitten nearly enough to keep it fresh
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Nellie - January 09 2008 @ 4:20 am Tony, Some commenter remarked that they didn't like the fact that Diane made you ride horseback/traipse under waterfalls/etc., and that A Cook's Tour was entirely food oriented. I kind of need a palate cleanser, so to speak, between food shoots. Gives you time to write down "PHO INGREDIENTS -- MUST FIND NOW 4, ALSO FIND FRESH HOMEMADE NOODZ??" and, you know, cleanse the mind. It can't be all food all the time. Gets a little intense.
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Sue - January 09 2008 @ 10:05 am Personally, I am thrilled to see you on the Food Network and I will try to stay up or tape it, as I am a tv editor with a very busy schedule (not the food network thank god). I know we are in America, but let's be real, basically american food sucks and its just meat and potatoes with salt and pepper. I say "go Ethnic". I have a Rachael Ray Cookbook from 2003 and never opened it until just the other day. I got it as a gift. The other day, I opened it the hope that it would be a first Press addition and I could get some money for it on Ebay , but to my dismay,...13 press oh well. You are still the hottest guy on tv despite how you feel, although I do think you may be fishing for complements. All the best, Sue
179

Barbara James - January 09 2008 @ 2:35 pm Cockfights are funny? We eat the loser so nothing is wasted? I liked this show up until now, but I can't see watching it anymore :(
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Stella - January 09 2008 @ 4:25 pm I guess some people just don't listen, it was believed that these fights were staged for the purpose of entertainment and I'm sure that the loser would have tasted %#@! good, the winner would have tasted even better!!!Don't mean to sound so heartless but in some parts of the world it's called food no matter where it's been or what it's done. From a diehard Bourdain fan!!
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Katie - January 09 2008 @ 4:55 pm I love your show! We should probably get married.
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BP from SF, CA - January 09 2008 @ 5:00 pm You are to the FN what the Soprano's were to HBO....the gore, the blood, the guts, that everybody loves to watch and squirm. WTF is that "semi-homemade cookin" crap they have on now...it's not a wonder they are heading back to the ones that brought them to the party...Tony & Jamie...people who cook real food and live real lives. Love it...
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Marty - January 09 2008 @ 5:10 pm Tony, Longtime fan of your writing but relative newby to the show until this week when my DVR recorded something like every show you've done. I know it's a travel show not a "food" show, but I thought there'd be more emphasis on the food, and not, for example, on your gnarly feet. Still, entertaining. Love the blog(s). Let's do lunch. Marty
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Kathy - January 09 2008 @ 7:55 pm Tony, Kill me now, but I haven't seen 'A Cook's Tour' so I look forward to seeing you in your younger years. Wish I could roll back the film and shave a few years and wrinkles off my face. No worries, Chef. I'll remain a loyal fan regardless of what you do or how old you grow.
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George M. - January 09 2008 @ 9:12 pm I watched your Singapore show. I am no on the lookout for Mutton Bone Chilli Soup in Los Angeles. I'd like to bring Singaporean Hawker culture to Los Angeles. Thanks for the idea man. Great show.
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Amy Douglas - January 09 2008 @ 10:19 pm Dude....for real, I will hold my tongue like some twittering groupie madly in deep lust with all things Bourdain to say this first... UNLESS YOU SOLD YOUR RIGHTS TO THE COOKS TOUR SHOWS, YOU SHOULD GET A GOOD ATTORNEY AND SUE THEIR WONDER BREAD ADDICTED, ETHNOCENTRICALLY FRIGHTNED, OBESITY SUPPORTING A*&@!..... The only reason they are airing your series again, is cause they mourn "the one that got away." They know f*&^%!@ well, that your show on Travel Channel is kicking a*&@, and getting more viewers and that you're hot right now. I'd argue you've been hot for years, but now I'd say that you probably have minions of girls ready to rip your clothes off as if you were a Beattle. I for one, can't blame them, you're pretty sexy, in that Lou Reed way. I've always told people you were like the Lou Reed of Chefs. And maybe they're getting scared, that finally they might be coming to the realizations that by squeezing the very life out of what was a potent, cultural and enlightening channel into a mundane, American-focused, home chef-centric, boring lowbrow low common demoninator, was a mistake? It's not unlike what's happened to New York City, all it's original flavor has been sucked out by a syringe, to make it more accessible and amenable to tourism, and to Europeans and Japanese who want to buy up condos they'll never move into, driving up the rents, and making New York more like a typical American city each day. Food Network is screwing the pooch. While I still watch certain programs, while certain people still hold some attention for me, I no longer watch with bated breath. When they canceled the Too Hot Tamales, I got depressed. Chef Du Jour, Melting Pot, Iron Chef JAPAN, all the shows started to disappear. And of course, I loved A Cook's Tour. I had been dining at Les Halles (I live around the corner) for years. I have always been amused, and turned on by your sardonic, brutally honest and punk rock approach to the culinary world, I read your books, I have gone to Siberia hoping I'd see you s#@!&faced at the bar, and before I became a happily married woman, had lusty fantasies about you. I am a definite fan, like so many others. As a woman involved in rock and roll, it was nice to see a man of culture, and true appreciation for the global influence of food, culture, dive bars, real life, real NOO YAWK, LIFE. And I, am a born and bred New Yorker. I've never lived anywhere else, I may never live anywhere else (though my patience is getting tested). I read the article in the New York Times when they decided to bite the hand that fed them, cancelling Emeril Live. I can't believe that Emeril didn't tell them to go and f!@# themselves. I would have destroyed the contents of whatever board room that meeting was conducted in. And I'm sure you'd have made like Iggy Pop and just pulled down your pants, whipped it out and jerked off all over them (I don't think he went quite that far...but I know how you love Iggy, had to throw that in...and peanut butter body smearing wouldn't do the job, besides hopelessly ethno-fearing food networkites love peanut butter so that wouldn't have done it). But enough of that. THEY ARE USING YOU!!! DO NOT LET THOSE F$#!@FACES USE YOU!!! Use them! Go in there, and kick their a#@$%!!! Kill them!!! Become the one who searches, to destroy!!! peace, Amy D.
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Kelly - January 10 2008 @ 12:04 am Anthony, Call me crazy, but I'm a freakin' vegan and I love you and your show! Even though you're not very fond of people like me, your show is my favorite and I tune in every week. The Asia episodes are my favorite because I want to go there so bad! If you're ever so desperate (And I hope you're not, for your sake) that you need a pesky, annoying vegetarian "sidekick" to shake things up a little on the show, I'm your girl. Think about it.
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Nanook - January 10 2008 @ 1:03 am I can't imagine that you don't know the Feasty Boys are Paula Deen's brother and cousin, Bubba and Taymore. Please let Travel Channel know they have infiltrated and they will know right away where to send them. Nanook
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Linh Nguyen - January 10 2008 @ 3:12 am Hello Chef, That idea of yours of getting those tapes back and making DVD's is a great one. Talk about old, back in the day I'd tape "Cook's Tour" on my VHS recorder. I still have those copies but now haven't a player to view them.... %#@!, I should get my buddy to Tivo and burn me copies of the shows being re-aired!!!! Have to go. Linh -Not your Ha Noi fixer
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Alicia - January 10 2008 @ 3:20 am Mr. Bourdain, Quit the whining, relax and enjoy the free publicity, as someone has already commented. Some of us must have been in Venus or Mars when ACT first aired because we never saw it, so now it's our chance. Get over it. I have 2 jobs and a freelance gig, and what do I do every chance I have? I stay up to watch NR and ACT instead of taking advantage of 1 extra hour of sleep (I even watch re-runs. How sick am I? BTW: Cleveland, India -both of them- Lebanon, Mexican border, Paris, Montreal...all great TV, IMO). I LOVE your show, your books and your sense of humor. I hope to one day make it to Les Halles and love it as well, even if you're no longer cooking. To do what you do and still get paid for it....dang! You're my hero. I want to be like you when I grow up. Seriously, though, stay safe. Arianne needs her daddy. Alicia
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capn curmudgeon - January 10 2008 @ 12:25 pm Gee, ya don't suppose that the Emmy nomination for that unpleasantness in Beirut may have had something to do with Food Network running Cook's Tour again? That was some of the best travel journalism that I've seen in a long time. If living well is indeed the best revenge, then just keep doing what you're doing.
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Ro - January 10 2008 @ 12:46 pm I accidentally happened upon "A Cook's Tour" and enjoyed it. It would have been nice to find out the names of some of that stuff you ate, but whatever. It was fun to watch. BTW, I figure your stomache must be made of iron. Have you ever gotten ill from something bought off the street? I guess the hot sauce and beer kills all the bad stuff, huh? Looking forward to more "No Reservations" in the future.
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Rob - January 10 2008 @ 1:58 pm Like most, I was happy to see this blast from the past come back. Then I saw you in a sleeveless plaid shirt. Hahaha. I suggest recoubling your efforts to purchase those shows, if only to ensure that no one will ever have to see that again.
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Nicole - January 10 2008 @ 2:13 pm Tony, I love you!
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Killer - January 10 2008 @ 2:35 pm Well said Sonya Marie!!!!!!!!! If Bourdain read these comments he would probably be terrified by this bunch of nasty stalkers.
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Allison - January 10 2008 @ 2:35 pm Tony, You are AWESOME! Everyone's opinion seems mutual - we love you, and realize FN is simply using your old episodes because they realize they've lost a good thing, amidst their certain demise. But it's all the more Tony to watch! One might question how much of your feminine side you're willing to show - worrying so much about your looks...... Silly boy. May I just mention that your Vietnam episode was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. And it is noteworthy how much laughter came from the new Singapore episode. Laughter that was truly sincere, and not a rhetorical, sarcastic display towards the absurdness of others. It was nice to see you so happy. Now don't go thinking I don't laugh with you in the rhetorical moments - they are well deserved. :) Looking forward to spending a new season with you - been a long time coming! And thanx in the most grandiose way for the past ones.
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Lina - January 10 2008 @ 2:45 pm OK ANTHONY I LOVE UR FREAKING SHOW BUT I FIND VERY OFENSIVE THAT U WENT ALL OVER LATIN AMERICA AND DIDNT EVEN TRY TO GO TO COLOMBIA!!! COLOMBIAN IS PROBABLY TOGUETER WITH ARGENTINA THE MOST EXOTIC PLACE IN LATIN AMERICA AND WE HAVE SO MUCH CULTURE AND PLACES TO OFFER.. NOT TO MENTION ALL THE GOOD FOOD AND WOMEN! TEHRE THERE IS CARTAGENA( WHERE MANY MOVIES ARE INSPIRED FROM BECOUSE OF THE BEUTIFUL SCENARY AND EXOTIC FOOD), MEDELLIN, BOGOTA (CAPITAL),BARRANQUILLA ETC... MAYBE IF PEOPLE IN THE U.S.A QUIT TALIJG SO MUCH S#@!* ABOUT COLOMBIAN PEOPLE WE WOULD HAVE A CHANGE TO SHOW THE REAL US !!
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Pamela - January 10 2008 @ 3:44 pm Totally unrelated to Hawaii and nasty stalkers... Went to Prune the other night and had the most fabulous time. Thanks for the rec.
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Thomas Rowe - January 10 2008 @ 3:46 pm Mr. Bourdain, I enjoy your programs and consider Les Halles cookbook a classic. As the Beer Doctor, it warms my heart that you enjoy a good beer. Your comments about the Food Network are dead on. The dismissal of Emeril Live is insane. The Beer Doctor http://beerdoctor.wordpress.com
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Ressa - January 10 2008 @ 3:49 pm I got so excited you were on two channels at the same time, I fell off the bed!
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Donna - January 10 2008 @ 4:07 pm I love your show! Sorry I don't have something witty to say. Less is more..
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Shawnaree - January 10 2008 @ 4:58 pm Can un-authorized hotel sex tapes be far behind??? Come on Tony, I bet there are others besides Food Network execs. who have "embarrassing" tapes of you to collect ill gotten gains from. Just goes to show you should always keep the masters. However, I personally came late to the "Bourdain love-fest" and am looking forward to seeing the episodes. Just like pizza right? Even when its bad, it is still so very good!
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Jan L Wright - January 11 2008 @ 2:58 am Tony, I really look forward to your shows because you take me places I'll never get to go and you let me have a virtual experience of all the great things you do. I feel like we are so much alike I've advised my husband that if I had my choice of all the men in the world to be married to, I would choose you! At 80 years old, he wasn't too worried.
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Ian - January 11 2008 @ 3:41 am Tony, I have just recently started watching your shows. You are one weird cat, but I have nothing but the greatest respect for you, in that you are not afraid to try new things. You are able to completely cancel out your prejudices, hence no reservations, to show viewers what people eat regularly in different parts of the world. I have to be honest with you...there were stuff you ate that I wouldn't even touch, and I thought I was adventurous. I work in TV as well (a director) and I can tell you your geniune personality carries the show. It isn't scripted and although entertaining and definitely educational, it certainly isn't polished like some corporate product. In many ways, you taste in music reflects your show. Raw, unpolished, but very real. The Food Network has its purpose, but it seems like viewers are fed up with on-air products that gets treated with a coat of corporate sheen. It doesn't surprise me that FN is slipping in ratings. I still watch a few of their shows. But how many times can you look at Bobby Flay's blatant display of pompus attitude without wanting to kick his ass? But it's always entertaining watching older Rachel Ray shows and compare them to her new shows and see how much of her "New Yawker" accent has thickened. You have a geniune respect towards each country and its culture you visit, and your observation of each culture and country is better than any travelogue I have ever read. Please keep those episodes coming. It's one of the only few shows I can watch without picking it apart at the end of the day, when I had just spent 9 hours staring at a bunch of monitors of really bad TV (TV news, to be exact). Rock on!!
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Ian - January 11 2008 @ 3:41 am Tony, I have just recently started watching your shows. You are one weird cat, but I have nothing but the greatest respect for you, in that you are not afraid to try new things. You are able to completely cancel out your prejudices, hence no reservations, to show viewers what people eat regularly in different parts of the world. I have to be honest with you...there were stuff you ate that I wouldn't even touch, and I thought I was adventurous. I work in TV as well (a director) and I can tell you your geniune personality carries the show. It isn't scripted and although entertaining and definitely educational, it certainly isn't polished like some corporate product. In many ways, you taste in music reflects your show. Raw, unpolished, but very real. The Food Network has its purpose, but it seems like viewers are fed up with on-air products that gets treated with a coat of corporate sheen. It doesn't surprise me that FN is slipping in ratings. I still watch a few of their shows. But how many times can you look at Bobby Flay's blatant display of pompus attitude without wanting to kick his ass? But it's always entertaining watching older Rachel Ray shows and compare them to her new shows and see how much of her "New Yawker" accent has thickened. You have a geniune respect towards each country and its culture you visit, and your observation of each culture and country is better than any travelogue I have ever read. Please keep those episodes coming. It's one of the only few shows I can watch without picking it apart at the end of the day, when I had just spent 9 hours staring at a bunch of monitors of really bad TV (TV news, to be exact). Rock on!!
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Houston Press Subscriber - January 11 2008 @ 8:07 am Tony, you might be interested in the following Houston Press articles and the resulting comments: ANTHONY BOURDAIN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LABOR IN U.S. KITCHENS (12/19/07) http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2007/12/anthony_bourdain_on_illegal_im.php ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY (12/20/07) http://www.houstonpress.com/2007-12-20/news/illegal-immigrants-in-the-restaurant-industry/
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Annonymous - January 11 2008 @ 12:12 pm Tony, I'm THRILLED to see ACT coming back to the FN. When that show went off the FN, so did I, and happily I moved with you to the Travel Channel. As I departed, I sent them a blistering screed of an email, lambasting their new "direction" of brand management, and lamenting their abandonment of the "old guard" of actual chefs with actual cultural backgrounds. Tuschman's assertion is right (something I don't say very often); bringing this show back will expose new viewers to you and the cultures you visit. Of course, this is because your shows from 6-7 years ago are BETTER than anything the network's put out since then! (Come on, how many "cookie challenges" does one network need?) I disagree with you on one point, however. You call ACT your "first, stumbling, nascent attempts at making travel/food television". To me, that's what makes the show so appealing. It's what travel's all about! In my own travels, I've never been to foreign lands where I didn't already feel like a fish out of water. Glad to see you back on the FN.
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mike - January 11 2008 @ 4:22 pm A Cook's Tour is where I when I first became a fan and I'm thrilled it's back on so I can catch the episodes I never got to see the first time around. (Been looking for this on DVD forever). "Twenty percent more rasta" OMFG!!
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Terry - January 11 2008 @ 10:41 pm I love it when people diss Scrimps Howard (maybe because I work for one of their "holdings")
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Michael Motta - January 12 2008 @ 3:10 pm Tony, Despite your romance with travel network, you simply have got to host your own blog. Didn't you learn your lesson about the need to control your image and its usage?
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Drew - January 12 2008 @ 7:40 pm Hey Anthony, This is kind of beating a dead horse here, but I'd like to echo the affection of the previous posters. I find myself to be among the m%#@es on the great exodus from the Food Network, completely disillusioned by one too many "Food Network Challenge" programs where obscure pastry chefs try to make the most grotesque, gargantuan cakes and spun-sugar sculptures. Compelling television? I think not. I also agree with you about how shameful it is for the network to completely ostracize and exclude the chefs (that's right - Food Network used to feature CHEFs and people with ORIGINAL and CREATIVE ideas, like Anthony, on ALL of its shows!) that made it so huge in the first place. Notable, and I'm surprised you didn't quote it in your post, was Mario Batali's comment in the Times article that you reference. It mentions how Chef Batali hasn't had a new episode of his show "Molto Mario" on the Food Network since 2004. It also mentions that a new series he's doing (with starlet Gwyneth Paltrow) will be seen on PBS (still the one, true champion of good cooking shows) and not the Food Network. Mario had a great quote (which I paraphrase), saying that the Food Network was now "catering to the Wal-Mart crowd" and that it had no desire to retain hosts who "say multisyllabic words in foreign languages." I think that is a perfect description of what's going on - any imagination that went into the operation and shows of the Food Network has been completely removed in favor of marketability and lazy contest-style reality shows. Paula Deen and Rachael Ray are being spoon fed to us left and right, and have lost nearly all of their credibility. I also find it so refreshing to see that you got out with your dignity intact and that you have a show (and now a blog) where you need not be afraid to use large words or explore different cultures (without acting like a complete buffoon when trying to make chinese noodles like that jack%#@ on "Have Fork Will Travel") in a meaningful way. The posters are right - Food Network is putting you out there because your star continues to rise and they're trying to retain some of the (now microscopic amount of) respect that they have. Pay them little heed, save when you think of how things might have been had you stayed with them... and smile.
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Bob Bauer - January 13 2008 @ 4:01 pm Ha ha ha! You Kill me! I was rolling on the floor and could hardly look at the screen for over a minute at a time. Comments about the dumber than ever Food Network lineup are hilarious and oh so true! Food Network is paying for their inability to understand what food lovers and home cooks are looking for: great information about stuff we don't know presented in an entertaining way. Their collective corporate %#@umption that everyone tuning in is a completely clueless boob wanting to learn how to boil water for the first time or size up how Rachel Ray would be in bed has become a self fulfilling prophecy. It is clear that they would gladly become the bowling network if they believed that that would make an extra ratings point happen. The hysterical part for people like me is that the success of your Travel Channel show is a constant reminder to them of how they screwed up. Reviving your old series is a way for them to try to retrieve some 'cachet'. They know they are sinking and they are clutching at anything they can think of to stop the slide. Good work Tony, you are the voice of honesty in a sea of suck-ups and glad-handers!
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Dan - January 13 2008 @ 8:18 pm I just wanted to post that I think your show is the best thing on TV right now, and that I too am interested in ACT, just to see what the food network was like before they dumbed it down so much. I am also glad that you seem to like real beer, whereas most of these cooking shows would do much better without emphasizing the wine so much, as Garret Oliver said, "Sticking with just wine is like trying to play a symphony with 1/2 the instruments missing."
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Doris - January 13 2008 @ 11:40 pm I can't wait to see the Hawaii show. Please tell me that you went to Kauai or at least a more "Hawaiian" Island like Molokai or Lanai and ate chicken hecca (not sure how to spell it, just know that it's good.)
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Omar - January 14 2008 @ 6:50 am well after living on Oahu for a few years i think that you should not do an entire show in Waikiki because most of the popular local food are in the slums of the island so please make it a good show and stay away from the gay bar by the zoo,theres drunk trannys that !@#& with tourists oh and when buying %$#@ just say your kama aina(local) and you get money off anything
