The Latest Bourdainia

By Karen

Actually being with Anthony and Ottavia Bourdain temporarily interrupted my usual cyber-hunting, but my Bourdain calendar is blank the rest of 2009, so I think Tony may be wrapping up his appearances this year. Here’s some catch-up…

Hill’s Kitchen caught a pic of Tony when he was in Des Moines on November 5.

Des Moines will be included in a Midwest episode of No Reservations during Season 6. Tony killed 2 birds with one stone by filming a scene at Bistro Montage while he was there.

AnnArbor.com snagged an interview before Tony’s appearance there on November 7.

Go Ahead and Snicker saw him in Ann Arbor and offers favorite Tony quotes.

While in Ann Arbor, Tony ate in some restaurant where he met chef and cookbook writer Max Sussman and posed for a picture. Sussman wrote Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef with Eli Sussman.

ClubFood shot a really creepy video about why Anthony Bourdain is her hero. Not sure about her dates, since I wasn’t aware he appeared anywhere on November 9. But between her drugged/hung-over(?) demeanor and her peeling orange nail polish, I’d say he has much more to fear from fans like this than the middle-aged ladies who read Cats Working. ClubFood even caught a snippet of illicit footage from his appearance. which you’ll find at about 5:30. And then her first commenter, the charming Deathrape2001, gets Bourdain totally wrong in every way.

Washingtonian.com had the most interesting recap of the Capital Food Fight on November 11 I’ve seen, and they critiqued Tony’s garb for the evening.

Next, Bourdain and family headed to Miami for a celebrity chef event with Eric Ripert and Jacques Pepin on November 13, and allpurposedark snagged a little Q&A. (Note to Morgan: Tony uses the word douchebag.)

Miami New Times reveals that Bourdain is on the short list of chefs (with Ripert and Ramsey) whom Ingrid Hoffman of the Food Network’s Simply Delicioso would like to cook naked with, in the answer to what has to be one of the most stupid interview questions ever.

TimesUnion.com interviewed Tony by phone before his appearance in Schenectady on November 15, after which he was flying to Ecuador to film No Res.

Speaking of Ecuador, We Travel World did a little fixing and got to meet Tony and crew while they stayed at the Mandala for 2 nights. Bourdain apparently wasn’t much-recognized outside of Quito.

Here’s what the TimesUnion reporter had to say after Bourdain’s Schenectady appearance.

Denver Post got an advance phone interview before his sold-out November 18 appearance there, and learned that Bourdain is now actively seeks to undermine the “bad boy” tag he can’t seem to shake.

Just to rub it in that Bourdain once vowed never to return to Denver after saying he couldn’t find any good food, Mayor John Hickenlooper presented him with the “Fork to the City.”

Café Society ran a contest to recommend 3 good restaurants for Bourdain in exchange for a pair of tickets, and this was the winning entry. After his appearance, they also posted one of the worst pictures I’ve ever seen of him.

A.V. Club reports on what Tony said in Denver and offers a bit of illicit video from the Q&A portion.

ROCNow scored an advance phone interview with Bourdain before his appearance in Rochester, NY, on November 20. Bourdain says he realizes that writing will be his fall-back after TV, and hints that maybe he’s getting weary of No Reservations.

James Leach with Rochester City Newspaper got another advance interview where Tony talks about becoming famous and offers a tiny preview of Season 6 of No Res.

DemocratandChronicle.com reports that Rochester gave Tony a standing ovation just for showing up.

AskMen.com did its annual ranking of the most influential men and places Bourdain at No. 73, although readers rank him 94th (the lower the number, the more influential). In 2007, he was No. 19. I’m guessing the husband-father thing may explain the slippage.

Karl Klockars, a food blogger in Illinois, wants to know what Bourdain has written lately to deserve the laurels he’s resting on, and criticizes his diligence in following Web buzz about himself.

Alice at Uncommon Sense writes an eerily lyrical love/hate letter to Bourdain that makes her regret her humdrum existence as a college student in Texas.

Finland has launched a campaign to get Bourdain to pay a visit.

In honor of the upcoming holiday…

Here’s a video clip of Bourdain preparing a turkey and stuffing from his only holiday special. It’s the closest Tony may ever come to doing a cooking show. Pass me some of that stuffing, Tony!

If you’re in New York City, Tony will be at the Union Square Barnes & Noble TONIGHT with David Chang at 7 p.m. and it’s free.

