Being a food fanatic, travel freak, and a cultural explorer, it is only natural that I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain (ok, and maybe even a bit of a crush!) I watch his show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel religiously, and never get sick of the re-runs. I love his no bullshit attitude, and his willingness to try everything. Great food isn't just about gourmet cooking. Sometimes, a street cart stand or a night market stand can dish out better cooking than 5 star hotels. And I completely agree with him when he says that sometimes the best cuisine is just a nice home cooked meal. Man do I get jealous when I see that he gets invited to families in Sardinia, Turkey, Vietname, etc. If I had access to home cooking like that, I would never even think about dining out!
When I saw that "Tony" was coming to the Warner Theatre here in Washington, DC, I got tickets without hesitation. However, after I septn my $50, I really had no idea what exactly he would be doing during this "evening" event. Will he be cooking? Is like like a stand up comedy show? Will it be a show down between Bourdain and Ripert?
The evening turned out to be kind of a interact with the audience type of event. Bourdain and Ripert were on the stage on a couch along with a host. The first hour consist of the host asking both of them a series of questions., and the second half was a Q and A sesion with the audience. I knew what to expect out of Tony, he's a guy who speaks his mind and isn't afraid of offending anybody. He is very opinionated and has a great sense of humor. Now before this, I am ashamed to admit, I had no idea who Eric Ripert was. "He's going to be a judge on Top Chef!" one of my friends told me. OK great, but who is he? Turns out he's a seafood master who has a cooking show on PBS. Throughout the show you get a sense that he is a very diplomatic guy who doesn't like to criticize other people in font of the audience. Which is kind of ironic given that you kind of have to be critical to be a judge on Top Chef! 
Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain are like day and night, and maybe that's why they had the two of them on stage at the same time. I can't really imagine 2 Tony's up there.
One thing I do have to note that from all of the talks that I been to with famous chefs, there was always an emphasis on the American farming industry. Of all people, top chefs in the world knows what quality ingredients are. Whether they agree with the practice itself is another story, but the taste of the meat, produce or whatever will always speak for itself.
Was the night worth $50? Probably not, but I had my laugh, and learned a great deal.
I am now currently reading Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential", which I highly recommend. It will change your perspective on dining out. A lot of stories I can actually relate to given that I currently work in a restaurant myself!
Hey I was there!
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