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suzywong - January 14 2008 @ 10:42 am Don't be such a Big Girl, Tone. You're on permanent rotation on Australian Travel and Living. Thank the Lord. Australian tv is a bag o'%$#@e, sometimes ACT is the only thing I watch all evening. My husband says I should get out more, or even get dressed and brush my hair some days. Keep up the good work.
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Gennarose - January 14 2008 @ 12:55 pm Boy, I can't wait to start watching the Food Network again without feeling a., guilty about my not-so-orange and multi-gadgeted kitchen, and b., that nagging nausea that typically accompanies over-produced, marthastewartesque programming. Plus, I'm halfway through "A Cook's Tour" and can't wait to see the "gonzo gastronome" in action (I can fly to Atlanta personally and rough up their Journal-Constitution folk for that one if you'd like). Your writing is fantastic.
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Jill - January 14 2008 @ 2:53 pm Tony, You're angry, smart, well traveled, well read and you can cook! Marry me.
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Wendy - January 14 2008 @ 4:36 pm Ah, don't worry 'bout it, Tone! You didn't look that much better in 2000-01 - No one will notice. ;-) Seriously, though, you know they're using you to prop up their crappy ratings. They should have manned up and hired you to come in overhaul the piece of %$#@e! You obviously proven with your books and shows that you know how to make food a lot more interesting to those of us who could care less about how much oil Rachel Ray puts in a pan. PS - Next time you buy a box of Ritz Crackers, do what my husband does and draw a moustache on that phoney, plastic, wind-up doll, twilight-zone puss of hers!
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Brian - January 14 2008 @ 4:57 pm Tony, I did notice the physical difference but who cares? The episode of ACT when you went to France and ate dried sausages on the beach with your brother is what made me a fan of your show in the first place. It also inspired me to travel more and make food the center piece of all those trips. I'm looking forward to the start of the new season tonight.
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florafaunafrenchfoodie - January 14 2008 @ 8:11 pm WHEW! THANK GOD there is something worth watching on that lame channel now that they took Molto Mario off. What happened to the FN? That station is going down hill so fast it makes George Bush's career look good.
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Ron DeRosa - January 14 2008 @ 8:49 pm Hi Tony, just want to say that I like No Reservations. One of the best show's in TV. My wife and I wacth every Monday, we like your humor and wit. Keep up the good work.
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Heather - January 15 2008 @ 1:37 am Tony, love you, love your shows! Happy to watch you wherever your shows air.
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Sarah Johnston - January 15 2008 @ 2:56 am It's definitely to get the No Reservations fans to come to Food Network. I have to say it worked in my case (as though I don't watch Food Network a lot anyway...); I was really excited to see you had a show on there (I'm a bit new). No Reservations has sort of spoiled me when it comes to a lot of Food Network's shows though; I don't think I can watch anyone walking around eating food without you narrating. :D Anyway, thanks for some wonderful television! Keep up the awesome work!
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sarah - January 15 2008 @ 12:21 pm Personally, I liked "A Cooks Tour" better than "No reservations," with the exception of the amazing "No reservations" special on Beirut. "No reservations" is too long (kind of like his blog entries), and I want to hear Tony talk about food - nothing else. After all, that's his speciality, right? Please don't bore me with extraneous bull%$#@ side trips I would never in a thousand years take if I were visiting that country or city. A Cooks Tour was fabulous. I was forced to go to Brazil on my honeymoon because my husband has a man crush on Tony and wanted to relive the Cooks Tour episodes from Rio and Salvador. In exchange I got spit on by a 7 year old to whom I wouldn't give a dollar, and I got molested by some horny Brazilian m%#@euse in a luxury resort outside of Salvador. Still, we had an amazing meal with Sorriso da Dadá from Salvador thanks to Tony, and we have amazing caiparinha-inspired drunken photos with her to prove it.
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Kathy - January 15 2008 @ 2:56 pm Even though you seem to be a rough around the edges bad boy (which only makes you sexier), I appreciate the fact that you are respectful to other cultures. I am from Peru and when I saw the episode when you were there eating at a Mercado next to a toothless woman who mumbles words the entire time; I was thankful for your kindness and respect. Yes FN needs you to look good!!! Please bring Ruhlman along more often. By the way I was watching NR the other day when you are with Jet Tila in L.A. Jet is explaining the Thai trinity, you repeated what Jet said and called keffir leaves "key lime leaves" I almost pee my pants! Jet said to me he didn't dare correct you!
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Anne-Marie - January 15 2008 @ 7:15 pm Anthony- You are my hero. I was diagnosed with systemic lupus 4 months ago. Cooking and travel are p%#@ions of mine and my life and diet has changed completely. Watching your "no reservations" has helped me through many a painful flare up, by joining the two and bringing them to me in your unique style. Thanks. If you ever visit New Mexico I would love to come to a book signing. Albuquerque Fan
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sarah - January 15 2008 @ 8:23 pm did you block my comment? Love ya Tony, but a little criticism never hurt anyone. I seriously have been e-mailing people to watch your Beirut special, but no more. I am turned off. Get over the Food Network thing. obviously you care or you wouldn't be so darn pissed! I'm moving on. PS, I used to be a vegetarian. HAH!
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Jill - January 15 2008 @ 9:55 pm Do you read these things Tony? And why does my Gnocchi suck? I've tried several times to carefully create it, and it turns out too heavy. Give me tip bro! jilly
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heather - January 16 2008 @ 8:38 am I was shocked to see ACT back on Food Network. You're too smart for their audience! But then I found out who Sandra Lee's (*hurl*) audience is. Over Christmas, my husband and I were talking to his mother, and we somehow got on the topic of Sandra Lee. As we started railing against her, my mother-in-law piped up, "I LOVE her!! She does my kind of cooking and all the cool decorating." Our chins hit the floor. I said, "You don't even cook that much!" But coming from the woman who has THIRTY tubs of Christmas decorations, I'm not that surprised.
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Bob Kincaid - January 16 2008 @ 2:18 pm Tony, The Food Network is clearly in a funk and a desperate one, at that. It's turned into what Gertrude Stein said about Oakland: "There's no there there." Seeing ACT back on FoodNetwork is kinda like walking into a Ramada Inn Lounge and seeing a sixty year old former member of, say, Poison Idea, playing Barry Manilow, and remembering "Hangover Heart Attack." Not you, Tony; the network. Truth is, The Food Network was fun once upon a time. You were its hip, punkish attitude. Those two old British ladies made you wonder where they'd hide your corpse after feeding you kidneys and rarified, clarified eel grease, Jamie Oliver beat the hell out of garlic with the side of a nice chef's knife, Alton Brown still looked like Thomas Dolby with a hand blender and Emeril talked about spices in terms of a "holy trinity" like Friar Lawrence getting ready for Romeo and Juliet's sit-down wedding reception. So don't sweat it, Tony. If you DO sweat, Rachel Ray's liable to douse you in "E-V-O-O, how cool is that" and try to plate you on some overcooked linguine.
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frankdawg81 - January 16 2008 @ 6:27 pm 1 question about the travel network: What the hell is up with this new show "The feces boys?" That looks like an idea stolen straight from the FN dumpster.
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Adelaide Martinez - January 17 2008 @ 10:33 pm Hello: Don't worry about the network or so called ratings you will be the next bachellor then I will compete cause you have a lot of admirers you're so Sexy!!!. Keep the good work educating workaholics that have money and no fun. ha!! Adie Bronx NYC
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eat my shorts - January 18 2008 @ 12:56 am Tony, You are the real deal, a sexy smoking chef that takes us around the world tasting exotic foods that would otherwise never be on our radar. As much as the Food Network has let us all down with no actual cooking shows with real chefs....thank God they regurgitated your show. The weenies at the food network might not 'get you' or have any idea what any of the educated money spending foodies want...but thank god there is something on the food network that we do want.......bon appetite Tony!
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Ann - January 18 2008 @ 2:42 pm Hi Tony, I also did a double take to see ACT on the Futz Network's lineup. Obviously they know your No Reservations show is doing big box office over at The Travel Channel and they're trying to cash in. That being said, I think FN is of the opinion with their celebuchefs that if one viewing of RR's "Yummo!" is good, then ten must be better: "And while we're at it, let's give her four other shows, since people obviously love her!" She wasn't that bad in the beginning and the concept of showing people how to cook good, healthy food in a half-hour is commendable. But when you see her five, six times a day, the E V O O bit wears a bit thin (to say the least). It was no different with Emeril, to tell the truth. His catchphrases got old fast. When you really think about it, is this really any different from what else p%#@es for entertainment these days? When Britney Spears' trials and tribulations are front page news, you gotta know something's deeply f*&^d up in the world. So I'm glad you're out there, doing your thing and doing it so well! Thanks for No Reservations!
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Wyndham - January 18 2008 @ 6:39 pm Hey Tony,you got to make a living, so it's all good, if your getting paid for cooks tour, that is. I thought the first time I saw No Rez a few years back, kinda neat, somebody hanging out where tourist fear to tread. I liked the Namibia show, that really shows how f##ked up we are when people are eating gourds and just getting by and 150 miles away is a city that could have been in Europe. You've got the guts to be able to see the crap and not go postal. Keep on going til the train runs out of tracks. glad to find this blog,hope you drop in often. Wyndham
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John S. Wolanin, Esq. - January 18 2008 @ 7:07 pm Shall I dare say that RR is an obnoxious, slight of stature pixie? Nah. O.K. I'll say this: %$#@ her show. To all my readers, AB, friends, is the Hunter S. Thompson of food - the real deal doctor rock "lob-star". Oh gosh, RR probably has a temporary butterfly tatoo under her tighty whities! Quick, get the kids away from that monitor! She may show her fat buttery E V...but I digress. As an ex-Clevelander who transplanted my %#@ to the Arizona desert in order to conserve body temperature and economic lifestyle, AB convinced me through one show, I'll call it the 'The Motorcycle Diary Show' (where he is cruising between the U.S.A. and Mexico) that one or two Travel Channel/Discovery/UFO - strike that, no UFOs - shows have true merit. Ah yes, I too sometimes barely remember the joints where I have attempted to scarf beer, gin and otherwise. Although nothing besides imprisonment in a gulag comes close to post-communisti-puke meals on the Eastern Front. (I think RR is a facsist)Now Poland, Hungary, CzechRep etc. are a gastronomic dream and a bargain for Euro standards, although England still loves to serve %$#@e on a plate and call it "fuuuud". But I digress... AB's visit to Mike Symon's Tremont neighborhood creation, Lola Restuarant (remember the Caxton Cafe on Huron?)are spot on ideas. Who would of "thunk" it to hook up with Markey Mark of the Ramones (RIP Dee Dee) and go to freakin' Cleveland? OOOOOH YEAAAAAAH! Knew Yourke know-it-all meets C-town's Beat Down Dog Pound's (10-6 and no play-offs, what da?) "I'll race your piece of crap down Canal Road, jump the burnin' river and beat you to the Harbor Inn, mutha-%$#@in' 'tude, dude. Oh, yeah: Eat my shorts (dust, snow, snirt, effluent) Ruhlman!" See ya! Transoniq Johnny - the bi-polar lawyer. O.K. but seriously - You gotta check out "Los Dos Melinos" in Mesa - %#@! that's some hot salsa. RR would not last as a desert rat - too much insulation -HAHAHAHAHAHA!
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Greg - January 19 2008 @ 9:28 am Tony, Working in the industry, it is a pleasure to see you providing the television viewer the fascinating world of culinary ventures. The food net work has become a shuttered and abandoned facility. Hiring personnel that do not have a clue as to the real workings of the food and beverage vocation. At work, employees call one performer the b t c and no it does not stand for bitch. For your next adventure may I recommend the Keys in Florida, sounds right up your alley.
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Petey - January 19 2008 @ 11:42 am We LOVE you Tony. Come visit the Great Northwest again and let us cook for you! Really!
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Laura Red - January 20 2008 @ 2:47 pm I was wondering what those snakes were up to, as they more than likely know full well how you feel about their "crop" of "talent". Maybe it's their way of trying make the unknowing public think "HEY! All those things Anthony said? He was kidding!! He doesn't mean it when he says those scornful things! Look! He's even on our station again! All is well..." Meanwhile, they have Mario Batali and Emeril tied up and gagged in the back room to stop them from teaching Paula Deen that 6 pounds of butter does not, in fact, need to go into scrambled eggs.
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Jamie - January 21 2008 @ 1:43 am I have to say that I love "A Cook's Tour" when it was on. That was how I was introduced to your style. I loved it then and still love it now. I have always felt that anyone trying to pretend that everything is super happy, doesn't drink (or at least too much on occasion), and have never had tobacco are either lying or on some serious drugs. I've always enjoyed watching you, a chef or at least previously a chef, be human. Cooking for the m%#@es is stressful. And no in the right mind goes home to their perfectly feng shui home to sip tea and pet the cat. It just doesn't happen. Oh, and as for Giana, never trust a skinny chef. Clearly they don't eat. Yeah, like the others say, your show was the coolest thing on that channel. Still is. I've given up watching FN since I can't stand Food Challenges. There are too many reasons to mention why it's just intolerable.
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Jamie - January 21 2008 @ 1:44 am I have to say that I love "A Cook's Tour" when it was on. That was how I was introduced to your style. I loved it then and still love it now. I have always felt that anyone trying to pretend that everything is super happy, doesn't drink (or at least too much on occasion), and have never had tobacco are either lying or on some serious drugs. I've always enjoyed watching you, a chef or at least previously a chef, be human. Cooking for the m%#@es is stressful. And no in the right mind goes home to their perfectly feng shui home to sip tea and pet the cat. It just doesn't happen. Oh, and as for Giana, never trust a skinny chef. Clearly they don't eat. Yeah, like the others say, your show was the coolest thing on that channel. Still is. I've given up watching FN since I can't stand Food Challenges. There are too many reasons to mention why it's just intolerable.
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Patricia - January 21 2008 @ 2:12 am Tony, Old young or just a whisper of your former self, you are still major hot. And hot with an attitude. Don't you know the effect that this bad boy thing has on us gals? I like you just as you are...
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SUE IN ATLANTA - January 21 2008 @ 9:48 pm I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE YOU WOULD BE BACK ON THE FOOD NETWORK AFTER YOUR CRACK ABOUT THEM IN YOUR NEWEST BOOK....PLUS ALL THOSE GREAT SANDRA LEE/RACHAEL RAY COMMENTS. NOW I'M NOT SURPRISED TO SEE THEY WILL BE SHOWING RE-RUNS. HOW LAME OF THEM.....I HATE BILL TUSCHMAN OR WHATEVER HIS NAME IS....
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jmmartin - January 22 2008 @ 3:19 pm Tony is the most sarcastic (bleep bastard) on tv but there is something about him that is not cutthroat - like groucho marks. I'm not into the cooking thing or high priced restaurants and the bam and the scam but this guy is entertaining and real. Smokes unashamedly and drinks likewise, will eat anything prepared for him on the table - pure entertainment.
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Bourbon Girl - January 22 2008 @ 4:11 pm This was hysterical. I've never laughed so hard - LOVED it. Tony, you're at your snarky best - keep on punching baby.
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Renee - January 22 2008 @ 6:21 pm Hi Tony, I'm always late to the party, oh well. I'm a native NY-er and foodie from way back. I even ate at Montana Eve back in the 80s when you were probably there! I've been a fan of yours since "Cook's Tour". When I saw it back on FN it was proof to me of the lack of new ideas they have going these days. They are pathetic. I can't believe that the suits don't realize what a mess Suzie and the Tusch have made of the network. It's a wonder they still have their jobs. It's poetic justice that they should be forced to pay homage to your greatness and face their ineptitude if only just to pay the rent. Too bad they're too blind and shallow to appreciate the irony. They seem to be totally oblivious to how they look to anyone with any amount of intelligence and integrity out there. After last season's "The Next Food Network Star" I realized how out of touch they are. I was calling that a total cluster%$#@ too! Talk about the EYES, did you see poor Amy Finley's eyes? After her five obligatory shows I'll bet she was HAPPY to get away from those bozos, lol. I wouldn't blame her! She had that look about her like she was going through the motions to spare her grandmother who they had tied up for ransom in the back room. What price fame, huh? And it was obvious they didn't want anything to do with her. Never mind that the internet was burning with love for her! Mario is right about the Wal-Mart thing. They're shooting themselves in the foot. I've been saying that for years. They are fixated on this "homegrown talent" thing but they're going way too low-brow. The cheeze whiz/18 year old male crowd is just not that interested in cooking, let's face it. FN insists on alienating their true audience and they're paying the price for it. I mean, Bravo has a huge hit with "Top Chef" - You'd think that would make them wake up that there is an upscale market out there for good culinary TV. But I doubt that they would even acknowledge that your success has anything to do with attracting that audience - Even as they rerun your Cook's Tour series to cash in on that success! I don't even give them enough credit to realize that. They are just so blind and beyond hope it's unbelievable. Unfortunately the public is getting cheated out of some good TV in the process. Hats off to you for being persistent and finding another niche. I was thrilled when I saw you were back on The Travel Channel! You have actually done the public a service, and I mean that! I'm not that optimistic that the FN will ever get a clue until they get rid of current management. I'm a jaded New Yorker, I don't foresee it happening any time soon. So unfortunately I can't end this on any hopeful note. But Tony, you ROCK!!!! And congrats on FINALLY kicking the habit!
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Stirling - January 24 2008 @ 6:17 pm Wow, Bourdain without cigs? That will take some getting used to, won't it? I'm sure your daughter will appreciate the sacrifice and having you around longer is a bonus to us all. Love NR and ACL, have from the first episode. Read all the books...you are the best! Safe travels to you and your crew.
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YXV - January 24 2008 @ 7:04 pm Let me just say that Tony ROCKS!!! no matter what show he is filming or what channel he is on. Personally, I like the Travel Channel and Discovery Channel way more than the Food Network. However, being a newly crowned Tony fan, I've not seen any ACT episodes so I am tuning to the FN to watch Tony's old episodes like the one this week where he went to Pueblo with his souz chef from Les Halles, which I might add that we did enjoyed and missed Tony filming there a day earlier last yr while in NYC. My girlfriend and I have not missed any of Tony's No Reservation episodes these past 3 seasons. Our favorite episodes were the two that Tony went to China. Having friends in Beijing and being there and around China multiple times, it was great to watch Tony enjoy all those great food in Beijing, Shanghai and Shangrila (Zhongdian). Sorry Tony, our sins will not forgiven just because we spun the biggest prayer wheel in world in Shangrila. Oh well, laissez lai fiare temp roller with great food, beer and more NO RESERVATIONS!!! Cheers, YXV
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Lisa - January 25 2008 @ 7:47 pm I'm glad FN is rerunning Cook's Tour.s'a a good show. I actually like it better than No Reservations because it was about food and travel and not silly skits. Sure, he is a more polished performer now, but there is too much filler in the new show. As for food net work stars being offended by Tony's comments....they must take themselves way too seriously.
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arleneskidoboop - January 26 2008 @ 2:10 am This isnt surprising at all that the food network would find a reason to bring you back to their network, with your pragmatic approach to travel and cuisine, and not to mention that your dead sexy, that doesnt hurt either... you should take more trips to maui, maybe i'll chance running into you
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Champagne & Meatloaf - January 26 2008 @ 2:28 am What? No more smoking? Maybe now you'll get fat. We can't believe someone who eats so much can be so skinny. I happen to love the Cook's Tour. I was stoked to see the marathon! Everything old is new again. :)
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Lyndsay - January 28 2008 @ 9:15 pm I went to your book signing at the NYC Union Square Barnes and Noble back in November and remember you mentioning the FN's decision to re-run A Cook's Tour episodes. You made your feelings towards the FN pretty clear, but I wasn't sure how you felt about the show itself. (Now I know!) Personally, A Cook's Tour is the show that first got me interested in you and your travels. While No Reservations is clearly the more superior travel show, A Cook's Tour is where it all started and when I became a fan. That's why I had you sign a copy of that book-- though I think I was too tongue-tied to say so at the time! Good luck with the current travels and I'm enjoying the new season already. Can't wait for more!
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Alyssa - January 30 2008 @ 2:08 pm I finally finished your blog - I had my chin resting on the desk with my face inches away from the monitor so I was able to read the microscopic font - and I have to admit that you're definitely sharp-tongued, my friend. Despite your slightly childish complaints and your endless ability to occasionally be the raving %#@hole, I have to admit that you're a pretty enjoyable face to watch on the Travel Channel. Sure, I think Andrew Zimmern has a bigger pair on his person than you do when it comes to trying ‘bizarre foods’, but I love how painstakingly descriptive you are when you’re narrating No Reservations. While my father sometimes says that you sound like a droning professor or something of the like, I think that your ‘irrelevant preaching’ on your show is something to be slowly enjoyed by the mind’s palate. Though sometimes, with you, the storyline of your foodstuff experience can be relative to eating a lozenge that refuses to dissolve in your mouth. And as for the whole Food Network problem that’s risen? Let it go. Though I'm sure A Cook's Tour is nothing you're really all that proud of, it's still a stepping-stone of your success. Who knows, maybe the guffawing audience watching ACT might be goaded into watching you on No Reservations, just to see why in the world you’re still being broadcasted on a different channel, and in the process of heartlessly dissecting your words and your telltale pungency, they’ll find themselves reclining back in their sofa cushions and actually shutting up with their criticism to actually watch your show. I continue to watch your show on the Travel Channel, along with Andrew Zimmern, and I’m always impressed with your poetic abilities you bring into your program. Keep it together, keep it strong, and for God’s sakes, do something about that flagpole jammed up your rear, eh?
