Bourdain in Vegas

I generally enjoy Anthony Bourdain's programs, although I have gotten to the point I don't try to see them all. Currently he is running them on CNN as "Parts Unknown" - all very similar to the formula that was "No Reservations".


I pretty much stay jealous at the way Bourdain gets to travel, with chefs as hosts for each area he goes to. He seldom has to feel like the dumb tourist doing the dumb tourist stuff at dumb tourist traps. Food Tourism, I guess you could call it. It seems to be good tourism.

Recently watched his Vegas episode. I thought it would be interesting to see if anyone comments on the places covered.


He collars food author Michael Ruhlman for his guide this time. They first go to Huntridge Tavern, which presumably Ruhlman really likes but honestly seems like bar ordinaire - of course we need such places in every town. Ordinaire or not, the location comes right up in google maps with just a few typed words.

They arrive next at Caesar's Palace, staying there for the duration ... given "a "villa" for a week" per Bourdain writing in the below link. He claims to get them wined and dined in the style of a VIP-whale there by lying that Wolf Blitzer was going to show up. I doubt that was necessary, but it also makes you wonder if he is trying to take a shot at Blitzer ... is he implying that the CNN anchor is a notorious whale?

Next on the list is 'The Bootlegger', an Italian restaurant that apparently is the one that comes up as 'Bootlegger Bistro' on google maps; nostalgia for the piano bar with lounge singer plays large. Later they cut to the EDM scene as a contrast, panning and lamenting that hip scene .

But what's actually shown after the Bootlegger is 'Raku', a Japanese restaurant also springing right up on google maps. Magician Penn Jillette joins Bourdain, but it seems the latter made the choice of place as "every chef he knows" said to go for sure when in Vegas. An entree sets you back a bit there, shall we say a lot, it seems.

Now the lamented EDM segment; EDM purportedly stands for Electronic Dance Music, but could also mean Erectile Dysfunction Manifestation for any apparent desire Bourdain had to take part in it. This certainly resonates with me. They show the scene at 'the Marquee', but neither person is shown actually participating - Bourdain manages to interview the DJ. This is Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub that comes up on google maps?

Next Bourdain meets former mayor Oscar Goodman at Oscar's Steakhouse, and same immediacy with google maps. Goodman goes way back with mobsters and you name it; they talk about this and completely ignore the cuisine. That's unusual for Bordain, so is this a slam?


There is one gambling segment. Eric Lundgren joins the two to play versus the house in a Texas Hold-em game. I slo-mo'd the scene but could not be sure if it was UTH or Hold-em Bonus - or maybe even something else. 'World series of poker' was printed on the felt. They blow through some money, but who knows if they used a good strategy? Gambling did not look like any fun and all vow not to do it again in a kidding way. In any case, not much reason to tune in for that scene.

Next visit is with an artist [anthony bodie?] who meets anthony at 'eat, the breakfast and lunch joint downtown' - comes up on google maps too, but not as readily. Cuisine is shown but not discussed, and although the conversation is interesting the segment is a filler I think.

There is a segment with chef Jet Tila at "the best Thai in Vegas" - Lotus of Siam [these last two google-able of course]. Fancy cuisine of Northern Thailand, a fact that is emphasized as apparently it is a mistake to go in and expect typical Thai.

The last segment is "famed restaurant é by Jose Andres" . Bourdain meets with the famed man and the cuisine, unquestionably not for the faint of heart or bankroll, is presented and discussed.

http://www.cnn.com/video/shows/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown/season-3/las-vegas/index.html

I'm a huge Bourdain fan, even read his books. I've
seen all his shows multiple times. His newest show
on CNN sucks by comparison. It's wayyyy too
political. He's a real Leftie, and he loves him some
socialism. He's spends way too little time on food
and too much time giving us his Lib blowhard
opinion.

Quote: EvenBob

I'm a huge Bourdain fan, even read his books. I've
seen all his shows multiple times. His newest show
on CNN sucks by comparison. It's wayyyy too
political. He's a real Leftie, and he loves him some
socialism. He's spends way too little time on food
and too much time giving us his Lib blowhard
opinion.

I possibly have only tried to see one other episode, which I quickly ditched - don't remember a thing about it, but something turned me off. So probably I shouldn't have said the new show is like "no reservations", although I can still say this one episode is. A lot of interesting conversations in the episode [I wasn't trying to review that part]. But no politics, not really anyway.

Great post.

Bourdain is certainly an interesting guy who goes to interesting places.

I enjoyed reading the link you posted at the end .

It is fitting that he opened the article with a Hunter S. Thompson quote about the Las Vegas mystique:

"With a bit of luck, his life was ruined forever. Always thinking that just behind some narrow door in all his favorite bars, men in red woolen shirts are getting incredible kicks from things he'll never know."

Bourdain and Thompson seem kindred souls; the difference being Anthony accessorizes with cooking implements and Hunter festooned himself with nitrous bottles and stacks of blotter acid.

Gonzo!

Quote: odiousgambit

. So probably I shouldn't have said the new show is like "no reservations", although I can still say this one episode is. .

