Bourdain, Ray & Lee – Together Again

By Karen

Scripps Networks Interactive, owner of Anthony Bourdain’s first cruel TV master, the Food Network, bought a 65% controlling interest in the Travel Channel for $181 million, bringing Tony back into the fold. I hope all the FN butts of his jokes are kind to him.

Scripps also plans to launch a Cooking Channel, which Bourdain mocked in “Robo Chef,” the first episode of his Alternate Universe Web series.

Last week, Winnipeg Bob withheld one New York City photo from us. He snapped Tony on the wall of Katz’s Deli. Unfortunately, this was as close as they got.

(Photo - Winnipeg Bob)

On November 18, Bourdain is appearing in Denver, and Tony’s Market there is running a 50-word essay contest. The winner gets to make dinner for Bourdain meet him face-to-face.

Confirming the opinion of Cats Working’s Finnish reader, Fanfromfaraway, here’s a bit about how Bourdain wows ‘em in Helsinki.

Domestica saw Tony in Des Moines on November 5, and her husband thinks Bourdain’s a misogynist. Could it be all those Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee, and Alice Waters digs? Domestica also has something interesting to say about Andrew Zimmern.

The Michigan Daily caught up with Tony before his appearance in Ann Arbor on November 7 and had him suggest a resolution to the Pakistan/Afghanistan problem (it involves Chicken McNuggets) and name his favorite album (The Stooges’ Fun House).

Tubefilter considers Bourdain’s writing in Kitchen Confidential and Alternate Universe “overseasoned.” If it is, I like whatever spice Tony’s using.

January 14-18, 2010, marks the 3^rd annual (Grand) Cayman Cookout. Tony will be there, hosting a beachside BBQ at Calico Jacks, which Eric Ripert calls, “the best dive bar in the world.” Seems fitting.

And of course, Cats Working readers Morgan and Cindy and yours truly are having our own brush with Bourdain on November 11 when he co-hosts the Capital Food Fight in Washington, DC. Stay tuned…

Zenyatta Beats the Equine Rodney Dangerfield

By Adele

Since winning the Kentucky Derby as a 50-1 long shot, Mine That Bird hasn’t caught a break. Having Zenyatta sail past him in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic yesterday with another one of his jockeys on her back must have been the icing on the cake.

Zenyatta is No. 4 in yellow (Photo - Jae C. Hong/AP, NY Times)

Zenyatta, running on her home track at Santa Anita, was racing against boys for the first time — some of the best male horses in the world, including Mine and his brother, Belmont winner Summer Bird.

It was the longest race (1 ¼ miles) Zenyatta’s ever run, too. Her jockey was Mike Smith, who rode Mine in the Preakness when his Derby jockey, Calvin Borel, abandoned him to ride Rachel Alexandra, who beat him and crushed his Triple Crown dreams.

Walking to the gate, Mine was a dignified pro, but Zenyatta was, as usual, prancing and pawing for the crowd. Then she turned diva when they tried to load her.

But that was nothing compared to the fit Quality Road threw. He refused to be loaded, so they blindfolded him, which only made him madder. He scratched his legs bucking, so they scratched him from the race.

The scene rattled everybody, so the horses were all backed out, dismounted, and reloaded. The change in routine seemed to throw Zenyatta, and she was slow out of the gate, trailing the field with Mine, who probably experienced dreadful déjà vu when he saw his jockey riding Zenyatta.

With every other horse in front of her, Zenyatta regained her sense of purpose and flew in the final stretch to pass the lead horse, Gio Ponti, and win the race. The first female to win in its 26-year history. Her 14^th straight victory, keeping her undefeated.

Summer Bird came in 4^th. Mine That Bird came in 9^th.

Watch the race.

Maybe Mine never intended to win, but to show Calvin Borel what happens to fair-weather jockeys.

They’re saying Zenyatta will probably retire. She’ll never race Rachel Alexandra, who skipped the Breeders’. But that’s probably for the best. One of them would have to lose.

They’re also saying Zenyatta deserves to be Horse of the Year. I don’t go that far. Rachel beat the boys 3 times this year to Zenyatta’s one. If anything, they should share the honor.

Cats to Humans: Keep H1N1 to Yourselves

By Yul

Enough with this Bourdain guy. We’ve got a serious issue to discuss. A cat caught H1N1 from his owners.

The family in Iowa wishes to remain anonymous, so the cat is unnamed, but he’s a 16-pound orange tabby who’s described as “large-framed but not chubby.” He’s an only pet and never goes outside.

After three of his four humans had flu-like symptoms, the normally friendly cat stopped eating, drinking, and grooming, threw up, and assumed the meatloaf position.

Clearly, he was feeling BAD.

When the American Veterinary Medical Association reported this illness, they ended with, “To date, there is no evidence that the cat passed the virus to any people.”

WTF?

