Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

I think many (some?) of us watch both these shows, so the question is which one do you prefer?

[url=http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods]Bizarre Foods - TV Shows - Travel Channel[/url]

[url=http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain]Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - TV Shows - Travel Channel[/url]

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

Personally, I find Andrew Zimmern to be more likable. He also goes to cool places and approaches foods with an open, but not uncritical, attitude. So when I watch such shows, I watch his. When I travel abroad, I like to eat adventurously (among other things, I've eaten horse, donkey, and scorpion), and he is somewhat of a hero for me in this regard.

I stopped watching Bourdain's show. Something about him as a person just rubs me the wrong way. I also don't always agree with his choices of places to eat. For example, regarding his show about Chicago, I was able think think of at least five places which I thought were better choices than the ones which he showed.

My :twocents:

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

I've been a big Tony Bourdain fan for years now. I've read a few of his books, still have a couple more to read, and I saw him recently on his speaking tour back in November.

Bizarre foods is just a little too over the top with the gross out factor.

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Some of the foods on Bizarre Foods...I'd rather just starve

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I'm a big fan of Tony Bourdain. I watched his show on the Food Network (I think it was called "A Cook's Tour" or something like that), and I've continued to watch him on the Travel Channel. I like the fact that he doesn't go to the touristy places and you really get a sense of those places when you watch his show.

Just a quick plug, the upcoming No Reservations show airing on March 1st, will be visiting my home country of Ecuador. I'm pretty excited to see it, especially since I haven't been there in five years.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=Lotus;666648]Personally, I find Andrew Zimmern to be more likable. He also goes to cool places and approaches foods with an open, but not uncritical, attitude. So when I watch such shows, I watch his. When I travel abroad, I like to eat adventurously (among other things, I've eaten horse, donkey, and scorpion), and he is somewhat of a hero for me in this regard.

I stopped watching Bourdain's show. Something about him as a person just rubs me the wrong way. I also don't always agree with his choices of places to eat. For example, regarding his show about Chicago, I was able think think of at least five places which I thought were better choices than the ones which he showed.

My :twocents:[/quote]

me and the lady watch both shows. i like them both for different reasons but i agree with your reasons for not liking bourdain as much besides him being a bit of an ass, but thats his angle/approach to his show.

what reaally got me about bourdain is that for one of his shows he was going to see 3 down on their luck "rust belt" towns as the show called them. so he did detroit, another city and for some reason baltimore.

so he goes to baltimore, and chooses to go to this out in nowhere indian food place surrounded by empty warehouses and stuff. then he decides to meet up with some hood lady from the show the wire and she takes him to something like a lake trout in the ghetto west baltimore.

it just sucked that he actively had to go to they very worst and emptiest parts of baltimore so it meshed with his theme of down trodden "rust belt" cities.

he didnt go to fells or canton or lil italy or charles village or fed hill or inner harbor where there are a ton of real nice high end restaurants from chains like ruth chris to smaller awesome restaurants like peters inn.

i really didnt like how the show went well out of their way to try and display baltimore like its this abandoned city akin to buffalo or cleveland.

they literally went to the far east and far west spots of baltimore (where noone goes) to find neighborhoods that appeared to be run down.

im repeatting myself but man, that show really changed my perception of whether other cities he visists is a true representation of that city or whether he picked and choosed what he wanted the viewers to think of that city.

fuck bourdain, i never curse on here but fuck him actually.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

To be fair can you really represent 100% of what a city has to offer in just 40 minutes? Of course you're seeing his viewpoint, what he wants you to see, and the story he spins it in to.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

I like both but I think that I'll go with Bourdain, I dig his style more and it's not a show that's out there to surprise you like bizarre foods.. that being said I like bizarre foods and would probably try everything that I've seen

I see no reservations being more like a man v food or diners drive ins and dives on a higher level

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

the show has "creative directors" as well, they'll choose to represent what they want

I'm sure if they had a different theme he could show bmore much better

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[quote=tryfuhl;666708]I like both but I think that I'll go with Bourdain, I dig his style more and it's not a show that's out there to surprise you like bizarre foods.. that being said I like bizarre foods and would probably try everything that I've seen

I see no reservations being more like a man v food or diners drive ins and dives on a higher level[/quote]

Speaking of food shows, DD&D is one of the best

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=over the mountain;666696]me and the lady watch both shows. i like them both for different reasons but i agree with your reasons for not liking bourdain as much besides him being a bit of an ass, but thats his angle/approach to his show.

what reaally got me about bourdain is that for one of his shows he was going to see 3 down on their luck "rust belt" towns as the show called them. so he did detroit, another city and for some reason baltimore.

so he goes to baltimore, and chooses to go to this out in nowhere indian food place surrounded by empty warehouses and stuff. then he decides to meet up with some hood lady from the show the wire and she takes him to something like a lake trout in the ghetto west baltimore.

it just sucked that he actively had to go to they very worst and emptiest parts of baltimore so it meshed with his theme of down trodden "rust belt" cities.

he didnt go to fells or canton or lil italy or charles village or fed hill or inner harbor where there are a ton of real nice high end restaurants from chains like ruth chris to smaller awesome restaurants like peters inn.

