An Evening with Anthony Bourdain--As Medium Raw as it Gets

“It’s good to be back in my ancestral home,” beamed Anthony Bourdain as he stepped on stage at the Count Basie Theatre Thursday night. The near sold out crowd roared with approval, eager to feast on his hilarious stories of life as a cynical celebrity chef who tells it like it is.

From the moment you stepped into Count Basie, you could feel the excited energy seeping from the crowd. An eclectic mix of people filled the seats; everyone from young travelers and new chefs to passionate foodies and seasoned industry veterans. Everyone in the crowd seemed to love a different one of Anthony Bourdain’s personalities—the chef, the writer, the traveler.   

Jenni Reuter from Barnegat came to see the charismatic chef. A fan of Kitchen Confidential, Jenni was looking forward to seeing Bourdain speak in his typical no holds barred style. 

“He’s a maverick who isn’t afraid to speak his mind,” she said, referring to Bourdain’s vocal distain of vegetarians.

Christine Reilly, a bookseller from Barnes and Nobles Holmdel, was working the event selling a selection of Bourdain’s books. A fan of Anthony Bourdain the writer; she pointed out his gift in the talented way he writes the way he talks. Christine was a wealth of valuable knowledge about all his books, including his little known fiction work Bone in the Throat.    

Javier Velez, a world wanderer who calls Red Bank home, was eager to hear Bourdain’s tales of faraway lands. A huge fan of No Reservations, Javier has used some of Bourdain’s more popular episodes to plan similar trips.

“He’s living the ultimate dream, and I’m just trying to get a taste” he said, adding that his favorite Bourdain episode was Romania, which Bourdain later described as a “comedy of errors.”

All these personalities and more were present on stage as Bourdain came out delivering a verbal bashing of The Food Network as only he can. It seemed no Food Network chef was safe as Bourdain kept the crowd laughing with dig after dig on noted Food Network stars such as Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee. 

The hilarious and biting rant on TV cooking shows continued, with Bourdain describing his dislike for the poor contestant choices on Hell’s Kitchen, and the unqualified judges on Iron Chef America. He did show love for Top Chef, however, saying it was the only show that had believable contestants with actual talent.

Bourdain also took the opportunity to vent his anger over bad food, particularly focusing on the crimes of poorly made Italian or Mexican food. “Bad Italian food,” he fumed, “is a sin against God.” 

Bourdain’s anger over bad cooking shows, uninspiring chefs and bad food stems from his deep passion for food and cooking. Having spent 28 years in the business, he gets angry when he feels that food is “being abused.”  He has fervor for good food and poetically described how it can be the center of life in a society; a representation of the people and their culture. A moment of kindness seemed to leak through the sarcasm as he spoke of how food is the great connector; bringing together even those who seem to have nothing in common.  “Food is a medium,” he said, “it helps you let your guard down, and essentially, food is communication.”

Bourdain also delighted the crowd with travel stories from around the globe, saying that his “curiosity” was the one virtue that he had, and the most important ingredient in travel.  

He also offered some of his favorite travel tips to the crowd. The most important tip, he said, was showing gratitude that you are fortunate enough to travel. Other tips topping the list were to dress appropriately, do what the locals do, eat what the locals eat, and don’t be afraid to throw back some drinks with your hosts. Bourdain also urged the audience to be adventurous by breaking out of the comfort zone and trying local street food.  “If you see more than two Americans at a place,” he laughed, “don’t eat there.”

Bourdain delivered his stories with a smooth, down to earth flow. Although the theater was packed, the vibe was decidedly intimate, with Bourdain’s frank honesty and ease of delivery making the atmosphere feel as if you were just trading stories with an old friend over good food and strong drinks.

Before he ended the night, Bourdain opened the floor up to the audience for a question and answer period. The questions ranged from those about travel, to favorite places and recommended restaurants. The most important question of the night was, of course, where Bourdain had decided to dine while in Red Bank.  

“I didn’t get a chance to eat,” he said, the disappointment clear in his voice; “I’m just zipping in and zipping out.”

Sounds like a return trip to Red Bank is definitely on the menu.