Anthony Bourdain at Google in 2007

I generally enjoy No Reservations; it's generally good, clean escapist fun, despite the bleeped out expletives. You can read and listen to his criticisms of celebrity chefs and Food Network (and food tv in general) as being "food porn" -- enabling viewers to live vicariously and settling for mediocrity, not getting their duffs off the couch to try their hand in the kitchen or experimenting with new and difficult recipes. He may be right as a cultural critic in this regard. (I'll have something to say about this in connection with Bear Grylls.) He is also an ardent defender of culinary tradition/traditional cuisines at the very least, and his desire to understand other people extends to their cultures as well. Is he a cultural relativist, thuogh?

Alan Richman Takes Eric Ripert to Costco