Talk:Anthony Bourdain

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Contents

[edit] Brasseie, not a Bistro

Les Halles is a classic French Brasserie, not a Bistro. This should be changed in the text.

"The term brasserie comes from brasseur, or brewer. Originally, these were France ’s answer to the British pub, serving up a similar fare of cheeses, stews, boiled items, cabbage, etc and specifically catering to the working man. Naturally, the rest of France loved the idea, but was appalled at the idea of quaffing a vintage Neuf-du-Pape with a side of sauerkraut, so the food became a little more chi-chi as a result.

The term bistro (according to urban myth) came about when the Russians swarmed Paris after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Smart (and hungry) Slavs that they were, they wisely decided to stay for a bite, and “bystro, bystro” (meaning quickly) was on everyone’s lips. The name came to mean that cheerful stop where gourmet fast food could be served and eaten, while still enjoying a bottle of the owner’s great-uncle’s special two-hundred-year-old Chablis." From http://www.kitsilanoview.ca/index.php?id=20,0,0,1,0,0

[edit] BIRTHPLACE!!!!

i am watching the episode of no reservations where he is in new jersey and it clearly states that he was born in jersey, not new york... needs to be changed

Watch carefully. He notes that he was born in New York, but raised in New Jersey. -- Kingfox 01:54, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bourdain in Beirut

I don't know whether this is really relevant enough to add to the article or not but apparently Bourdain was filming a new episode of No Reservations in Beirut when the conflict over there started. As of today the crew is still there, but safe, and looking to evacuate. --70.179.119.138 04:49, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

I think it's relevant. It's definitely significant. Zenpickle 01:51, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

Alright I'll add a little something though I'm fairly new at this so I welcome anyone to fix it up or add links as deemed necessary. Also I am not sure how to add citations on here but if anyone feels a source is necessary it can be found on the No Reservations message board at the Travel Channel website. I can link directly on here if its needed. --70.179.119.138 01:43, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

I recommend sourcing this section of the article, particularly considering the bit about "expressing regret at the situation the Lebanese people were in ...". A howto for footnoting / sourcing Wikipedia articles can be found here. -- Docether 14:19, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Abba? / drugs

Again, hate to make any changes to non-vandalism unless others agree, but I'm not really sure if the part about him disliking Abba is worth putting in here, especially since it has its own little paragraph. Also not sure it really needs a complete run down of every drug hes used. --70.179.119.138 22:20, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

If I recall correctly, "Kitchen Confidential" was fairly in-depth about the prevalence of drug use and abouse in the culinary industry, and Bourdain's been pretty unflinching about his own experiences with hard drugs. However, you have a good point -- perhaps we can clean this up by referring to "hard and soft drugs" rather than the laundry-list. ;) -- Docether 13:19, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
Re: Drug list: Don't know if this helped, but I looked up that passage in KC and qualified it in the article with year and location, so that should at least ameliorate some of the impression that he still does that stuff. It's a funny passage, though, so I think it's OK to stay in. Softlavender (talk) 00:28, 9 March 2008 (UTC)
I'm of the belief that the article focuses too strongly on his alleged drug use. Perhaps no surprise as this is Wikipedia. I'd argue that this is not at all notable as it is so common this field. I'm more surprised there is no listing of his restaurant experience.68.46.183.96 (talk) 01:54, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
What is notable is not him taking drugs but talking about it on his programme. Thanks, SqueakBox 01:58, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
There is a listing of his restaurant experience. If you'd like to expand it, feel free. Softlavender (talk) 01:38, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] His WHAT Has Appeared WHERE???

I am trying to translate this article into French, but I don't know what to make of one little part.

The second paragraph of this article includes this sentence: "His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Times, the Observer, Scotland on Sunday, the Face, Limb by Limb, Black Book, and the Independent, and he is a contributing authority for Food Arts magazine."

1. What does his "work" mean? His columns? His novels? His workS?

2. Has anybody checked the pages to which some of the words (e.g. Face, Black Book) link to? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I don't think "the Face" actually refers to the front of the head, nor can I see why Bourdain would ever publish anything in a book documenting anti-Jewish crimes (the Black Book). I am planning to get rid of such links (there are no Wikipedia articles to journals/periodicals of those names). Does anyone object to this, and if so, why?

3. Is there any source for the above-mentioned information? (I haven't checked the external links yet.)

--Kuaichik 22:59, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

His "work" means his writing. This is a pretty standard usage in English and I don't think it needs to be changed. (I'm not sure if you were suggesting that or just asking for clarification.) You are clearly right about the Face and Black Book links, but these are also the names of real publications. Their websites are facemag.com (which appears to be down at the moment) and blackbookmag.com. The links definitely need to go since there are no wikipedia articles for these magazines. Christopher M 15:55, 18 August 2006 (UTC)
I removed those links. Christopher M 20:03, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

Thank you so much, Christopher M! I wasn't sure whether "work" needed to be changed or not. Mainly, I was asking for clarification, because I wasn't sure how to translate "work" into French. (Somehow the words "Son travail a apparu..." seem like an odd translation of "His work has appeared..."!). I think I'll translate it as "ses oeuvres" (his workS), because it seems to convey the idea.