I watched the Vegas ep again, and
there is almost no food in it. Not
like his other series. CNN is using
him to get their Leftie agenda
across. Bourdain has made has had
no hesitation in the past of saying
his a NYC lib to the core. I find his
politics silly, like most NYC politics.
He was a chef for 28 years, stick to
what you know. I don't want to see
him visiting the dump in Manila
where hundreds of people live off the
srcap's others throw away and listen
to him preaching at us about it for 5 min.

I like how he acknowledged that most of the food service workers in NYC are Hispanic.

These guys do the work the whites used to do, and they do it better.

By 2042 it is predicted that whites will be in the minority in this country.

Good.

We deserve it.

Quote: MrV

I like how he acknowledged that most of the food service workers in NYC are Hispanic.

These guys do the work the whites used to do, and they do it better.

By 2042 it is predicted that whites will be in the minority in this country.

Good.

We deserve it.

Ha Ha!

I don't think you can say Whites make the best labor force. I myself can say my experience was Whites I hired drank too much, a lot of them [generalization]. Other undesirable things too ... Henry Ford recognized this and was one of the big supporters of Prohibition. The history of Las Vegas is to a very large degree written by the desire to control these undesirable factors with the labor force for the Boulder Dam. There was to be no drinking and gambling etc., you know, so where did they go? They found this small hic town where you could do all those things.

Well, hey, we are getting into a lot of generalizations too. Overall, as the majority, Whites put together one hell of a country. Post year 2042 we shall see if the new bunch blows it, there are sure signs of it.

Sounds like kind of a poor episode. The more they are about AB's narcissistic personality, the less I like them. While EDC and the nightclubs are ridiculous, I'd rather learn about an extra place to eat than watch AB congratulate himself on his taste in music. A throw away observation here and there, or a look at the realities of life in the destination are fine. But no need to go out looking for things that annoy you in a place like LV.

Eric Lindgren is a crook. I wonder if that is an oversight, and nobody bothered to research him, or if they just don't care.

Raku is a very highly thought of Japanese charcoal grill. It's run with the aim of duplicating the experience you would have in Japan as closely as possible. I've heard people say it is the best restaurant in Vegas. I ate there once and I thought it was very good, but I was not as blown away as some. It was my first time in this sort of restaurant, so it's likely I didn't really grasp it all. I've been meaning to get back, but the restaurants not in casinos never give me comps! The cost will depend a lot on what you order and the menu is huge. I think you could get out of there for $50 a head.

Quote: EvenBob

Not
like his other series. CNN is using
him to get their Leftie agenda
across.

Even after all these years, I'm amazed that people can be convinced that a giant multi-national corporation has a left wing agenda.

Quote: MrV

By 2042 it is predicted that whites will be in the minority in this country.

Only if you include all the others ethnic
groups together as one. Whites will
still vastly outnumber all other groups
if you look at them one on one.

Quote: Rigondeaux

Even after all these years, I'm amazed that people can be convinced that a giant multi-national corporation has a left wing agenda.

All you have to do is watch it for a day. Look
at it's founder, there is nobody further to the
left than Ted Turner. Just saw him on the tube
yesterday and he's whackier than ever.

Quote: EvenBob

All you have to do is watch it for a day. Look
at it's founder, there is nobody further to the
left than Ted Turner. Just saw him on the tube
yesterday and he's whackier than ever.

A guy that married Hanoi Jane is a whacked out Lib? GTFOH.

He doesn't own it anymore. Not for a long time. They, and a lot of media, might be liberal on issues like gay marriage, but they aren't generally leftist. A leftist is someone like Chomsky, Sanders, Nader, etc.

I don't think Turner is a leftist as far as the actual meaning of the word goes--someone who wants a more equal and less hierarchical society. He might be a liberal (someone who wants social change to occur quickly). But I don't know or care much so maybe I'm wrong there.

CNN is owned by a massive corporation. Cooper is a Vanderbilt, Aaron Burnett or whatever her name is, is the daughter of an investment banker. Almost every talking head is a millionaire. CNN is generally pro-war, pro-prison, etc. They do very little coverage of stuff like corporate influence in government, for example. Everytime I see it, they are talking about some tabloid trash.

If your definition of leftism is something like, "belief in evolution, gay rights, etc." then you are probably right, by your personal criteria. And there IS a left/right dynamic to some of those issues. But if you're going by the definition accepted generally, then why would a giant corporation staffed by wealthy people in a rich and powerful country promote a leftist agenda? They'd have to have some motivation, right?

Quote: Rigondeaux

He doesn't own it anymore.

So what. I can usually tolerate CNN for half an
hour before the slant to the Left in every story
gets to me. They just can't help themselves.

So then turn the channel to Fox.

Yin and yang.

Quote: MrV

So then turn the channel to Fox.

I watch one Fox show a day, Special Report
with Bret Baier. Does that bother you?

No, not bothered at all.

Just wondering why you'd waste your time watching programming that irks you.

There are some good ep's of Part's Unknown.
The one titled 'Lyon' is a masterpiece. It's all
food and cooking, in a region of France that's
magical. I've seen it at least five times, and am
very jealous of Bourdain. It was a once in a
lifetime experience. It's on Netflix if you're
interested.