The Bourdain Experience, Part 1

Some queries have been coming in…yes, Anthony Bourdain and the No Reservations crew were in Southern AZ at the Titan Missile Museum.
While the release one signs says nothing about remaining silent, it seems only right to let the famous guy get the first take. I’ll post my take after the show airs.

Who knows what will end up on the show? But yes, there was drink involved. And yes, I was there, on the sidelines.

I will say it was very cool to meet him. I’ve read the books, I watch the show, and I was pretty much counting on him being a no-bullshit guy; one of the few people on the planet where what you see is what you get, on the page, on camera, in person. This was true.

In keeping with this authenticity, the show is very much candid videography, minimal set-ups, no do-overs. He shows up, the cameras roll, and that’s it—all kudos to the crew and film editing staff and Bourdain himself for making such great television—we can’t even guess at what the final version of this show will be.

What has made Kitchen Confidential and No Reservations the most successful of the books and shows, I believe, is the consistent tone of a master memoirist—and therefore sensualist—Bourdain. It is that openness of the senses that enables connection to the world and to the people in it; the ability to retain and communicate sensation makes a storyteller, a chef, an entertainer. What we love to read and watch is Bourdain the raconteur.

Bourdain is bold, Bourdain is blunt, Bourdain is charming. He’s a regular guy.

I'm grateful for the experience, no matter what ends up on television. I hope to make the cut, but I forgot to use my teacher voice. I learned a lot and got to entertain a small bit myself, had a great evening, lived the moment. Coolness!

What really prompted this post was Jay Friedman in the Seattlest. (seattlest.com/2008/06/09/appreciating_an.php) Jay thinks Bourdain should thank his fans for making him a success. I don’t think Bourdain has to fall over with gratitude to his fans. Like any traveler welcomed in the door, he pays for his supper by telling his story.

Bon appetit!