The vet who treated the cat said the only way he could have caught H1N1 was from his peeps bringing the virus to him.

Why do people always try to lay the blame on the animals?

Two pet ferrets in Oregon and Nebraska also caught H1N1, and they both died. Animal expert Steve Dale says ferrets are apparently susceptible to human flu in general.

Don’t get me wrong. Cats love humans, but we must draw a line at sharing your diseases.

• If you’re sick, don’t cough or sneeze on us.
• Wash your hands before petting us. If you leave germs on our fur, someone else pick them up, catches the flu, and we take the rap.
• Wash our bowls daily in hot, soapy water, and keep your paws off our food. Use utensils. You’ve got thumbs.
• Keep our fresh water coming, and don’t drink or wash your hands in it.

I’m happy to report that the Iowa cat didn’t become a statistic. He recovered with fluids and antibiotics and is back in his window watching squirrels.

Into the Belly of the Beast (Part 3)

By Winnipeg Bob

Now that you’re on the edge of your seat, drooling, I’ll finish my tale…

During dinner, we were chatting with two ladies, a native New Yorker and her friend from Texas, about the differences in Canadian and U.S. heathcare when waiter Tim tapped my shoulder and pointed to a figure leaning tiredly against the kitchen door.

Carlos.

I asked Tim if Carlos was indeed a ball-buster in the kitchen. Tim kinda dodged the question, saying only that Carlos had been pretty grumpy lately.

Just by looking at Carlos, I could tell he was beat, occasionally wiping a bead of sweat or stray hair from his face as he observed the dining room.

“Damn!” I thought. I’d hoped maybe to meet the man conducting the culinary orchestra that had produced my meal, but I returned to my conversation with the Americans, who were intrigued by Canada’s “free” healthcare, explaining that we are taxed accordingly, but otherwise quite happy with our universal system.

Then Tim tapped me again with a grin, and announced we were all invited back to the kitchen to talk to the chef briefly about our meals, and cameras were welcome.

The ladies declined, but Darlene agreed to accompany me “into the belly of the beast.”

What struck me immediately was how tiny the kitchen is. It looks like a ballroom on TV. When Tony said you have to be light on your feet not to disturb anyone, he wasn’t kidding.

As we watched the proud Mexican crew at work, Carlos seemed to pop out of nowhere, but he was probably standing right there.

I was so excited, my memory here may be fuzzy, but I remember Carlos asking what we ordered and how it was. I babbled that everything was exactly as ordered and excellent!

Then I asked about Tony and how he did filming “Into the Fire.” I’m sure I used the words ball-buster and slacker.

Carlos kinda shrugged and said, yes, he was hard on Tony that night because Tony was out of practice and slow to get up to speed.

I then asked if he kicks Tony’s ass when he shows up at the restaurant from time to time. Like Tim, Carlos replied sort of tiredly that Tony never really comes around anymore, he’s too busy for the place.

I’m sure Carlos harbored no ill will, but was merely reflecting on the life Tony now leads.

And maybe, just maybe, the staff of Les Halles gets a little tired of customers asking about Bourdain when he hasn’t worked there for nearly a decade.

Shaking Carlos’ hand, I asked if I could have a picture. Tim grabbed a server and grouped the four of us for this shot I’ll always treasure.

(L-R) Waiter Tim, Winnipeg Bob, girlfriend Darlene, Chef Carlos in the kitchen at Les Halles

My overall impression of Les Halles was as it should be. It’s all about giving its patrons an enjoyable evening. Is it Anthony Bourdain’s hangout? NO. But it never was. It was his employer when he happened to get famous.

Does Les Halles benefit from Bourdain? I have no doubt the association, however stale, attracts some wide-eyed travelers like ourselves. But at the end of the day, it’s the great food prepared by Carlos and his crew, and the friendly, attentive service of Tim and the rest of the waitstaff, that will bring you back though these warm, welcoming doors.

(All Photos - Winnipeg Bob)

Into the Belly of the Beast (Part 2)

By Winnipeg Bob

Bob’s Disclaimer: Fans of Cats Working, Bourdainiacs, Tim, Carlos, the staff at Les Halles, and Mr. Bourdain, I’m writing through the filter of my recollection, and apologize in advance if I misinterpreted anything.

Now, where was I? Ah, yes, strolling from Desmond’s to Brasserie Les Halles. Dark, welcoming wood accents, shining glass. A charming hostess seated us, to my delight, in the section where waiter Tim, from No Reservations “Into the Fire,” was working. By Winnipeg standards, the seating felt cramped, but we were told quite normal for New York.

While perusing the menu, I looked up and realized that most, if not all, of the lower-ranking wait staff were Mexican. One gentleman instantly filled our water glasses and kept them filled. They served us a basket of very tasty bread with a generous pad of rich butter.

