Anthony Bourdain is Following Me

I am a huge fan. In fact, for the limited TV I watch, this is my favorite show. I feel stalkerish and now have a “connection” with him. Like a groupie. This guy is getting more and more popular, but I’ve been a fan before people knew who he was. Last year, I was in a small city in China called Dengfeng so I can visit the Shaolin Temple the following day, and who appears on my little transistor radio version of a TV in my room? Mr. Bourdain. Nobody look… he’s mine! I discovered him!! I even read the guy’s books. But now, I think he’s following me. Recently, his shows are taking place at locations very near and dear to me. A couple weeks ago, his show was in Washington, D.C. Tonight? Chicago. After the Chicago show, they replayed his time in Mexico. Tony, if you’re reading this, call next time. Stop the mind games.

Unfortunately, I didn’t properly watch the D.C. show since I was busy, but I did get the gist of it. I’ve been to most of those places, and the places I didn’t go to, I’ve been to either a similar place, other places by the same chef. On this post, I talk about D.C.’s charm to food residing in the international cuisines in & around the city, and these are some of the places he went to. He visited a Peruvian place (wish I got the name) and an Ethiopian place. You see these places everywhere. Depending on where you are, there could be 5 Peruvian chicken places within a single block, like in Arlington, VA. And Ethiopian. Well, here’s a fun fact – besides Ethiopia, there are more Ethiopians on earth in the D.C. area. So umm yeah, when I go to a gas station, and they are selling injera, the “bread” from there used to pick up the food, you know there’s a large community here. (Here’s a review of a place Porthos and I went to.) He also went to Mini Bar, which is chef’ed by José Andres, who also has Jaleo and Zatinya, which I’ve been to. There’s also Café Atlantico that he chefs up. (Here’s my Jaleo review.) There was also Ben’s Chili Bowl, which is a staple for D.C. that has been around forever that prides itself in half-smokes and hot dogs. (Don’t worry, Chicago and NYC, they have NOTHING on you.) So I was quite happy to see that he’s following… I mean we went to the same (types of) places.

Now the Chicago show. The disappointing part was when he was on the Mancow Radio Show, since I don’t like that show, but I understand that he has to since it’s the most popular radio show in Chi Town. Mancow is a Howard Stern rip-off, though he says he never listened to him. After the show, Tony and Mancow went to have sandwiches, where Mancow tells him that Tony introduced him to his new favorite sandwich in his own city. And that is something that I had to agree with Mancow on. Watching the Chicago show made me realize how out of touch I am to that city now. I do know the staples, but I don’t know these new places he spoke of. I took notes. I am armed for my next visit. But he did try the hot dog and did say, on camera, to the world – Chicago has the best hot dogs.

And he’s a New Yorker.

By the way, text BOURDAIN to 47201 for updates. =]