In a Travel Channel menu filled with the loud, the ignorant, the ugly and the obnoxious, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations singularly shines like a diamond. Bourdain has carved his vaulted position in television by sustaining a program with entertaining taste, with rash honesty, by presenting himself as a canny man without pretensions or agendas. Anthony Bourdain – without intending to – has made himself a star.

Bourdain and his production crew are able to craft programs near as art as one can get in this medium. Take for example his latest trip to Vietnam in “There’s No Place Like Home.” Bourdain wafted through Vietnam with dash and aplomb, crafting scenes and images by referencing Graham Greene and, in a silly bit, Colonel Kurtz from “Apocalypse Now.” The tribute Bourdain and crew gave to the deceased Vietnamese restaurateur - whom they had befriended from an earlier trip – was as sensitive and touching as we are ever likely to receive on American television.

The quality and artfulness of Bourdain’s program stands in stark contrast to the remaining recidivist programming that the Travel Channel retches onto the airwaves. Save for Bourdain’s show, the Travel Channel would have been a singular choice for the Ancient Romans to watch in their Vomitoriums.

Need evidence? How is it entertainment to watch a fat man feed his face in extremis?

Humans will believe and watch anything if you make it entertaining – Just look at the Nazis.

i agree. this show is absolutely brilliant and is an awesome de-stressor after a crappy day of work on mondays. the only side affect that is negative to this show is the need to eat awesome food after watching.


although man vs food is pretty hilarious.. who wouldnt want to see someone try to down a 6 pound burrito hHAHAhahha