Then a shadow fell over my menu and I glanced up to see Tim’s smiling face. He asked if we wanted something from the bar. I queried about Canadian whiskey. Darlene took Tim’s advice on a Cosmo.

When he brought our drinks, I said, “Thanks, Tim!”

He looked quizzical and asked how I knew his name. I just said I’d “seen him on TV.” That seemed to satisfy him and he left while we decided on dinner. For starters, I got escargots and Darlene ordered French onion soup.

On his return, Tim asked if we were Canadian and where we’d seen him. I told him No Reservations, and when I mentioned Winnipeg, he grinned and said, “No kidding! I grew up in North Dakota.” He regrets not mentioning it in his many TV appearances.

The ice broken, we BSed about hockey and the local Winnipeg football team, the Blue Bombers. When I mentioned we’d won our NYC trip from local radio station 92.1 Citi FM (Classic Rock, also on the Web) he couldn’t believe our luck.

He’d also appeared on Glutton for Punishment with Bob Blumer, and was trying to land other acting roles, and said we should stay on the lookout for him.

Darlene’s French onion soup was simply the finest I’ve ever tasted. Homemade broth, large chunks of sweet onion and bread, Gruyere cheese toasted to perfection over an oversized crock. My escargots were tasty, but they were simply outshone by that soup.

For entrées, Darlene chose pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes. I couldn’t decide, so Tim suggested steak aux poivre. That’s when my next simple question seemed to crack open a door to the Twilight Zone.

Darlene's Pork Tenderloin (All Photos - Winnipeg Bob)

I casually asked Tim how Anthony Bourdain performed in the kitchen when he filmed “Into the Fire,” and if he ever comes by.

Tim seemed to go quiet and replied that Tony really never comes around anymore.

It wasn’t so much what Tim said, but the way he said it. He sounded almost as if I had asked something I shouldn’t have. I may be completely off base, but something just felt wrong.

Coming up next… Into the Kitchen.

[Cats Working note: Check out Part 1 of Winnipeg Bob’s story again. New photos have been added.]

Into the Belly of the Beast (Part 1)

By Winnipeg Bob

We welcome faithful reader Bob as our first guest blogger. On October 28, he had dinner at Anthony Bourdain’s former restaurant, Les Halles, in New York City and has a story to tell…

Well, as you all know, my girlfriend Darlene and I won a trip to NYC to see the 25th Anniversary Concert Series for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame… But that is another story.

We also went to Desmond’s and Les Halles and met the characters that work within.

Our hotel was only about 4 or 5 blocks from the Park Avenue location of Les Halles (Tony’s former location), so as we walked in the glow of the Empire State Building, the objects of my desire were in sight.

Anyone who saw the “Into the Fire” episode of No Reservations knows one of Tony’s favorite haunts mid-shift was Desmond’s Bar, half a block from Les Halles. I must admit I was a little giddy walking in, but quickly regained my composure as Dar and I grabbed seats at the head of the bar.

(All Photos - Winnipeg Bob)

Our bartender was an older gentleman, very nice, and efficient with bringing icy cold beverages for weary travelers. But it was more the bar itself that I was interested in, flags on the wall, and the normal bric-a-brac that normally fills a well-loved bar. The kind of stuff all the regulars would have a story about…

One piece in particular caught my eye.

It was a napkin folded in the shape of a hat with a cross and some writing on it. Took me a minute to figure out what it said, till I got up and looked at it from across the bar. Drawn on the “Hat” was “Tony on Tour in Rome.” I asked the bartender what it meant, but in true bartender fashion, he kept whatever secrets it held, saying, “Oh, that’s just something one of the guys gave me,” then he scuttled off to serve someone else.

Glancing around more, I noticed a framed Newsweek article, signed by Bourdain. A gift to the bar, I would gather.

Our drinks finished and our reservation time approaching, we left Desmond’s and walked to Les Halles.

Stay tuned…

Another Week in the Life of Bourdain

By Karen

Wendy at Room 214 should have known some bloggers can’t keep a secret. The November 2 debut episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Alternate Universe on the Travel Channel Web site, “Robo Chef,” was on YouTube and all over the blogosphere by October 27. (Except here, where cats have honor.)

Bourdain’s posted about it the same day on his own blog, revealing that he wrote the whole series himself, so it should be good, although it’s getting mixed reviews.

Tony is appearing in Waukegan, Illinois, on November 6, and Deborah Pankey of the Daily Herald got an advance phone interview with him. Tony told her that Ariane was a fairy princess for Halloween, and when she’s old enough to trick-or-treat, Dad wants to accompany her dressed as a pirate.

Jennifer Olvera of the Vernon Hills Review also talked to Tony before Waukegan and got his take on the future of food writing for print (doomed by bloggers), social networking (“fame maintenance”), and the Chicago food scene. She also mentioned that he does have a new book coming out in 2010.

Yippee!!

