Anthony Bourdain

A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines
$14.99
I'm a huge Bourdain fan. Kitchen Confidential is one of my favorite books of all time. His initial foray into TV on the Food Network was ok at best. This book reveals some of why that was the case, giving insights into the tv production process here and there.

However, what I love about this book is that it has a soul and is revealing and emotional in ways that Food Network probably wasn't interested in. This book is much more akin to what No Reservations has become - a show about exploring food and foreign cultures and being open to learning and experiencing new things in the world.

This book is at times moving (the chapter in France - if you've lost a parent, you'll feel the same way) funny and always interesting. A great read, which I've returned to many times over the years.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - Collection 1
$24.99
I had ordered Collection 1 (DVD) but received collection 4. It was new and arrived quickly. I didn't bother sending it back, because I would have ordered collection 4 sooner or later anyway, so I can't advise on the ease of exchanging the dvd.

No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach
$34.95
You must get this book if you like Anthony Bourdain...and who doesn't? The book arrived quickly and in excellent condition. I enjoyed it immensely. You will too.

Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations Collection 2
$24.99
I've been a pretty big fan of Bourdain's food-centric travelogues since Food Network debuted the A Cook's Tour show and the accompanying book (A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines). From his auto-bio/expose on the restaurant business Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.), to his unrestricted palette of taste, through to his no nonsense style of writing food inspired crime fiction, Bourdain has cut an interesting niche in the foodie world. With No Reservations, he's left behind the insanity of the Food Network and taken his travels in search of good food and culture to the Travel Channel.

What I find interesting about this new show is the balance he's seemingly struck between his own tendencies and the requirements of filming a network driven travel show. On A Cook's tour it came across as butting heads with the network and producers resulting in a lackluster second season filled with excursions to ridiculous destinations like the Mall of America, content that felt forced and sad. No Reservations, though occasionally still succumbing to these depths, frees Bourdain up to getting to the heart of the matter which is examining true local culture and the food that sustains and elevates it. It combines the point of view of a 70s punk rebel with a soul searching existentialist, while also ditching most of the pretension and being generally entertaining TV which is pretty darn rare.

If you're looking for the insanity of A Cook's Tour (the swallowing of still beating cobra hearts, etc.) than you might be a bit disappointed, but if the first thought when entering a new city or country is locating a good genuine meal that speaks to the local culture than this is the show for you. It's not a how-to for finding the tourist traps of the world, but a how to avoid these and eat like a local. Highlights from this set include Quebec, Mexico/U.S. Border, both India episodes (Rajasthan & Kolkata/Bombay), Ghana, Namibia, Lebanon (really interesting sidetrack from the normal content in this one), and the Pacific Northwest.

There are currently 3 other seasons available: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - Collection 1, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - Collection 3, and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - Collection Four.