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Erik - January 31 2008 @ 3:24 pm I've watched the food network off and on for a few years now. There is definitely something evil and sinister going on there. The shows, horrible. The food, sometimes worse. And what is with all the cake decorating crap? If, what you say is true, I feel sorry for "The Talent." It sounds like selling your soul to the devil or the new wave of indentured servitude. “The Talent” being chained to the grindstone of the Food Network and being ground down to a fine dust then blown to the wind when the network can’t get any more blood. That is truly horrible, for anyone. But beware Tony. I see the sinister creeping towards your network. Beware The Feasty Boys, Tony. Beware.
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Vincent Huang - February 03 2008 @ 1:26 am That's Loco Moco!
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Sue - February 07 2008 @ 5:27 pm Tony, you're too hard on yourself. Your public loves you. Look-- You don't go around promoting DD and saying things like holy-moly and calling things Deee-lish like when I was in high school in the 70's... no, it wasn't even cool then! One can %#@ume that Ms. Johnson was trying to say something intelligent and failed, and was trying to say something to attract attention. And your comments come across nearly venomous enough to attract Dr. Phil... or a real shrink.... but we love you anyhow. Bottom line is, too bad they messed up Hawaii for you!! I'd be angry. No quips about DeCarlo? I'd love an opinion, even though it won't change mine. I'm wondering why he isn't getting more FN promo. Bottom line is, regardless what you think of yourself or say about yourself, compared to Leg%#@e you ARE SEXY, well spoken, and entertaining, . And Deeee-lish sounds more pathological than your crack at Scripps for the shareholders.
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Monica - February 10 2008 @ 11:35 pm Tony, I really think the primary reason they decided to bring back ACT was because of your sucess with No Reservations. They obviously saw that they had missed out on something big when they didn't want you on their channel, which has now proved disastrous for them. If you don't make some money off those losers then you should kick some &%@. Oh yea and thanks for coming to Cleveland and wanting to put the O-h-i-o on the culinary map. I would invite you to Columbus but there's nothing here that's spectacular. I'm really enjoying the new season and am looking forward to many more. Tony, you rock my world.
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Megan - February 11 2008 @ 8:58 pm Keep smokin' and swearin'.
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Jackie - February 11 2008 @ 9:42 pm Since I am so busy it is hard to catch No Reservations. I try to keep up with the re runs. I'm waiting on the DVDs to come out. I would buy the whole collection.
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JULIE vesselle - February 12 2008 @ 3:20 am I am so bummed I didn't meet you before. I am almost exactly your age. We have so much in common it's sick. But what I really want to say is that I have lived on Maui for 14 years on and off, and I don't think you have explored the wonders of Hana On Maui the caves, river raftting, the amazing culture. Hiking up to Haleakala, the paniolo tradition, and it's food.I'm sure your audience would love to see you try kiteboarding!! I live in downtown NYC am a wardrobe designer for an off-Bway show, as well as a Bikram teacher. I've been to 20 countries, and if I had a video camera, I'd try out for your contest, but thats not really my style,(Even though I'm an X-model) Rage on Tony!!!! Julie Vesselle
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erin - February 12 2008 @ 5:26 pm I can't tell you how relived I am to read this blog. When I saw the commercials I thought another one had bitten the dust. Frankly I felt betrayed. Glad to hear you're still a proud member of the darkside.
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Sarah - February 13 2008 @ 1:31 am Tony- Quit putting yourself down, dear. I happen to think you are one of the most attractive men in the "entertainment"-and you'll probably kill me for that- business, and I'm young and impressionable. Ha! Impressionable my $#@. Anyway, they're just trying to make you look like $#@. Ignore it. Keep on keeping on, love, and don't look back. Love Lives Forever, Sarah. (insert chat symbol for love here) BTW the revenge you got on you know who for Uzbekistan was the funniest $#@ thing I've ever seen. Love ya, Tony.
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gary - February 16 2008 @ 4:31 am What's up Tony? I never could figure out why the hell the food network canceled your show in the first place. The show was the best and I was pissed off that they pulled it. If I want to know how to make a dish I'll read a cook book. It truly makes you wonder how these people at the top got their jobs. Anyway, it's great to see you back on the tube. You attempt to show people that the road less traveled is many times the road that we want to take but are to !#$@ scared to step out of our comfort zone. We end up missing so much. I think the best part of the show is that you are the real deal. If you are faking it then you are doing one hell of a job. I like the smoking and drinking and doing crazy !#$@Tony because that's what I do when I am on vacation. I have to admit though that I would have to draw the line when it came to eating the %#@ of the boar with the bushmen. I thought for sure you were going to lose it. That was a very cool stunt you did on that ATV. Did you use a stunt man? You're lucky you didn't break your neck. I'm outta here. Just wanted to let you know that your show is an oasis in an otherwise vast wasteland of !#$@ programming.One thing I would like to know is what was was the nastiest food you ever ate? My money is on either the boar's !#$@ or that nasty snot looking sludge you pulled out of that fruit one time.Take care and good luck in the future.
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CRaivios - February 20 2008 @ 10:31 pm I love Tony for many reasons. One of them is because he is an excellent writer. I was chagrined when Food Network revived A Cook's Tour. I watch them when I can. I especially enjoyed watching the show last night, the one where he goes back to France with his brother. It was sweet and a lovely episode. It was great to see it again, like the refrain of an old favorite song or a long lost friend.
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Shannon - February 21 2008 @ 4:57 pm Oh man, I can not WAIT to see you try and eat that hotel's pet Iguana again. That's some good stuf...
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McKenna - February 22 2008 @ 7:24 am I would just love to do some of my own cookin' with you Bourdain...I could eat you with a spoon..If sexy had a face..it would be yours. Do you give private lessons? (big grin) Jenna
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Luke Tripp - February 22 2008 @ 5:00 pm Great show, great personality. Your old show was also great, but honestly, you look alot healthier now. Seriously... It looked like you were a senseless alcoholic, starved and overworked or plainly just on crack... And your show was still great! Keep it up!
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x10 in Oahu, Hawaii - February 26 2008 @ 5:57 pm To Tony Bourdain: I am an avid fan of your work, writ-, film-, and palette-captured. And I must say that Food Network's re-airing of the old episodes of "A Cook's Tour" comes as no surprise, after all capitalism drives our country. I, for one, enjoyed the show in its first run, in all its dry-wit, sarcastic, bullet-dodging glory. Food Network had not yet seen a jaded-yet-curious, dodgy, borderline-alcoholic (and still has not) and it seems that the feeling was reciprocal: the dodgy alcoholic had not yet seen a stern-structured film capitalist venture bent on m%#@ appeal and production. (Or had he?) Still, your show did manage to capture the attention of a blossoming 19-year-old; albeit, I was thoroughly convinced that you were a homosexual. Not that there's anything wrong with homosexuality, my mind wrought with images of an earring-sporting, well-spoken, chain-smoking older gentleman reminiscent of say a beatnik Kerouac could not think otherwise. Since the emergence of your new show "No Reservations," it has become quite apparent that not only are you not gay, you have managed to escape the Food Network with bits of your soul still in tact. That being said, I urge you to embrace the Food Network's resurgence of "A Cook's Tour" for not only will it, as you said, boost book sales, you will find that your fan base will be much larger, equating to greater success (depending upon how you define that). And even if you find your new fans to be shallow, ill-informed, superficial, or even idolizing Tony Bourdain, sex object, is there anything wrong with that? And if in the event you suffer a nervous breakdown, your consciousness crushed by the burdens of fame and fortune, the re-airing of "A Cook's Tour" would, at the very least, prepare the doe-eyed public for such a fiasco and they would not be inclined to match your story to the likes of Britney Spears. I look forward to the airing of the Hawaii episode, congratulate you on your successes, and bid you good luck on future endeavors. Aloha!
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Mark Alan - February 27 2008 @ 12:02 am I remembered watching A Cook's Tour when it first aired on the Food Network and although the show is one of the better programs to have ever come out of the FN, it doesn't compare to the more polished "No Reservations". I appreciate seeing the "off the beaten path" locations away from the tourist traps, the sarcasm, the honesty, and witnessing all of the foods and drinks you have experienced. Next week your Hawaii episode is going to air and i'm curious to see what kind of adventures and tasty treats you've encountered. You see, I have a lot of love for my home away from home and I'm just hoping that you've left Hawaii with the same satisfaction as I do. For I don't fall into the tourist traps like most visitors do. Keep up the fantastic work and don't you ever run out of places to visit!
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Chris B - February 27 2008 @ 11:04 am I'm glad TFN put ACT back on. I really enjoy watching the old episodes, and even teared up during the one in Arcachon with your brother. Didn't remember seeing the one from Morocco, so I enjoyed that one last night too. We always make time for No Reservations and yes, the production quality is better but your body of work is wonderful. Stop slaggin' yourself!
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Jay - February 27 2008 @ 5:47 pm Comparing Guy Fieri to Poochie is perhaps the funniest (and true) thing I have ever read.
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zeep - March 03 2008 @ 11:55 pm The Curse of Ono indeed! :) Beautiful stuff man, keep it coming. Aloha!
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Chuck Kauric - March 04 2008 @ 12:17 am Hawaii show was great as were all of the other ones, especially the Lebanon show which had no cooking/eating. Liked the last segment which showed the Joe Sixpack take on the islands. Do more or that sort of thing, because most of us have no access to your selection of places to go/eat. Chuck
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june-baby - March 04 2008 @ 2:28 am Loved the Hawaii episode. Who knew Tony would like spam, of course it is made out of the Nasty Bits of a PIGGIE. It was nice to see some warm weather even though it was on TV, it is still a wee-bit nippy here in Minnesota.
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Xhante V. - March 04 2008 @ 3:03 am Tony?? What happened?? Why didn't anybody take you to the Ward Farmer's Market to try some opihi?? Man, I was waiting for that...Don't worry, you're still my hero! Did you re-sell that aloha shirt to Nicholas Cage? Aloha, Xhante V.
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Roberta Davis - March 04 2008 @ 10:17 am We watched the Hawaii episode last night (my husband and I). I was happy to see you made it to La Mariana and ate poke. Wasn't that stuff you referred to as "ceviche" also poke? There are many, many kinds of poke. Next time, visit the Tamashiro Market- also in the Kalihi area, and see them all. They are amazing. Even more amazing, there's almost as much variety at the locals' favorite grocery store, Foodland. Was that Cleveland t-shirt something by Harvey Pekar? We love your show because of your intellect and wit, and because we're foodies. You could get more in-depth by connecting with the locals ahead of time- but then, maybe we don't all want to give away our best secrets to just anyone who watches your show! And, most places want to keep the tourists in the tourist places, if you know what I mean. We don't want our favorite places crowded with gawking tourists. Thanks for being so genuine. Roberta and Al in Seattle
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Chesh - March 04 2008 @ 11:05 am The Hawaii episode was such a nice break: from the weather I am experiencing, from all the negativity surrounding last weeks show and from my previously held belief that Hawaii was nothing but a tourist trap. Unfortunatly you spent more on that shirt than I can afford for a vacation right now! Guess I'll just have to make due with some rum and SPAM.
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ChefJason - March 04 2008 @ 12:34 pm Tony, very cool to see you goto Side Street. I went there because we were told it was where the chefs went. Well, I didn't see any chefs (well they weren't wearing whites anyway) but I ate like a starving dog. That place rules. The pan fried pork ribs were killer. I want that steamed fish next time. You and me need to do a show together. I can definately hang 'partying' with you dude. did you get any 'Loco Moco'? that s*%#t is good, man.
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Bethany - March 04 2008 @ 6:06 pm Giovanni's SHRIMP TRUCK on the north eastern side of O'AHU is the only place to eat lunch. But nI am sure to go to La Mariana's the next time I am in town. Love the Show
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Jenn - March 05 2008 @ 12:08 pm AYI!!!!!! IM OLD AND WORKING TOO! Hi Tony, I am a 53 yo NICU nurse. Last uh maybe 20 yrs worked in the NICU. Yeah tough job.But in my youth I worked with kids and adults on the floors. Yikes! Lately our unit has been slow so I have been back on the floors. Sheesh!! Walking to long hall, finding the little guys (where are they? they should be in their beds?) Walking , walikng runnin, parents calling, children fighting who needs Meds? and its all over the place on these long big floors. Hmm that is a test if I still got it too. Gotta love em! SO Hope you do well. Make take its toll and you may need the hot tub later but you will see what your'e made of. Come to south Texas and cook for the hungry NICU nurses. We sure could use a better cook.. Jenn
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Laura - March 05 2008 @ 9:15 pm I love your show but I adored the hawaii one..that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I would love to move to hawaii. Anyways...I just love your show, it has brought out family together...my kids, 11, 14, and 17 love you. lol My youngest makes sure to record your show everytime it is on.
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HiGal - March 07 2008 @ 6:36 pm DID SAMANTHA BROWN PRODUCE YOUR HAWAII SHOW? WHAT THE HELL?!?!? Tony - I am a HUGE fan of your shows! I always look forward to the off-the-beaten-path gems you find and the cultural authenticity your shows usually strive for. But you guys totally blew Hawaii. I will bet dollars to donuts that your segment producer or whomever decided what you'd be doing in Hawaii was a Californian or a California transplant! The perspective was of an idealized Hawaii, not one with a true understanding of local culture. Hawaii is not Frankie Avalon and the Beachboys. When you started off by going to Bailey's for a loud 'Magnum PI' aloha shirt - I thought 'ooo, well, that’s not getting off to a good start, but we’ll stick around anyway' The loud aloha shirt is what A TOURIST would buy. If it's local you wanted, should have gone to Reyn’s, Manuheali’i or Tori Richard. Not Tommy Bahama, and certainly not old Magnum shirts. Ono’s was a good choice for an introduction to Hawaiian food, and the Side Street segment was what I hoped was the opening to establish direction of the rest of the show. Why didn’t you go to Alan Wong’s, 3660, or any of the other chefs’ eateries? Any one of those establishments would have shown you the AWESOMENESS that is HAWAII REGIONAL CUISINE. Which would have led you to the many local farms and other great restaurants and places that would have made for a side of Hawaii that most TOURISTS don’t get to see. Or choose to see. Regardless, it would have made for good TV. And what was up with that PUKA DOG segment? That was not only gross, but not a locally based cuisine. I was shocked. But the HRC chefs were kinda just blown off after the Side Street segment - those guys should have been your guides for the rest of the show. That whole ‘big wave’ surf concept is just some Mainland masturbation which emphasizes the bigger is better mentality. Most local surfers will tell you they surf for the love of it – not the seeking of the one, big m%#@ive wave a la “Point Break.” But just the everyday ability to go out, get a few good sets, and enjoy. And you went to the North Shore without going to Matsumoto’s for some shave ice w/azuki bean & ice cream? Mariani’s is a good choice for locals to take a visitor (is that place still open?), but again, for a TOURIST, not a local. And a cheezy LUAU, Tony? Come on! I was half-expecting Greg Brady and his tiki to do a walk-through! Painful! And was that Lanai and Augie in your Kalihi segment? With all their entertainment connections, you’re telling me none of those guys had access to someone with a really nice backyard? It looked like you set up shop in a driveway! BTW, you were in Kalihi and didn’t go to the Pastele Shop or Gulick’s? And there should have been a segment on Chinatown. Our Chinatown has a great collection of not only Chinese restaurants, but Vietnamese and Thai as well. Since you guys were on the Big Island, why didn’t you go to Merriman’s? Or stayed at Shipman house? Something with local ties. There are also ladies that make unusual mochi (stuffed with strawberries) and so many other great places to grind. I call ‘DO OVER.’ Tony, please come back and do us right. Here’s my problem: I’ve traveled a little and with that I’ve had the opportunity to dine at some nice places. Whether it’s French, Italian, New American – I can usually find a reference in local food. For example, a few weeks before Joel Robuchon opened in Vegas, we were able to snag a table– it was probably the best dining experience I’ve ever had. The presentation was exquisite, the flavors well balanced. But a few courses tasted ‘familiar’ – and after thinking on it for a few moments we determined the source. Granted, it was not an exact match, but a familiar aroma, a familiar flavor presented in a different context and it blew our minds. And all from the humble, local foods we grew up with. In spite of having been born and raised on a rock in the middle of the Pacific, I feel fortunate for the unique blending of cultures that is Hawaii. It's not all warm fuzzies, but there is an acceptance, an embracing of cultures that you don't see on the Mainland. It is this aspect that makes Hawaii special and your Hawaii show just didn't capture that. And on a related note, I know you like your Ramones, but if you love authentic hand-hewn folk music, you will love our Hawaiian slack key music. We lost one of our greats a few weeks ago, Raymond Kane, but there are many others who are perpetuating this art form. So Tony, I think you need to punish your segment producer by making him/her walk on hot coals or donning the coconut shell bra or something to that effect. Please re-do Hawaii!!
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Gary Rowbury - March 10 2008 @ 4:45 pm Hey Tony, In regards to the Food Network airing your old shows, maybe it has something to do with your new movie. How is Catherine Zeta-Jones by the way. That is your movie isn't it. Are you forming a sub culture or what?
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Bill Harlow - March 12 2008 @ 12:30 pm I have to say, when I saw the Food Network was putting your show back on the air, I wanted to e-mail you and see if you knew this was going on!! The food network is grasping at straws to stay on the air. How many theme cake competition shows can they show during the week? Great episode this week with heading back to Les Halles. I do think it was funny that it was creatively edited to not show the actual cooks working their stations, even though it was mentioned they were hand holding you =)
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jana - March 13 2008 @ 12:47 am i missed the hawaii episode,i wish travel channel will rerun it soon, your so cool tony
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Santa Cruz Momma - March 13 2008 @ 6:47 pm I agree Food Network has gone down hill since the days when Emeril really gave them the boost they needed. I still love Alton Brown though, nobody can match him. His Feasting on Asphalt series was brilliant in its simplicity. Thank goodness you haven't ridiculed him yet.
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Diane - March 18 2008 @ 1:15 am Hi Tony,I didn't know who to write this to or how to get it to you any other way.....I wrote to the travel channel a few wks. ago tittled....... No Resverations telling you that my mom wakes up saying no reservatins.... go's to sleep saying no reservations...has her gr-children saying it also... she even made up a meal and named it Tony Bourdain and when she heard that you were having a contest she just about lost it and she really did try to enter but,her video just wouldn't go through and she is just not one to give up....sooooooo she wants to know.....if you would put an extension on the dead line??????..... my mom said she would just have to mail you the SD card.....and she wants to know if you will ever do this again in the near future? she love's your show so much! She will never miss an episode! my mom is a young gr-ma and she is so very sad that she didn't get her video submitted in time... She just has never had a first never....meaning she has never been on a boat....never been on a plane...never been on a cruise...u get the pic... she even wants you to sign her ankle so she can get a tattoo........... (and no she's not a coo- -coo) she's just probably your biggest fan!!!!!.... Thank's,Amanda (her daughter)
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Diane - March 18 2008 @ 1:23 am Hi Tony,I didn't know who to write this to or how to get it to you any other way.I wrote to the travel channel a few wks. ago tittled. No Resverations telling you that my mom wakes up saying no reservatins. go's to sleep saying no reservations.has her gr-children saying it also. she even made up a meal and named it Tony Bourdain and when she heard that you were having a contest she just about lost it and she really did try to enter but,her video just wouldn't go through and she is just not one to give up.sooooooo she wants to know.if you would put an extension on the dead line??????. my mom said she would just have to mail you the SD card.and she wants to know if you will ever do this again in the near future? she love's your show so much! She will never miss an episode! my mom is a young gr-ma and she is so very sad that she didn't get her video submitted in time. She just has never had a first never.meaning she has never been on a boat.never been on a plane.never been on a cruise.u get the pic... she even wants you to sign her ankle so she can get a tattoo.. (and no she's not a coo- -coo) she's just probably your biggest fan!!!!.. Thank's,Amanda (her daughter)
290