I couldn’t find the complete text, so I’m not sure if Bourdain actually wrote a full book review or just did a blurb for My Bread, a cookbook by a Manhattan baker named Jim Lahey.

I just found this 41-minute audio interview of Tony with Jeremy Shapiro of Stir the Pots from April 8, 2007, the day before Ariane was born. In those days, he was very supportive of bloggers — all bloggers — and the role we play in the Information Age.

A few months ago, Shapiro traveled to Turkey, where he missed Tony filming there, but he met Zenyo Gursës, a Turkish blogger who wrote about Bourdain’s visit for the local paper. If you can read Turkish, please let us know if he had any new insights. The article crashed Google Translation.

Bob from Winnipeg hasn’t checked in yet with the scoop from his visit to Les Halles last week, but we’ll post it as soon as he does.

Kid Keeps Getting Sarah Palin’s Goat

By Adele

Still think Sarah Palin looks presidential, bickering endlessly with her teenage daughter’s baby-daddy, Levi Johnston? Me, either.

Palin’s relentless idiocy is finally paying off. CNN’s latest poll revealed only 29% now think she’s qualified to be president.

Levi’s revelations have the unmistakable ring of truth. But you can’t really blame Palin. Levi knew her as a rural housewife working in the relatively rinky-dink Alaskan political machine who killed large animals for fun. When she called Trig her “retarded baby,” she had no idea John McCain would become her fairy godfather, clean her up, and send her to the ball.

It was Palin who took her sweet time seeking help after her water broke with Trig, flying from Texas to Alaska. Calling him retarded after she tried to kill him seems mild.

And let’s back up on her complaints about Levi’s current notoriety. Palin’s whining that he’s just “selling his body for attention,” apparently referring to his upcoming Playgirl spread.

Sarah, who put him out there in the first place? Would anybody know Levi if you hadn’t trotted out him and pregnant Bristol during your failed VP campaign? You built this Frankenstein yourself, girl.

Levi has proudly proclaimed himself a “f**king redneck.” He had few prospects in Alaska, so he’s unapologetically seizing opportunities that come along now — exactly as Palin is doing.

Levi says he’s withholding truly damaging information on Palin, but I’m guessing if she keeps sniping, or tries to trash him in her upcoming book, Going Rogue, he’ll unload on her with both barrels. Her presidential dreams will be as dead as that bear pelt on her sofa.

Junk from Bourdain’s Alternate Universe

By Karen

Wendy of Room 214 has done her job well; reaction to Robo Chef is popping up on the blogosphere, most noticeably on what is apparently Bourdain’s new favorite blog, Grub Street.

Grub Street reported on Alternate Universe yesterday — a full 9 hours after Cats Working — and I’m wondering if it’s a coincidence that they happened to use the exact same title as my post (“Anthony Bourdain Gets Animated”).

Then Bourdain himself was right there with the very first comment, and then the third.

I’m feeling miffed.

And reading other bloggers’ reaction to the show is making me wonder if we all saw the same video. Eat Me Daily mentioned seeing Andrew Zimmern in a straitjacket. I didn’t. Anybody else? But I could see Tony having that fantasy.

Creative Loafing says Bourdain eats people’s brains, but it never happened, at least in Robo Chef. I think even Tony would balk at chowing down on Sandra Lee’s gray matter, even though it could be an amuse-bouche at best.

Blogger Veronica Belmont is the only one I’ve seen so far who obviously “gets” it.

Bourdain’s Alternate Universe: More Scoop

By Karen

After yesterday’s post, I received from Room 214 an e-mail about Anthony Bourdain’s Alternate Universe, his new animated Web series. (BTW, our friend Ingrid has apparently moved on because Wendy is my new contact there.)

Wendy provided me an “exclusive” peek at the first episode, Robo Chef. Well, exclusive to me and how ever many thousands of bloggers she’s penpals with. She made us swear an oath of secrecy (yeah, let’s see how long that holds), so I can’t let you view the episode, but I wouldn’t be giving away the farm to share a few impressions.

Bourdain plays a slightly-crazed Dr. Frankenstein type, working for the Cooking Channel. He’s a bit risqué and drops lots of names, delivering jabs equally to friends and foes. He must have had fun doing the voiceover.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger with Bourdain’s hair on fire.

My reaction overall? Meh. But I thought the animation was well-done (considering no one even attempts the fluidity of Loony Tunes anymore), and the humor has potential. It will only get better if they let Bourdain’s alter-ego totally off the leash.

Robo Chef premiers Monday, November 2, on the Travel Channel’s Web site, with 5 more episodes coming monthly.

Going cartoon is a weird turn for Tony’s career to take, but maybe it’s the Ariane influence. Here’s the teaser again, in case you missed it yesterday. It hints at “plots” to come that go far beyond Robo Cop and look like fun. I’ll be watching.