bella

Travel Ch. show working titile- "The Bourdain Experience"... three pilots were shot in Paris in Dec. - airing on TC in April "05.
A better title for a show about incredible street food? Maybe... "Eat Street! It Ain't Sheeeeeet"...?

Oh- great anecdote and true story, so I've heard... three women in a bar (obviously mesmerized by Tony's inimitable charm) were oblivious to a man who had somehow actually caught fire- sitting near to them.
I LOVE that - Way to go, Tony.
The competition is toast...

karen m

Thanks bella,
April, France and Tony. Ooh La La
Read that he will also be going to Iceland too.
I finally had the opportunity to get the Singapore episode taped this week off of FTN.
Still missing the New York city bar episode - called Elements of a Good Bar.
Also hoping to catch the episode Food Tastes better with Sand between your Toes.- Where he is in St. Maarten. Never seen that one too.
I am just finishing Gone Bamboo. Enjoying the Island jinx, while I plow through our 10 inches of snow.
Bella, you are quite informative, just how did you get the scoop on the bar incident? Being in his presence he is quite entrancing.
ciao

bella

Hi Karen- Happy New Year!

I totally agree... April, Paris, Tony...oooh la la is right.
I heard the news from a person who is shooting the new pilots with him and the team... sounds like they have kind of a grunt type job, but hey- I'd be willing to be a gopher for cig's at all hours if it meant an adventure with AB!
I've got almost all episodes on tape... I do have the NYC bars (loved it 'cause I used to go to several when we lived there!) - also the St. Maarten one. If you don't get them, I could get a copy for you if you'd like.
Glad you're enjoying Bamboo- Frances is a lucky girl, ehh? I think Henry is basically Tony- with a ponytail! Nice one to read as an escape from the snow... hope you're dug out soon- take care!

bella

extra... extra... go to zeropointzero- click on the bourdain experience... news about the new TC show. enjoy!

karen m

Thanks bella, I happend to come across a ..blog? from the gal who helped set things up in France under google - Bourdain Experience. Very cool.
Can't wait to see the new non-food network approach toward this new show.
After taping the Singapore episode I realized I had seen it but never taped it. Let's see if FTN will show the two I missed in the next months, then I may take you up on those shows. Did you know he is part of a celeb-chef food panel in Miami next month? and in early May he's in New Zealand for a
master cooking class with other world known chefs? Just the buzz.

bella

Hi Karen - thanks for the buzz... hadn't heard about those appearances. I wonder how he feels about hangin' with all the FN stars?
There were some comments on egullet recently by lkchu (Louisa) who worked with him on the Paris shoots- and Tony answered...mutual admiration and such. Very nice. Best of all... check out young Tony in '73- & today -at Dwight Englewood school's website. (Sorry , couldn't link it!) Very Joey Ramone. He visited his old english prof. on camera -for the new show.
Did you happen to see the photo of the self-portrait he did in someone's LH ckbk when he signed it? He's an artist, too. Geez. Way too much talent for one person to possess, I think! (He did a very cool trademark "chef-skull-&-knife" illustration on a metal lunchbox for someone sitting with us in the bar after dinner- almost effortlessly- must get a lot of practice!)
- counting the days 'til the new show airs... keep me posted, babe!

karen m

I somehow was pretty sure he had longish hair when he was in his teens.
In Chicago at one of the bars I almost asked him "what was the longest you ever had your hair" but I chickened out.
I remember quite clear it was the norm in '73 for guys to have shoulder length hair ( I myself was a freshman) then.

Loved the ending to Gone Bamboo, I have once been to St Maarten in '82
my cousin was a hotel rep with Thomas Vacations. Each night we would go from hotel pool-bar to the next hotel pool-bar. Havn't been back since.

I've been trying to think of a creative way to lure Tony and the Travel channel crew to Chicago for an episode.

I saw the cool chef drawing too, I love my chefs knife drawing in my Cook's Tour book and my cleaver in the Les Halles, but I had a thick white napkin with that evening in Chicago, and once again chickend out to ask him to sign it.
Next time I need posse. ( or less alcoholic beverages).

bella

Glad you enjoyed "Bamboo"... I loved that book- had you ever read it before? Best all around pick-me-up... day dream you're Francis... (my personal hero-ine) & of course, our dear Tony brilliantly plays the role of Henry! Aaaaahhhhh, just hand me a good rum drink...
I was also to St. Maarten once and loved it. Got to try a lot of rasta- street-food in Jamaica last spring... that was great.
Hey- I like your "luring Tony & crew to Chicago" idea... I'd love to lure him to Charlotte, but I'd guess he's got better places to be (although we're absoutely an up & coming food town!) Some great stuff going on, really glad to see it.