Bourdain Food Fight Pan Scrapings

By Karen

The last tidbits I picked up from my evening with Anthony and Ottavia Bourdain at the Capital Food Fight in Washington, DC, on November 11:

Bourdain’s next book…

The manuscript is due in December for June 2010 publication, so Tony must be putting the finishing touches on it now. There will be a book tour. Ottavia told me the title may not be Cooks. She hasn’t read it. He only lets her see his finished work because she said her criticism is “too brutal.”

Ariane…

Ottavia showed me a picture of Ariane in a full-length white gown for Halloween, saying proudly that she looked like “a beautiful little bride.” Mama took Ariane trick-or-treating and she loved it. Tony was traveling and upset to miss it, but he already has next Halloween blocked off on his schedule. According to Ottavia, Ariane has her mother’s good appetite, eyes, and the strawberry blonde hair Ottavia had as a child, as well as Dad’s mouth and height. The height should serve her well because she’s studying ballet.

Ariane was with them in DC, staying at the hotel with her nanny. From there, they were flying to Miami for Tony’s appearance on November 13 with Jacques Pepin and Eric Ripert. He was due to speak in Schenectady, NY, on November 15, which regrettably didn’t leave much time for Miami R&R.

Vietnam…

Ottavia is “really excited” about moving to Vietnam, but doesn’t see it happening for a few years because of Tony’s many other commitments. However, he’s returning there in 2010 to, I assume, shoot another No Reservations.

Social life…

In New York, the Bourdain’s don’t go out much. Tony is recognized everywhere, and when he’s not traveling, he’d rather relax at home — and not in the kitchen. Ottavia said it’s not because she doesn’t like his cooking, as he claims. With a laugh she told me, “When I married a chef, I thought good… but no, he doesn’t cook much.”

After their early drinking dates, starting very late after her restaurant closed, they drink little at home. Ottavia said, “Mainly, Anthony drinks for the show and socially, but not in airports at 10 in the morning.”

Bourdain’s Alternate Universe…

I asked Tony if casting himself as the mad scientist for the “Cooking Channel” in his new animated Web series was deliberate, since Travel Channel’s new owners will be launching a channel by that name. He said with some irony, “No, it was serendipitous.”

Life imitating his art. Sometimes the snark is purely unintentional.

He also mentioned that this “Web freebie” turned out to be a lot more work than he envisioned. Ottavia said it was the brainchild of one of the producers’ relatives, a graphic designer.

Ottavia’s fans…

After the Food Fight, Ottavia asked me to accompany her up on stage, where Tony gave her a big kiss. Then he noticed me, and I said jokingly, “She and I are new best friends.”

He answered, “I was afraid of that.”

For all his misgivings about allowing me access to his wife, Bourdain placed his hand on my shoulder, not on my throat. Remarkable restraint.

People were clamoring to meet him on stage, so Ottavia and I returned to the floor, where two young Asian women shyly approached Ottavia. They recognizing her from No Res in Sardinia and told her they loved it. Ottavia seemed touched and surprised, and obligingly posed for a photo with them.

They left, and when I observed, “You have your own fans now,” she giggled.

Final thoughts…

Tony and Ottavia seem like a perfect fit. They’re attentive to each other, but she’s comfortable stepping back to share him with fans. Her self-confidence and maturity must help to ground him, but she also has a youthful ebullience that he probably needs to keep himself going at times.

When the night was over, we walked outside for another soaking by Hurricane Ida and ran in to none other than Tony, Ottavia, and Eric Ripert on the empty street. Tony bounded away to hail a cab and off they went.

Becoming Mrs. Bourdain

By Karen

After Ottavia began spending a lot of time at Tony’s place while they were dating, he invited her to stay an entire weekend, but she said she’d have to go home to feed Lupetto. Tony told her to bring the cat over, and Lupetto never left.

I said, “You know when a man accepts your cat, you have found a good man.”

Ottavia smiled and nodded in agreement.

She said she wasn’t particularly interested in getting married because things were going well. Now I’m surmising here, but Tony must have realized he’d found a keeper because he started talking about — brace yourselves — having a family.

Kids. His idea. Goes to show how little Tony lets TV and his books reveal about his soft side.