Diane - March 18 2008 @ 1:24 am Hi Tony,I didn't know who to write this to or how to get it to you any other way.....I wrote to the travel channel a few wks. ago tittled....... No Resverations telling you that my mom wakes up saying no reservatins.... go's to sleep saying no reservations...has her gr-children saying it also... she even made up a meal and named it Tony Bourdain and when she heard that you were having a contest she just about lost it and she really did try to enter but,her video just wouldn't go through and she is just not one to give up....sooooooo she wants to know.....if you would put an extension on the dead line??????..... my mom said she would just have to mail you the SD card.....and she wants to know if you will ever do this again in the near future? she love's your show so much! She will never miss an episode! my mom is a young gr-ma and she is so very sad that she didn't get her video submitted in time... She just has never had a first never....meaning she has never been on a boat....never been on a plane...never been on a cruise...u get the pic... she even wants you to sign her ankle so she can get a tattoo........... (and no she's not a coo- -coo) she's just probably your biggest fan!!!!!.... Thank's,Amanda (her daughter)
291

Diane - March 18 2008 @ 1:26 am Hi Tony,I didn't know who to write this to or how to get it to you any other way.....I wrote to the travel channel a few wks. ago tittled....... No Resverations telling you that my mom wakes up saying no reservatins.... go's to sleep saying no reservations...has her gr-children saying it also... she even made up a meal and named it Tony Bourdain and when she heard that you were having a contest she just about lost it and she really did try to enter but,her video just wouldn't go through and she is just not one to give up....sooooooo she wants to know.....if you would put an extension on the dead line??????..... my mom said she would just have to mail you the SD card.....and she wants to know if you will ever do this again in the near future? she love's your show so much! She will never miss an episode! my mom is a young gr-ma and she is so very sad that she didn't get her video submitted in time... She just has never had a first never....meaning she has never been on a boat....never been on a plane...never been on a cruise...u get the pic... she even wants you to sign her ankle so she can get a tattoo........... (and no she's not a coo- -coo) she's just probably your biggest fan!!!!!.... Thank's,Amanda (her daughter)
292

