Much Ado!
14-Feb-2007
A few days ago Anthony Bourdain wrote a guest post on Michael Ruhlman’s blog about the state of Food Network programming. He made several very pointed (what else would Tony do?) remarks about several of the host/chefs and the blogosphere is buzzing! I would like to point out that I noticed the same alarming trend and commented on it nearly two years ago. Other than a couple of positive comments I was pretty much out of favor with most who took the time to reply to my post. Including one guy who I finally asked to email me if he felt the need to continue our "conversation" since it had turned to personal insults (him insulting me) instead of comments about the post. Which he did – over and over again. For awhile I thought he might actually show up on my doorstep!
Anyway, from Bourdain’s post to Elise’s to David’s, people are letting it be known how they feel – both for and against -about Food Network, the various hosts and the resulting blog posts. If you are looking for a way to waste a few hours – here it is!
As an aside, up until last October I had always taken Tony Bourdain, his shows and his books with a pretty big grain of salt. I had the opportunity to hear him speak to a very small group in October and I came away a believer. He certainly will always have his controversial elements but he really seems like a very nice person at heart. And he certainly has earned his stripes and knows his way around a kitchen and the food world in general.
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Culinary Fool 
There\’s just something about Bourdain where I\’d rather pop him in the face than listen to him. Maybe he is a nice guy in person. Just goes to show how persona comes across on TV. I don\’t really see a lot of shows on FN that bring me back. I watch Barefoot Contessa every once in a while since she has a style of entertaining and cooking I like. (Except that she has to use cream in everything.)
I wasn\’t a big Bourdain fan for a long time. But I saw him at Gourmet Institute in October – someday I really need to right about that event, pretty fun – and was really impressed. Not just with him, but I happened to talk to his producer from his Travel Network show and his editor at Gourmet and they both raved about what a consummate professional he was, meeting all deadlines and timelines, being easy to work with, etc. You gotta respect that. The session where I heard him speak was with Eric Ripert, the chef of the 4 star Le Bernadin in NY.
These guys are in some ways polar opposites, yet you could see the level of respect they have for each other. And, while Tony pulled no punches when asked specific questions (and in fact I had a little preview of this rant that day) he wasn\’t overly belligerent or antagonistic. He is definitely opinionated but you have the sense that his opinions are based on experience not just coming off the top of his head.
I wish I could have seen him here in Seattle. Next time!
~ B