But in July 2006, Tony got trapped filming No Reservations in Beirut (his first episode to be nominated for an Emmy). Ottavia said he phoned her almost daily, but when he told her the cell phone towers were being bombed and they might lose touch, she got really worried. “The Italians and other countries got their people out. Where were the Americans?” she asked.

Ottavia Bourdain talks to Cats Working (Photo - Morgan)

When she was offered a seat on the private plane sent to meet Tony and his crew wherever the Marines dropped them off, she took it.

That close call made them both realize there’s no guarantee of tomorrow, so they decided to go for the family. They succeeded in conceiving on their first try, and Ottavia found out while they were vacationing in the Caribbean (or Miami, not sure which).

One night in December 2006, she was lying on the couch, “VERY pregnant, watching something dreadful on TV, like Dancing with the Stars,” when Tony asked her to marry him.

Impending motherhood had changed her attitude toward marriage, so she accepted. The only hitch was that Tony’s divorce wasn’t quite final yet.

I asked Ottavia what her parents thought of the 22-year age spread, and she told me she had always been a good kid, never in any trouble, so they trusted her judgment. Her mother read Kitchen Confidential. Although she didn’t find it exactly reassuring, all she said was, “Be careful.”

Ottavia said, “I was never into the big white dress or anything,” and a civil ceremony in April 2007 with no trimmings suited her perfectly. When I asked if they had a honeymoon, she replied with a smile, “We’ve been on many,” and I got the impression they’re on honeymoon wherever they go together.

Ottavia still studies martial arts for the exercise, but doesn’t fight much because it has caused some problems with her back, knee, and leg. But she’s glad to be able to defend herself, and plans to have Ariane start lessons next year.

The Bourdains traveled to Tuscany to film No Reservations when Ariane was just 4 weeks old, and Ottavia was asked to appear in the scene where Tony prepares an Italian meal for the crew. She said it was delicious and everybody was gobbling it, but they told her to say on camera that it was “disgusting” to make the scene funny.

The truth is, Tony does know how to cook good Italian.

And speaking of babies, I was wrong. Ottavia is not pregnant now, but she hinted that Ariane may not always be an only child.

Cats Working once asked if Bourdain’s wife chooses obscurity. Ottavia definitely does. She’s been asked to appear on No Res many times, but declines. She agreed to do the Sardinia episode only because her whole family was so excited about it. In the spring they’ll be filming in Rome and she’ll be there, but said she has no plans to appear on camera.

(We’ll be watching the edges of every frame, just in case.)

Bourdain travels so much, I asked Ottavia if it’s hard on her. She told me when Tony is anywhere within the U.S., she feels “he’s just a few hours away, so it’s not so bad.” Sometimes he comes home for a night, or she and Ariane go to him. It’s only when he’s overseas that she really feels distance between them.

Anthony Bourdain hosting the 2009 Capital Food Fight (Photo - Morgan)

Next: Bourdain Food Fight Pan Scrapings (sans Nasty Bits)

Ottavia Before Anthony Bourdain

By Karen

Morgan gets full credit for putting me in the right place at the right time to meet Ottavia. We were in a cavernous ballroom of the Ronald Reagan Building. The Food Fight stage was on a high platform with two small tiers of seats before it, off to either side. Morgan staked out the second row, house right. I think Ottavia and I spotted each other simultaneously.

Before I knew it, she and Tony had joined us. Ottavia greeted me with a big smile and a hug. Tony kissed my cheek. I apologized for basing my first impression on the Miami Ink clip. She laughed, agreeing that she looked like a “grinning idiot” (my description) because of how they cut the episode. She was dressed to relax in Miami, not be on TV, and understood how people got the wrong idea from her bare midriff.

She told us reading Cats Working is part of her Internet routine, and greeted Morgan and Cindy like old friends.

Tony brought up Winnipeg Bob’s recent visit to Les Halles, and told us waiter Tim, depending on his mood, will tell customers outrageous “revelations” about Tony, like he’s undergoing a sex change.

Before Tony left us to host the Fight, we got this group shot:

(L-R) MorganLF, Karen, Anthony Bourdain, Cindy (Photo - Cindy)

Ottavia graciously posed with me to prove there are no hard feelings with Cats Working:

Karen with Ottavia Bourdain (Photo - Cindy)

We were pleasantly surprised when Ottavia asked us to save her a seat because she was “alone.” She and I chatted for the next several hours.