i really didnt like how the show went well out of their way to try and display baltimore like its this abandoned city akin to buffalo or cleveland.

they literally went to the far east and far west spots of baltimore (where noone goes) to find neighborhoods that appeared to be run down.

im repeatting myself but man, that show really changed my perception of whether other cities he visists is a true representation of that city or whether he picked and choosed what he wanted the viewers to think of that city.

fuck bourdain, i never curse on here but fuck him actually.[/quote]

I thought that was the whole point of the show, to go where tourists typically don't go. And I thought that whole episode's point was to show how much these one prosperous cities (i.e. Detroit with the car industry boom) were, how they were affected by economic problems, and how people have coped with it. I'm sure Bourdain rubs a lot of people the wrong way, but that's kinda of his whole point. He goes to places that are not touristy, places that are not mainstream, and to me that's what makes his show interesting.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=Mattyk;666711]Speaking of food shows, DD&D is one of the best[/quote]
I enjoy it quite a bit

how's everyone feel about bobby flay since we're on the topic of people with attitudes? personally I'm a big fan

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=Ruhskins;666729]I thought that was the whole point of the show, to go where tourists typically don't go. And I thought that whole episode's point was to show how much these one prosperous cities (i.e. Detroit with the car industry boom) were, how they were affected by economic problems, and how people have coped with it. I'm sure Bourdain rubs a lot of people the wrong way, but that's kinda of his whole point. He goes to places that are not touristy, places that are not mainstream, and to me that's what makes his show interesting.[/quote]

you have a good point re. going places that arent touristy. he could have gone to G&As on eastern ave (which was featured on diners, drive ins etc) or a ton of other places that arent touristy. the lake trout i can understand, but i dont think he went there, just some place like it.

just didnt appreciate the way he portrayed baltimore, exclusively playing to the high crime run down reputation of the city while going to extra efforts to not include anything positive or vibrant. no short shots or pictures of fells or inner harbor. they literrally had to turn off their cameras when they were in the east part of town, drive through highlandtown, canton, fells, lil italy, inner harbor past MLK to get to the ghetto west side before things looked crappy enough to fit their theme.

but point well taken ruhskins.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=tryfuhl;666731]I enjoy it quite a bit

how's everyone feel about bobby flay since we're on the topic of people with attitudes? personally I'm a big fan[/quote]

Big fan of Bobby and his food. Went to his place out in Vegas in '05, great meal

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

Bourdain, no contest. Dude's a five star French chef with comfort food sensibilities. I like the fact he doesn't blow smoke up anyone's ass and pretty much calls it as he sees it. Excellent writer as well... check out Kitchen Confidential if you get a chance- the guy certainly has a crazy past.

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[quote=Mattyk;666711]Speaking of food shows, DD&D is one of the best[/quote]

My buddy (and work supervisor) just got on that show! He owns the Don Chow taco truck... not sure if it aired yet, though.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=itvnetop;666788]Bourdain, no contest. Dude's a five star French chef with comfort food sensibilities. I like the fact he doesn't blow smoke up anyone's ass and pretty much calls it as he sees it. Excellent writer as well... check out Kitchen Confidential if you get a chance- the guy certainly has a crazy past.[/quote]

Yeah he sure has some stories huh? I read Kitchen Confidential in about 3 days, just couldn't put it down.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

I'm watching right now the No Reservations episode in my home country of Ecuador. Very good episode so far :)

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Awesome show about Ecuador! Now I'm f'ing hungry after seeing all that delicious food...well the food from Guayaquil, not the crazy food he ate at the beginning.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

I like No Reservations. The Bizarre Foods guy (Andrew Zimmern) is just over the top. He eats total shit and pretends to enjoy it. "Mmmmm, these raw goat balls are salty and wonderful!" Anthony Boudrain is just a cool dude. Ridiculously good chef, and travels to places on earth with very esoteric yet plausibly delicious tastes in food. I get that "I'm about to puke" spitty mouth feeling when I watch Bizarre Foods. No Reservations actually makes me want to travel and eat.

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I can not watch Drive Ins, Diners and Dives at night it makes me so damn hungry!

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I prefer Man vs. Food.

One of the episodes, he's going to slide under the table with a thud and a waitress is going to yell "Somebody call an amberlamps!"

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Man vs. Food is a good show, I don't know how he packs all that food away sometimes. One of these days he's just going to explode.

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Right now, my wife and I are on a No Reservations kick, as we've never really watched the show before. We like both Bizarre Foods and No Reservations equally since they give the viewer a different vantage point. I find Bourdain funny, but can see where others find him standoffish.

Triple D is awesome because it puts a spotlight on quality places that you may or may not know about. I guess the only issue with it is regulars are going to be waiting a bit longer now for their food once their spot is highlighted by Guy and his highlights.

I really enjoyed Man v. Food when it first started, but now I'm to the point where it's just not entertaining anymore.