Diane - March 18 2008 @ 1:29 am Hi Tony,why won't anything I write...go through? Love ya,Diane I'm trying!
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Laura - March 25 2008 @ 2:08 am You've got to be the funniest person Food Network has had on, well, maybe besides Tyler Florence and his ever-increasing waist. To be honest, I'm happy your old show is re-airing, mainly because I've got nothing better to watch at 2:00am. I'd much rather watch you, strictly for your aesthetic value, instead of that "Guy" who's currently stuffing his face with another greasy looking burger on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives... I think I'm going to be sick.
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viki b - March 25 2008 @ 9:54 pm Heh. I've seen so little FN lately that I didn't even realise Cook's Tour was back on until I ran across it a week or two ago. I definitely had a disoriented wtf moment. Poor, sad, FN's just desperately trying to bail out their schtuff. I guess all their girls with Joker smiles aren't cutting it for them, after all. My husband and I were just talking about the fact the FN seems to have gone the way of MTV. Remember when MusicTeleVision used to play actual music videos? I don't know where FN thinks they're going, but apparently they don't, either. It shows. I'll slow down past it if there is a Good Eats on that has some info I'm interested in learning, but I'm mostly annoyed by the rest of it, now. Too bad. It was a good channel once upon a time... I always look forward to new eps of NR. As someone who has received numerous warnings at workplaces regarding my own snarkiness (or "attitude problem," as they like to refer to it), I *seriously* enjoy the fact that the show isn't plastic or sterilised or fakey. I hope you keep up the blog. It's great to read about the behind-the-scenes bits, thoughts about your situations, and I even appreciate the uncensored language.
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yamal - March 31 2008 @ 3:02 pm Hello Tony....I'm your fan since I read Kitchen confidential while I was leaving at NYC. I`m chilean chef living in my country today. I`m searching about the chilean food and I have a restaurant at Stgo od Chile. If you come to Chile you will be very welcome to my kitchen and country of course. thanks for have this blog space to writte you, greetings & Good Luck
296