Now, I must sincerely thank Ottavia for her company. I’ve said before I’m not a foodie. If she hadn’t kept me distracted, I’d have found some gourmet delicacies on toothpicks and poked my eyes out.

Watching people cook on stage is the PITS. Camera people constantly stood in front of the chefs to project their actions onto a big screen behind them. The judges, who included some of my faves, chef Eric Ripert and past Top Chef contestant Carla Hall, were seated far upstage, hidden from our view.

Three hours of watching smoke rise live from pans, with the actual food on TV, is not my idea of entertainment.

Now back to Ottavia…

She grew up in a small rural community of about 2,000 in, I believe, Italy’s Lombardy region. She loves animals and had chickens, rabbits, and “usually about 10 cats and always a lot of kittens,” and explained that spaying and neutering weren’t priorities then.

After high school, she began to study medicine and would have pursued it after moving to the States, but we require an undergraduate degree first. Her credits didn’t transfer, so she took a new direction in the restaurant business.

She met Eric Ripert working for him at Le Bernadin.

When she learned her favorite cat in Italy had died, Ottavia happened by one of those adoption events held by the North Shore Animal League. She saw a black kitten cowering “back in the corner of the cage” and decided they needed each other. She named him Lupetto.

Ottavia said she would love to have more cats one day when they move to a larger place, but she doesn’t know when that will be.

At age 28, Ottavia was working 14-hour days at the Geisha Restaurant in New York City and felt she didn’t have time for a relationship, but she didn’t want to be alone either.

She’d read Kitchen Confidential, saying, “Everybody did, it was like the Bible for us.” And she caught Tony once on No Reservations, “in Morocco or somewhere like that,” while she and a girlfriend were looking for another Travel Channel host they liked (sorry, I didn’t catch the name).

But Bourdain was still nowhere on her radar. She said, “I never thought I would get mixed up with a celebrity.”

Tony and Eric Ripert were good friends, and Ripert’s wife thought Ottavia and Tony might be a good casual match because Tony was on the road so much.

Ottavia made it clear to me that when she met Anthony (she uses his full name), he and Nancy were long separated, although not divorced, and he’d been dating. There was no overlap whatsoever with their meeting and his first marriage.

It took Tony a couple of months to follow up and contact Ottavia, and he did it via e-mail around Thanksgiving 2005. Their first date was that weekend, a very late night of drinking and smoking (she also had a 2-pack-a-day habit), so Ottavia was feeling rough the next morning and declined when Tony called and asked her out again that night.

He didn’t call again for about a month, but when they finally had another date, something clicked, and they became a couple.

While Ottavia and I were talking, Tony kept casting worried glances our way from the stage. At one point, he stood downstage in front of us and signaled her to button her lips, but she ignored him. I wonder what he was afraid she’d tell me?

Next: Becoming Mrs. Bourdain

Preview: Meeting Ottavia Bourdain

By Karen

It takes a lot to shock Cats Working reader MorganLF, but she was definitely in shock after the Capital Food Fight in Washington, DC, on November 11, co-hosted by Anthony Bourdain.

Anthony Bourdain hosting the 2009 Capital City Food Fight (Photo - Cindy)

Back at the hotel afterward, it took 3 martinis to steady my own nerves. I don’t know what reader Cindy did when she got home (we met her there), but her husband just told me she can’t stop talking about it.

I’m 2 days behind in client work, so I must attend to that right now. But I want you to know I’ve got lots to share. Once you read it, you’ll be able to say you know the real story of Tony and Ottavia.

Yes, Mrs. Bourdain was there. She’s a regular reader of Cats Working, and she stunned Morgan and Cindy by recognizing them by name. I spent about 3 hours with Ottavia, most of it one on one, and I came away regretting I never had a daughter. If I did, I would have wanted her to turn out exactly like Ottavia.

All I’ll say for now is, if you liked her in Sardinia on No Reservations, you’ll love her after I fill you in.

Winnipeg Bob, Bourdain knows all about your visit to Les Halles last week.

Note to Tony: I saw you cast many worried glances from the stage in our direction. Rest assured, I’m not out to embarrass anybody. On the contrary, you and Ottavia have empowered me to set the record straight, and I’ll do it with discretion. Hey, we’re fellow writers; we watch each other’s backs.

Readers, stay tuned. The details (with photo proof) are in the works…

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 and 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…

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.