Bobby Flay is ok. To me, he comes off as a smug Napoleon type guy, so I enjoy it when he's defeated on Throwdown! He does some good stuff though.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=BDBohnzie;667903]
Triple D is awesome because it puts a spotlight on quality places that you may or may not know about. [B]I guess the only issue with it is regulars are going to be waiting a bit longer now for their food once their spot is highlighted by Guy and his highlights[/B].

.[/quote]

yup like G&A's this weekend. they had a whole bus of tourists there. had to cram to find a seat, couldnt get any fries and gravy b/c those tourists had put in a bizzilion orders before us.

i tried to act mad but truth be told i didnt know about G&As until i saw it on D, D & D myself.

watched zimmerman eat down in tazania (sp?), boy he ate some nasty ish. so nasty he didnt even try to play it off or even attempt to eat some of the stuff like the skin flap of a cows toe that was raised in africa.

bourdain had an excellent show in saudi arabia last night.

my fav cooking show is chopped or iron chef thoo.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=BDBohnzie;667903]Right now, my wife and I are on a No Reservations kick, as we've never really watched the show before. We like both Bizarre Foods and No Reservations equally since they give the viewer a different vantage point. I find Bourdain funny, but can see where others find him standoffish.

Triple D is awesome because it puts a spotlight on quality places that you may or may not know about. I guess the only issue with it is regulars are going to be waiting a bit longer now for their food once their spot is highlighted by Guy and his highlights.

I really enjoyed Man v. Food when it first started, but now I'm to the point where it's just not entertaining anymore.

Bobby Flay is ok. To me, he comes off as a smug Napoleon type guy, so I enjoy it when he's defeated on Throwdown! He does some good stuff though.[/quote]
We have a local drive inn that was on his show and we unknowing went there like 4 days after the show. It was very busy but after like a month it was back to normal. I'm guessing that people figured out that the food is just OK and its appeal is that its an older drive inn.

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[quote=GMScud;667775]I like No Reservations. The Bizarre Foods guy (Andrew Zimmern) is just over the top. He eats total shit and pretends to enjoy it. "Mmmmm, these raw goat balls are salty and wonderful!" Anthony Boudrain is just a cool dude. Ridiculously good chef, and travels to places on earth with very esoteric yet plausibly delicious tastes in food. I get that "I'm about to puke" spitty mouth feeling when I watch Bizarre Foods. No Reservations actually makes me want to travel and eat.[/quote]

def with you on this

zimmern is typically a more "in my host's face" role though so he has to be more complimentary

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=over the mountain;667948]yup like G&A's this weekend. they had a whole bus of tourists there. had to cram to find a seat, couldnt get any fries and gravy b/c those tourists had put in a bizzilion orders before us.

i tried to act mad but truth be told i didnt know about G&As until i saw it on D, D & D myself.

watched zimmerman eat down in tazania (sp?), boy he ate some nasty ish. so nasty he didnt even try to play it off or even attempt to eat some of the stuff like the skin flap of a cows toe that was raised in africa.

bourdain had an excellent show in saudi arabia last night.

my fav cooking show is chopped or iron chef thoo.[/quote]

that saudi arabian one was not new by any means, maybe not more than a year old or so, but nothing new

anyone that's kind of gotten tired of "Good Eats" or whatever? I still highly respect Alton Brown but the show just doesn't do the same for me anymore.. not to mention comparing some of his methods to mine I don't quite get the impact that some of his exactitude should display, I mean I've learned a lot from him, but some of his methods don't seem like they matter as much as they might seem

he's still my go-to on several methods though, especially beef preparation and cooking

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

No Reservations.

I am a big fan of both. But Bourdain is such an ass, I love it. Plus his commentary is well composed as he is a writer.

It is very entertaining stuff.

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I guess this picture works in this thread:

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/kzoxU.jpg[/IMG]

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

I think I just gained 20 pounds and my cholesterol just went through the roof looking at these pictures.

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It sounds good in theory, but then you see pictures of that Frankenstein experiment and know that your heart just can't take it.

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I don't care how good it might taste, that's just gross

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[quote=Buster;668866]I guess this picture works in this thread:

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/kzoxU.jpg[/IMG][/quote]

fellas, reason no. 1,457,204 why we gotta love our woman. lol jeez lou easy that is nasty.

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[quote=Mattyk;668900]I don't care how good it might taste, that's just gross[/quote]

Nothing a little P90X can't burn off... :D

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Sure, once someone revives you from the heart attack :)

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[url=http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/]This is why you're fat.[/url]

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

[quote=tryfuhl;669149][URL="http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/"]This is why you're fat.[/URL][/quote]

:cool:

[IMG]http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxy1at4Y111qzvnxpo1_500.jpg[/IMG]

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

Portion sizes are definitely out of control, anyone eat at the Cheesecake Factory recently? My lord they give you enough food for a week.

Re: Bizarre Foods vs. No Reservations
 

just noticed in that 2nd to last pic of the pizza burger, the dude is a chiefs fan. i dont know why that interests me but it does.

last time i went to the cheesecake factory in the inner harbor, the lady apologized in advance for the poor service we were about to receive. it was funny, we joked with her.

the reason for pre-warned poor service? we were wearing skins gear.