BootsnAll Travel Community

I guess this post isn't solely for the food and travel topic, but I found this program incredibly interesting!

I love watching both Andrew Zimmerman's Bizarre Foods travel show on the Travel Channel as well as Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" show (as I bet many people who love this topic would as well!).

I was so very surprised the way this show turned out. It would have been very easy to completely ditch the idea of even producing the show after such riots and war broke out within the day of the cast and crew setting up shop in Lebanon. I was very excited at first because I love Lebanese food. His reactions to the situation and the people he encountered was very real and fascinating without any sugarcoating at all. I found his experience on the refuge ship (especially his usual food critique of the tuna-noodle-casserole and the marines) compelling.

Did anyone else see this show? What did you think? Does anyone else watch these travel/foodie shows as well?

I saw it and also thought it was very good. The fact that it was unplanned and real made it interesting.

I love No Reservations in general and the Beruit show was really interesting. A different perspective than any you got through the media, at least in the US. Bizarre Foods I can take or leave, but leave more often than not. No Reservations makes me want to go to the places AB visits (except maybe Cleveland); Bizarre Foods seems a bit contrived to me.

I really love Anthony Bourdain and No reservations. I have seen the Beirut show a few times actually, and I like how they tried to continue producing a show. One thing that bothers me about AB is his constant attacks on Rachael Ray!! He simply needs to get over it, RR is great in her own right, and AB seems to be just jealous.

quote:

Originally posted by Violet156:
I really love Anthony Bourdain and No reservations. I have seen the Beirut show a few times actually, and I like how they tried to continue producing a show. One thing that bothers me about AB is his constant attacks on Rachael Ray!! He simply needs to get over it, RR is great in her own right, and AB seems to be just jealous.

It seems to me that RR is just the antithesis of AB personally, culturally, culinarily (is that a word?), more than jealousy. Which doesn't make her a bad person, but I find AB a lot more interesting and entertaining. On the other hand, I read the other day that RR was one of the top ten earners in the entertainment industry last year - something like $16M!!! So maybe there is a bit of jealousy involved.

AB in Beirut was hot. Honestly the best behind the scenes show ever.

AB and RR are somewhat the same, if you break it down, AB ends up loving the dives, that happen to be cheap, RR hunts down the cheap places, the happen not to be dives or cheap, lol. The sameness part is that they both do travel, food and have fans. I rather have an 8" cook knife strapped to me than 4 receipts saying I went a day without going over $40 though.

I like Bourdain and watch his show all the time- and I never have seen the Beirut episode. Do they rerun it? I have seen the Mexico episode on probably 7 times and just about every other episode the same amount. Is it just bad timing that I have not seen it, or is the Travel Channel shelving that episode? Why do I see the Mexican episode all the time but not the Beirut one?

BTW I find he Rachel Ray attacks humorous. I am a chef and she does not have skills. Just about every chef despises Rachel Ray. There is no avoiding her- billboards, cereal boxes, commercials, etc. I am down on the whole food network. Emeril and Mario have skills- that is about it. PBS has the best cooking shows- where the emphasis is cooking, not trying to create a brand.

RR's ideal of a delicious meal is loading something with cheese.

I have not seen this Beirut episode.

Love Bourdain, the crankier the better. I've been tivoing his show forever and I still haven't caught the Beirut episode. Hopefully someday. The RR attacks are funny, and I bet if asked, AB would admit part of it is jealousy that she is so ridiculously rich and famous.

My favorite quotes...AB is walking by a goose that is hissing at him: "f*** you. I'll feed you till your liver blows up. And then I'll eat you."

Also from his book Kitchen Confidential: "Too lazy to peel fresh? You don't deserve to eat garlic."

I saw it. And I loved the fact that they continued to do the show. How so very...real.

Never heard any RR digs, but he cracks me up.

Anyone seen the one where he's on a mountain about to ski (not sure where exactly) and he lights a cigarette and falls over? Hilarious.