Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations show on the Travel Channel debuts its New Orleans episode on Lundi Gras with several repeats during the week.
If you’re not familiar with him, Bourdain is a chef, food writer and fiction author who is also a traveling TV host. He’s doesn’t do the normal how-to cooking show. It’s really a travelogue, with Bourdain working in local cultural tid-bits while tasting the indigenous cuisine. He’s got a very dry style and tries to maintain a kind of “bad boy” image. He drinks and smokes a lot, curses some, but is always informative about, and appreciative of, the food he’s being served; whether it’s 5-star fancy restaurant food or some sort of skewered meat from questionable parts of a questionable animal purchased from a street vendor at 3 a.m.
He did an episode here on his old Food Network show but it was pre-K and all touristy and stuff. Central Grocery, a soul food place and Jacques-Imo’s were about all he covered. Hope he covers more in this one.
The Travel Channel’s teaser for the New Orleans episode says:
New Orleans, a city known for its love of food, music and life, was forever changed by the storm of Hurricane Katrina; yet today, New Orleans is still a vibrant and spectacular town, and who better to explore the true impact of Katrina than Tony Bourdain?
And speaking of Jacques-Imo, Abita beer is now bottling its Jockamo IPA, previously available only on tap at the Abita Brew Pub. “Jockamo,” as in “joc-a-mo-fee-no-ah-nah-nay” is part of an old Mardi Gras Indian chant. Mardi Gras Indians are one of the most intriguing New Orleans traditions arising out of the Mid-City African American community. I urge everyone unfamiliar with Mardi Gras Indians to commence to the Googling immediately!
If Bourdain runs across any Jockamo IPA or Mardi Gras Indians, he won’t help but get a clue what this town is about, K or no K.
Did you just assign homework?
Googling commencing…..