Now, if someone (maybe you?) could point me to the evidence supporting the previously mentioned quote, that would be really nice :) --Kuaichik 01:19, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, it's definitely "work" in the sense of "oeuvre" as opposed to "travail," but I guess it's just a usage difference between languages that requires it to be plural in this context in French. Anyway, as for the evidence, it's mentioned in what appears to be his standard blurb bio, which appears on a bunch of different (Googlable) sites, but for example here. More authoritatively, the copyright page of his book The Nasty Bits (a collection of essays, which I happen to own) says that "Most of these essays originally appeared...in" a list of publications that includes BlackBook and Face. (I'm too new to Wikipedia-editing to know what, if anything, should be changed in terms of citations, but there are the facts -- have at it!) Christopher M 21:20, 21 August 2006 (UTC)
Oh, I see...thank you very much once again! I'm fairly new here myself, but I don't think anything should be changed in terms of citations. The Nasty Bits is already listed as further reading...Anyway, I'll look into adding a sentence into the French article (which I created and edited singlehandedly :-P). --Kuaichik 23:13, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

By the way, I've implemented your changes to the French article now! (Your French, as I noted on that page, is pretty good!). --Kuaichik 04:05, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

I'm a little late, but I disagree with Christopher M about "work". The usage may be standard but in this context is needlessly confusing and should be qualified. Bourdain's "work" could be either his literary work (as we are supposing is the meaning here) or his culinary work (the dishes he prepares, the recipes he creates). The sentence should read, "His literary work has appeared in..." To assume that the reader understands this when the bulk of the article is about Bourdain's culinary career is absurd and incorrect. 12.22.250.4 20:50, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Executive or not?

What's the deal with Tony's current status?

The intro lists him as 'former executive chef of Brasserie Les Halles' while the Background says 'He is currently the executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles'

Should that first one really be 'former'? --Worm 13:17, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

His website (the link is on the bottom of the Wiki article) reads: "He is currently the executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles and lives in Manhattan." ~ AV


Yeah, but he is not anymore the Ex. Chef. I ate there last year, he stops by now and again, they sell his books, but he doesn't spend time in the kitchen. BTW...Les Halles is a great place for breakfast...they make everything fresh, have wireless internet (really) and coffee from French style personal push-through coffee pots. He spends 10 months a year traveling doing his show, writing, etc.

69.181.173.36 02:12, 13 March 2007 (UTC)David Walters

He is the Corporate Executive Chef of Les Halles. Les Halles is a chain of French brasserie restaurants, it is not ONE restaurant, as such he is the Corporate Executive Chef, which means he has say over all of the restaurants, not just one. Much in the same vein as someone like Bobby Flay, Emeril, Todd English, Charlie Palmer all have multiple restaurants, but each location has its own Executive Chef and they are the Executive Chef's of their companies. These people just as Anthony Bourdain do not sit in the kitchen each day as they must manage not only their restaurants, but publishing, travel for tv shows and other purposes to their careers.--Christopher Tanner, CCC 03:52, 2 May 2007 (UTC)
BTW he is no longer the Corporate Executive Chef of Les Halles. Carlos Llaguno is listed as such on the web site. This being said should we remove Les Halles as his 'current restaurant' since apparently his only current role there is for them to sell his books? harlock_jds (talk) 17:07, 22 May 2008 (UTC)
No, because he's currently Chef-at-Large of Les Halles, and that is accurately sourced information. Softlavender (talk) 01:44, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] New Yorker Article

There's no mention that it was the 1999 New Yorker article "Don't Eat Before Reading this" that lead to the book deal for Kitchen Confidential. This is mentioned at the bottom of his Interview with Dave Weich of Powells . mentioned elsewhere too like the top of this article. Linnah 16:29, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Can you find the link to that article? Or at the exact date when it was printed? — Shinhan < talk > 12:29, 20 July 2007 (UTC)
I agree, it's pivotal for his career. The New Yorker let's their writers write with little editing and no limit on number of words. This article really launched Tony's career even though he had written for other magazines previously. It was this long essay that provided the frame work for "Kitchen Confidential". I don't have time but you can look through the The New Yorker web site to find this essay.

69.181.173.36 17:08, 20 August 2007 (UTC)DavidMIA David Walters

It's not available online, only on the DVDs of The Complete New Yorker, for sale for $40. Bourdain says it was watered down considerably by the editors, unlike the later unexpurgated version in Kitchen Confidential. Softlavender (talk) 09:57, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Worst Meal

Check reference 7, this was his most recent interview. They ask him, verbatim, "What is the worst meal you've ever had?" He responds: "Fermented Shark in Iceland." Then, he also mentions the rectum. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.228.113.62 (talk) 05:05, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

this should be added in the article along side the chicken nugget and rectum (as all have been mentioned as his 'worse meal'. I'll try and get it in (or someone else can)harlock_jds (talk) 15:54, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't think this is verifiable in way that would meet Wikipedia standards, but I would like to add that on June 8, 2008, at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Wa., Anthony said that the Scallops with Butterscotch dish he was served in the S04E11 episode of Top Chef was one of the absolute worst things he had ever eaten. He described it:"Like felching Mrs. Buttersworth." That's a direct quote. Just thought I would at share it here, if not in the main article. (you'll have to look up the definition of felching for yourself.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.168.76.200 (talk) 09:13, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] I separated stuff into sections

Because the article was getting way too unwieldy. Softlavender (talk) 00:03, 9 April 2008 (UTC)