Beth - April 02 2008 @ 1:37 am Tony, I'm a weird married woman and I think you rock. I'd write a book about you and me. It would make you blush, blush and blush! -Beth
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Helen Cook - April 10 2008 @ 7:23 pm About the Hawaii show and the PUKA DOG segment.... Hot dogs inserted in an unsliced bun have been available on the Bahnhofstr&%$e in Zurich Switzerland since at least 1984 when we had them outside the St. Annahof department store. So, unless the PUKA DOG has been in business since before 1984 THEY DIDN'T invent the hot dog in the steamed bun...their steaming operation appeared to be identical to the one we bought from in 1984.
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Doug - April 11 2008 @ 12:10 am (Writen for another Blog) Just caught the "Hawaii" episode. TERRIBLE. Pathetic really when compared to the episodes around it, i.e. Hong Kong, Greece, etc. "Poi" !! Oh come on, for **** sake. We all know it's ****. "Puka Dog" (actually the one in Waikiki); as we all say "Puke Dog". They're terrible. Too much bread. Definitely not worth the 'premium' price. Uptown Fountain - which really should've been about Saimin - was all the SPAM joke/etc. Fine, but WAY too much segment. "Ono Hawaiian": just goes to show that there really ISN'T "Hawaiian Cuisine". "Side Street": yeah, the 'secret' that everyone knows. Didn't really 'feel' like the Side Street I eat at, and the Chops, Steak etc. didn't really come across rather than the (usual, duh) "all the chefs go here...". North Shore: obvious and too long. What was it really about? What about stopping for Shave Ice fer **** sake? Or maybe find a Shrimp Truck? "Paradise Cove" luau. Another obvious. At least they didn't fall for "Polynesian Culture Center"!! How'd they 'miss' the joke segment on "Loco Moco"? Or ANY Plate Lunch place? Chinatown? Any real good curry/noodle place? (Even Curry House would've worked). "Magoo's" Pizza truck parked down in Waikiki (since Magoos closed). Best Pizza. Basically apart from the pretty pathetic segment on the dude stranded in his B&B in Volcano National Park (Hawaii), the program should've been called "Oahu". Do they not have any researchers that could've found out about the new re-release of "Primo" beer now being brewed on Kauai?!!! Did this episode need some research/people that could've 'guided' Tony better. Even the 'old', tired, "La Mariana" got trotted out. What about stopping at Dole Cannery? Segment on the farming/demise on the islands. Nalo Farms greens? On and on ... 1. obviously I live on Oahu. 2. I like "No Reservations"
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San Hess - April 24 2008 @ 3:30 pm Aside from 'Good Eats', by Alton Brown, Iron Chef (related?) and perhaps others -depending on your personal morality- there really isn't much reason to watch FN anymore. The decline you pointed out there has been pretty obvious for months past, alas I never noticed it- as I deftly shoved it into the (sadly large) pigeonhole of 'bad programming'. My efforts regarding it remained mired at channel changing. However, you article clicked something. It's a pity viewing ratings can't be garnered from interactive TV menus, lovely lazy bastards we are. FN might get a lease on life. Food Network is grasping at straws now. Food Network has become largely superficial, focusing on the glamour, fashion, and personality of the Chefs (no offense, Bourdain) and not on appreciating what is truly grand in the world of food. Likewise, a pity that one of the best food 'appreciation' programs is now on the travel channel. Pity. All that's left now is to merge FN with MTV, seeing as they go together so well. Make of it what you will.
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to-hawaii - May 02 2008 @ 9:26 pm I was happy to see "A Cook's Tour" back.
301

