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Overview
An illustrated, behind-the-scenes travel journal of Anthony Bourdain's global adventures.
More than just a companion to the hugely popular show, No Reservations is Bourdain's fully illustrated journal of his far-flung travels. The book traces his trips from New Zealand to New Jersey and everywhere in between, mixing beautiful, never-before-seen photos and mementos with Bourdain's outrageous commentary on what really happens when you give a bad-boy chef an open ticket to the world. Want to know where to get good fatty crab in Rangoon? How to order your reindeer medium rare? How to tell a Frenchman that his baguette is invading your personal space? This is your book. For any Bourdain fan, this is an indispensable opportunity to hit the road with the man himself.
Synopsis
An illustrated, behind-the-scenes travel journal of Anthony Bourdain's global adventures.
More than just a companion to the hugely popular show, No Reservations is Bourdain's fully illustrated journal of his far-flung travels. The book traces his trips from New Zealand to New Jersey and everywhere in between, mixing beautiful, never-before-seen photos and mementos with Bourdain's outrageous commentary on what really happens when you give a bad-boy chef an open ticket to the world. Want to know where to get good fatty crab in Rangoon? How to order your reindeer medium rare? How to tell a Frenchman that his baguette is invading your personal space? This is your book. For any Bourdain fan, this is an indispensable opportunity to hit the road with the man himself.
The Washington Post - Linda Kulman
This latest endeavor from the author of Kitchen Confidential is a companion piece to his Travel Channel television series of the same name, a country-by-country scrapbook of exploits that conjures up not just the sights Bourdain took in but the aromas and ambient noise as well. The commentary exhibits his usual slash-and-burn approach, and the book's overall vibe is macho—bathroom humor (and photos) included.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
Television cooking star Anthony Bourdain once told an interviewer that food ranks as the purest expression of a region's culture and history. As if to prove his point, the Food Network chef travels the world in No Reservations to break bread with locals from New Zealand to New Jersey. This profusely illustrated companion book to his TV show provides scores of recipes that are guaranteed to widen your kitchen repertoire. A tasty treat for an eclectic home cook.Linda Kulman
This latest endeavor from the author of Kitchen Confidential is a companion piece to his Travel Channel television series of the same name, a country-by-country scrapbook of exploits that conjures up not just the sights Bourdain took in but the aromas and ambient noise as well. The commentary exhibits his usual slash-and-burn approach, and the book's overall vibe is macho—bathroom humor (and photos) included.—The Washington Post
Publishers Weekly
The in-your-face, hard-boiled chef Bourdain (Kitchen Confidential) delivers another entertaining look at the best and worst places around the world in which to eat. While the book shares a title with Bourdain's popular television show, it achieves its author's goal of not being "some cynical, cheap-ass 'companion' book to the series" featuring "a bunch of blurry photos taken from the show." The book chronicles his last three years globe-trotting-"a continuing journey of 200,000 miles"-as he's accompanied by a film crew whose "disturbing eccentricities" make up his "new dysfunctional family" with whom he shares his many adventures. The bulk of the book consists of beautifully composed photos of Bourdain's travels, "an honest and direct recording of the way life is lived in the rest of the world." But Bourdain also provides many of his always incisive and entertaining observations, ranging from short takes on Singapore ("one of the most food-centric, food-obsessed, food-crazy cultures on earth") and Iceland ("The notoriously stinky fermented shark was, in fact, the second worst thing I've ever put in my mouth") to longer looks at Beirut, cooks and "Bathrooms Around the World" (worst country for bathrooms: Uzbekistan). (Nov. 5)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationSchool Library Journal
As every fan of the Travel Channel knows, Bourdain (Kitchen Confidential), executive chef of New York City's Les Halles restaurant, has spent the last three years hosting the series No Reservations, an entertaining account of his global travels to some of the world's most exotic places in search of food and adventure. He is right to insist that the book is not merely a companion to the series; through 400 stunning photographs, it does far more, chronicling failures along with successes as well as behind-the-scenes drama and some of the crew's downtime. The text accompanying the photos is tinged with all the characteristic Bourdain hallmarks: humor, wit, sarcasm, salty language, innate curiosity, and, above all, his intrepid spirit and lust for adventure. Whether enduring his "worst meal ever"-warthog in Namibia-or savoring steamed shark head in Singapore, the author, with his inimitable style, will ensure that readers enjoy going along for the ride on this irresistible journey. An indispensable addition to travel, culinary, and popular reading collections everywhere.
—Deborah Ebster Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information