Anthony Bourdain: 5 Unexpected Lessons He Taught Us Last Night

By Ali Trachta Fri., Feb. 10 2012 at 2:13 PM

College of the Canyons/Jesse Muñoz

Anthony Bourdain, giving a rapt audience a window into making No Reservations.

We don't think any stone was left unturned by the end of Anthony Bourdain's speaking engagement last night at Santa Clarita's College of the Canyons.

We know his new "death row" meal (used to be bone marrow, but is now uni atop perfectly cooked sushi rice, preferably on a beach under a palm tree with a beer in his hand). We know how he keeps his 4-year-old daughter from the clutches of fast food's "the king, the clown and the colonel" (by stealing the head of her favorite Barbie doll, dipping it in chocolate and putting it in a McDonald's wrapper). We know the absolute worst thing he's ever eaten (Icelandic shark fermented in its own urine), and we know that working for him usually involves a certain amount of humiliation (such as one producer's accidental reveal that she'd worn her underwear inside out the day Bourdain removed a leech from her ass while filming No Reservations).

Yet none of these things were the most interesting thing we learned from Bourdain, either during his speech or in the chat we had with him beforehand. Here are the five most interesting things Bourdain schooled us on last night:

College of the Canyons/Jesse Muñoz

Anthony Bourdain, talking shop at the post-lecture book signing.

5. Baja is the new Tuscany.
"Tijuana and Ensenada -- there's some awesome shit going on down there right now." Bourdain told us. "They got tired of waiting for the Americans to come back and just started making really great, really creative food.

"There are people there who have been doing great food for 35 years, and there are a bunch of young chefs who have traveled the world who've come home and decided, 'Let's move Mexican food forward.' It's like Tuscany down there. It's amazing. I was there for eight days and didn't see a single American. Traveled around wine country there -- it's awesome. It's the great undiscovered wonderland. Rolling hills, grape arbors and great chefs cooking very forward, very subtle, very local, very good food.

"They've thought, 'We need to reinvent ourselves. We're not going to be the whorehouse for frat boys anymore.' And something amazing's happening."

4. Why he's so angry at the Food Network
Because food should be simple. You shouldn't need dozens of tools and endless instructions to create it. And moreover, he explained, displaying a photo of Paula Deen licking icing off of Robert Irvine, "She knew full well she had Type 2 diabetes when this photo was taken." Illustrating the contrast, he said, "I smoke on my show, but I don't sell cigarettes."

3. The Grandma rule
How does Bourdain stomach some of the downright nasty food he's given to eat? Particularly when he's in a tribal state, being served unfresh meat covered in "fur, sand or shit" by the decorated chief? (As has happened.)

He abides by the Grandma rule, which states you "should eat what's put on your fucking plate," he says. "That's called fucking manners."

Sure, he has his principles, he says. He knows the difference between pets and food, and as such, he's avoided dog and cat at restaurants that customarily serve them. But when at someone's house, as he often is on No Reservations, if the patriarch offered him a plate of braised puppy heads, he'd like to think he'd say, "Pass the fucking puppy heads."

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College of the Canyons Performing Arts Center

26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Valencia, CA

Category: General

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Ali Trachta, Anthony Bourdain, Baja, College of the Canyons, Jonathan Gold, No Reservations

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giltor

Alex, thank you very much for the information. I plan to be there in a couple of weeks and I'm glad I'll be able to visit this place, as I mentioned before, the quality of the food just looked very good. Thanks again!!

Juangrito

For some of us Anthony is like an old friend. Send you a big hugh compadre!

giltor

Does anyone know what he place he visited towards the end of the show were he is obviously very hung over. It seemed like a "hole in the wall" little mexican restaurant but the food looked delicious. He did not mentioe the name nor is is posted on the food channel site.

Alex

That little place is called "El Rincón Oaxaqueño" in Ensenada. The address is Av. Reforma y A. Rodriguez Lote 15 S/n fracc. nueva ensenada Tel. 152 1985. Google it and you will find a couple of pictures of it. Great place, awesome food and just to give you an idea $3.99 US is what you have to pay for the dish on the show.

Miriam Wood

@shaymica68 Baja the new Tuscani

Jessie Arista Webb

Just saw A. Bourdain's "Techniques" episode for the first time. 'Think it's great that he believes "Home Economics" should still be taught in school... to both girls and boys.

Atomiko1

Really enjoyed his comments about Tijuana and Ensenada, I was born and raised In Ensenada and yes it has become a great city with great "hole in the wall" food places, and I am kind of upset about El Rey Sol owner stating that he is sorry that Antonhy didn't go to his restaurant, actually I am Glad he didn't go there just for the fact that he does not need more publicity, people who really work they ass off in the small taco stand, mariscos stand or the small new restaurant trying to reinvent the food is the one who deserves the credit and the honor of having Mr Bourdain at their food places, and by the way food at El Rey Sol is not all that great, at least the last couple of times that I went there , service and food were mediocre, this is a place for old and new rich people that think that this restaurant is the most upscale place in town, I think that they are loosing the battle to small restaurants who have way better food and service even the taco stand around the corner than "El Rey Sol"

Margit

I have lived in Baja for about 20 years and seen this evolution - not just with food, but wine, Olive oil(Santo Tomas just won 1st prize WORLD WIDE) and music and art!! we are incredebly lucky here in Baja-- THE OTHER MEXICO!!

Jean-Loup Bitterlin

Really enjoyed Bourdain's article on Baja, but sorry he didn't visit El Rey Sol restaurant in Ensenada. We are celebrating our 65th anniversary, now as Mexico's oldest French restaurant, no small feat. As he likes unusual dishes, we do serve crocodile ribs, skate in a burnt butter with capers sauce, as well as the best escargot around. Our french pastries, although not exotic, are recommended by our clients as better than ones in France, as the recipes were learnt by my mother in the 1920's while living in France as a young adult. They don't have preservatives and other changes, so they are fresh daily.

Suzy21

I love Rey Sol, my mother is from Ensenada, and everytime I visit, my husband and I visit Rey Sol. My Favorite dish has always been the Escargot, introduced to me at the age of 7! And the pastires are the best, I always buy a box full to bring back to San Diego :)

Pauline Adamek

"(such as one producer's accidental reveal that she'd worn her underwear inside out the day Bourdain removed a leech from her ass while filming No Reservations)."

Every femme knows that in extreme circs sometimes your undies have to do double duty...

Val

Unexpected? Sounds like a repeat of the talk he gave at Royce Hall in June of last year: http://www.trippyfood.com/2010.... I suppose the Baja references are new...