Monique Figueira - May 07 2008 @ 10:40 am Hi, Anthony! I am brazilian, pretty much hate tv and love travelling. I got married to an american citizen and just moved here to the USA. I am kinda LOST in this culture that it's not mine and that - forgive me, no pejorative meaning - I don't want to be. One day I found out about "No Reservations" and, honestly, your shows make my days better! I need to see what's out there, that's what I've been doing since I got my first pay-check in life, and now I feel trapped in a place where people seems to care only about buying stuff and looking like movie stars. Your shows are a great easy scape. I love your sincere approach to stuff. I think everybody has the right of just not liking some places (not to mention when things feel like a conspiracy when you're travelling... sometimes you just don't like it, enough said). I hate shows where people are just trying to be nice at any cost, saying they loved to see some really stupid thing or something they have no idea of what it really means in that culture. I really wish I had sent a video to your show to travel with you, there's always so much I would like to say! But that period was exactly when I was moving here, I was really busy. Blablabla: to sum up, one of the simple things I try to follow in life is: "Wanna find happiness? Do what you like MOST in life. Done? Now find someone who gives you a pay-check for that!" How perfect is it? That's what I follow, that's what you seem to be doing. That's why I can't stop watching your shows. Congratulations! Don't worry about the old shows back in Food Network. It's not the Bourdain you want to be seen, but I bet they are still better than 99% of what's on TV nowadays. Sorry I wrote so much... Just keep in mind that what you do can mean a lot to some watchers!!! Monique
302

Jessica - May 12 2008 @ 1:03 am Love the show, your sense of humor and wit. Would love to hear you in person...Book signings? Ever in San Francisco?
303

Pete - May 24 2008 @ 6:04 pm You're right on the money Tony. I have watched the transition of the Food Network from when they had an actual repertoire of respectable and talented chefs of the culinary profession to mindless dribble like Ace of Crack. Emeril, love him or hate him, put that channel on the map. He should be revered like Joe Pa of Penn State, and can leave or stay on the show however long he wants on his own terms. Damn, I wanted those episodes of "A Cook's Tour" on DVD for some time now. Just to note, whatever happened to last year's winner of Next Food Network Star? She fell off the face of the earth or something. Keep it real with "No Reservations."
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joseph - May 31 2008 @ 12:35 am anthony bordain your show is the best thing on tv and we love you!!!!!!!! your greatest fans licata family south florida
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jecika - July 13 2008 @ 4:07 am I love to see the show, here what I seen that the sense of body fluid and brain was very nice to see. ____________ jeciak Addiction Recovery Hawaii
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jecika - July 13 2008 @ 5:59 am I am totally agreed with the topic that is showing in the above para. It is very interesting to see. _____________________ jecika http://www.addictionrecovery.net/hawaii
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mike paahana - July 20 2008 @ 9:35 pm Tony u da man i waych ur show when u was hawaii u should have come 2 my steak wagon an i would have give u 4 free
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Deb - August 03 2008 @ 11:04 am They are using ACT as a come-on and believe me, I going to watch, but nothing more. Executive greed at the Food Network apparently has no limit. Rachel Ray EVOO, Paula Dean Salad Dressing, Bobby Flay Cookware, give me a break! It seems they are more interested in running a souvenir shop. I craved the Food Network when you actually learned culinary technique and ethnic food appreciation from real talent. I began watching less and less at the end of last year and now I’m completely “clean” . There is nothing enticing about semi Sandra or wacky Rachel and I can’t take another cooking contest. What’s next for the Food Network, Jello wrestling? Thankfully, the Travel Channel knows a good thing in you and they respect their intelligent viewers.
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devid merry - August 22 2008 @ 6:12 pm HI I WANT TO KNOW MORE, DEVIDMERRY. HawaiiDrugAddiction
310

eduardo - August 25 2008 @ 9:49 pm dear(jonesing) tony-I was watching your show on the gustatory wonders of Spain this evening and noticed rather quickly that you were not smoking. My god I thought-have they edited out all his smoking interludes. I think he was smoking on Matchu Picchu during one show for chrissakes-I had fully expected that the pureed cuisine of the oncology ward would be the finale for your final season...I should mention that as I write this-i am 4 months smoke free-morosely gnawing on a wad of nicorette the size of a babies fist- My neighbors are sitting out by their chimenea drinking cheap zinfandel and chain smoking marlboro lights-Its all I can do to not wander outside and gargle down some of their syrupy vino and join them in a self esteem destroying smoke. But you my TV friend have given me hope and strength-Don't let that friggin monkey that even now is digging his yellowed nails into your back drag you back into that black and gooey tar pit-Smoking is a young man's sport- at our age( I'm lookin at 51)-its more and more about phlegm and COPD and less about all the good times that once were-be strong amigo-from all of us with monkeys clamoring to be fed -peaceout brutha
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Punahele - January 13 2009 @ 6:09 am
I am truly a big fan of your show. I recently had surgery on my shoulder so i had a long four month vacation to watch all your shows that i have missed. Being from hawaii i was excited to see where you went and what kind of food you had tried. I was very dissapointed to see that you stuck to mostly tourist spots and didn't really interact with much "Local" people. Watching your past shows i got the impression that you tried to avoid those kinds of places, and i guess now that i have read your blog. I see you really didn't have the true hawaii on your mind. Maybe one day you'll come back qand stay away from "Don the Beachcombers" and that hot dog place, and maybe visit a few more "Local" people who could show you alittle bit more of the culture that is hawaii. We may be a state, and there maybe alot of familiar things to you, but we are truley a world apart from the other 49 states. I look forward to more great shows and hope you give hawaii another look. Aloha
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Eli Button - January 19 2009 @ 10:17 pm
I just saw the Hawaii show again - a repeat but a goodie. First off, $3K for a frickin' SHIRT? WTF?!? You gotta be kidding me - that's outrageous! Did you sell it to Nicholas Cage for a profit? Second - that Hawaiian girl dancing at the bbq was HOT-HOT-HOT! Got her number? I need to call her to tell her that I've fallen in love.

Great job!
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Mason - January 22 2009 @ 4:11 am
MORE SANDRA LEE IS THE ANSWER!!!
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Eric - February 22 2009 @ 1:33 pm
Watching you in Hawaii was a big thrill for me; Expectations were high. Glad you liked Poi at Ono's Hawaiian food. Also liked when you went to Side Street Inn with all the chefs. Maybe hangin with the chefs 1 night was ok. A very important tip is to try more "local" eateries. What the hell is a Puka Dog? Being from Hawaii, I never had it and probably never will. "Locals" try to stay away from Waikiki. We search for.... strike that.... we Yearn for things like plate lunches that feels like it's over 5 pounds. We like putting Mayo in almost everything. Lunchwagons are a must!!! Eat at one before it all disappears. Calories? what the heck is that when you are in Hawaii. I am born and raised here and things are starting to dissapear. Like most of USA, Mom and Pop stores are going. There are some that still remain. I am married to a Japanese national and I guess I get the best of both worlds. When I go to Japan, the food is really, definatly delicious!!! I can actually show you small eateries in Hawaii and also in Japan. I know you heard that line before. Anyway, when you plan you next trip to Hawaii, try to eat more local foods. Hang in there, you will find the real Hawaii next time.
Aloha,
Eric
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Johnelle - July 31 2009 @ 8:19 am
Okay, Tony... So I know you've heard it a BAJILLION times, or 'uku billion by Hawai'i terms, but seriously?! I'm definitely a fan of your show and watching it, I feel like I get to know the true heartbeat of the people and places you visit. You often frequent shady places and eat on the street. I can show you that side of Hawai'i! :) Hawai'i has so so so much to offer, especially through its food. Trying to jumble up all the islands into a one hour episode is impossible. So if you ever wanna break it down, I'll treat you to all the bentos, poke, plate lunches, and artery-clogging delights galore! But otherwise... Keep up the good work. We love you regardless :)
316

travesti - August 13 2009 @ 1:02 pm
The series, featuring outspoken chef Anthony Bourdain, returns to Food Network with a Christmas Day Marathon, airing four back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, December 25th from 9-11pm ET/PT. The series will then join the primetime lineup in its new timeslot on Tuesday, January 8th at 10:30pm ET/PT. "Anthony Bourdain is a passionate foodie who has amazing stories to share as he takes viewers on a unique tour of our planet" said Tuschman.
317

lake wallenpaupack pa - August 14 2009 @ 12:37 am
hawaii is such a beautiful place. i would love to go here. i just love you story here.
318

medyum - August 21 2009 @ 6:37 pm
The series, featuring outspoken chef Anthony Bourdain, returns to Food Network with a Christmas Day Marathon, airing four back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, December 25th from 9-11pm ET/PT. The series will then join the primetime lineup in its new timeslot on Tuesday, January 8th at 10:30pm ET/PT.
319

prozac - September 06 2009 @ 12:11 pm
MAYBE it's part of some secret deal to keep her on the network ... some ultra hush-hush rider to her contract! I've been trying to buy those old shows back for ages - to make DVDs.
320

martine - September 07 2009 @ 8:26 pm
speaking of HAWAII...
Puka Dog, Tony?? Really?? I have eaten a lot of hot dogs in my life, and by far one of the worst was from Puka Dog.
I have been living in Oahu, HI for 2 years, originally from the San Francisco Bay (Oakland/Berkeley). I have been visiting Hawaii's beautiful islands my whole life, but am happily settled in Oahu. I have watched No Reservations a few times, and I have read Kitchen Confidential, and I have to say Tony, I love your writing and your perspective. So I would like to know: who the hell told you to go to Puka Dog?????

Please, please come back to the islands to experience the wonderful food you missed out on. Tom's Malasadas on the Big Island will change your life. Chiba-ken's "firecracker balls" in Waikiki will have you drooling. Fresh ahi poke, north shore shrimp trucks, sea urchin and squid- there's nothing better than seafood in Hawaii! And what is a trip to Hawaii without a taste of kava? You really missed out, man, and frankly, I am disappointed.
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oyun - September 12 2009 @ 6:58 pm
People want that today. Therefore, A Cook's Tour is back on the air. And you don't in any way look like you are deteriorating. You look handsome as always. This isn't about Rachael Ray; she's fading. It's about ratings, money, and viewers contribute to all that.
322

air compressor - October 27 2009 @ 5:19 am
People want that today. Therefore, A Cook's Tour is back on the air. And you don't in any way look like you are deteriorating.

Anthony Bourdain

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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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"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.

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