Anthony Bourdain

The Bagdad theater as always represents Portland well. The line wrapped around the building on the very first evening of summer, the long line happy, feet shifting, voices rising in anticipation of the event. Some clutched tickets in their hands proudly, others in groups or alone, eyes glossy, darting at the other faces there on Hawthorne that night. After filing in, exchanging my ticket for a signed book from the Author, and shifting through the crowded anteroom, I opted for the concessions line. Why not what could be better a nice cold "local made craft brew"? Choosing the IPA, clutching my book, 20 min. later ( long lines ) I headed up to the balcony open for such occasions as book talks and late night movies. Yet after looking down on the room I found a surprising lot of single seats unoccupied from the height. Ah HA!... scoring a good seat because I had a solo seat was a dream come true. 6 th row! The show was everything I hoped it would be. At times I am sure I resembled a little girl watching The Beatles unload off an air plane in the early 1960s, I envision myself pulling my hair and screaming until my eyes roll back in my head and I have a seizure. However that's just my reaction to Mr. Bourdain, not the venue or show. Other than the minor glitch with he sound system in the very beginning and one of your employees walking into the spot light 25 times, it would have been smooth, and perfect.

It was a terrific evening at the Bagdad! Starting with an adorable intro from a Powell's employee, Anthony Bordain charmed the audience immediately with his anecdotes from his life since Kitchen Confidential, fatherhood, and his favorite travel spots and meals. The night was perfectly timed for him to entertain with stories, answer questions and accept two shots of Maker's with some of his fans.

Bourdain knows how to entertain! He didn't stand behind the podium. Instead, he chose to walk back and forth on stage, which I think made him seem more approachable. He had lots of interesting stories to share, especially about the art of food, chefs, the Food Network (and other cooking shows), and most of all, his new family. He is such a fascinating man. Fatherhood has softened him, but only a bit. He's as acerbic and hilarious as ever. I adore him, I just do. I'm biased!

Anthony's energy level and wit is non-stop entertainment. He offers glimpses of an authentic sensitivity to people and places that sit comfortably in the midst of plain-spoken humor. Anthony is clearly knowledgeable about the "national food scene" and has thoughtfully reflected on where food and food-related culture are going. The crowd was clearly full of groupies who understood Anthony's references to other chefs and shows. Their questions reflected a long history of "watching Tony" and a clear affection for him. Although we learned not to call ourselves "foodies", we now don't know what to call ourselves other than utterly enchanted by Anthony's irrevant charm.

I'd only recommend this show to folks who are famililar with Anthony Bourdain and his show, No Reservations, and his books. If you like these, you will enjoy the show.

Very casual, open format for a full theatre. All the snarkyness from TV but without the sensors. LOVE him!!

Tony ws very entertaining. The kind of guy I'd sit ata bar with !

What a great show! Anthony is entertaining, honest with no holds barred! It was like visiting with a solid group of friends, no pretense, just everyone having an awesome time! I would highly recommend everyone to see him and of course, watch his show on the Travel Channel...No Reservations!

Loved the show. Anthony is funny, intelligent, insightful, and extremely entertaining.

Wonderfully refreshing and eye opening! Loved that his thoughts on food mimicked mine! Not in the food industry, just a food lover.

Tony was awesome...very funny and insightful. I loved that he opened the floor up and let us ask any questions we wanted to. I just wish I could have scored the VIP tickets and gotten a chance to meet him in person : (

Anthony Bourdain. What can I say? It was just that. A very entertaining and honest portrait of the celebrity. I laughed as he spoke of personal stories and tales of his journeys and experiences in the countries that he visits for the show No Reservations. I love his humor, his sometime colorful language he uses to make a point, and his true desire to bring good food to the masses. I hope that he comes to Des Moines again.

My husband and I both loved seeing Anthony Bourdain and hearing about his travels, the food, and the people. It was great and I'd recommend seeing him in person any time. He's exactly like his TV show, "No Reservations." Love him!

This show had the same tone and energy of his hit show, No Reservations. It was everything I expected and more. Great energy. Great humor. I would reccommend this show to anyone who is a fan of Anthony Bourdain.

Witty, sardonic, lively and articulate, Anthony was a great orator and I'd go again in a heartbeat!

I was eager (ok, almost jumping up and down) to see Anthony Bourdain after recently discovering No Reservations on the Travel Channel and realizing what I had been missing for the past six years or so. No Reservations is perhaps the most unique, refreshing, and honest looks at food and culture on television today. That being said, Anthony Bourdain in the flesh did not disappoint. What I had always liked about him on TV, his biting sense of humor tempered by genuine respect for and delight in the cultures and cuisines of the world, was even more evident when he took the stage last night and spoke about his experiences (good, bad, and ugly) and his love of food--but not just food, really, really good-tasting food, which he believes is born out of conflict, poverty, and necessity. As he remarked last night, "It's not hard to prepare a filet mignon and make it taste good. It's hard to make hooves or chicken feet taste good. You know it's taken hundreds of years to learn how to prepare it. And you all know it wasn't a gourmet chef who first looked at a snail and thought, 'Well, with enough butter and garlic, it might taste decent.'" Bad-boy image or no, Bourdain seems to have a true love for the people he meets, whether he's in his beloved Vietnam, fly-fishing in Montana, or speaking at the Civic Center in Des Moines, Iowa. If he decides to visit Iowa again, I'd recommend getting a ticket: you'll laugh until you cry, you'll learn a few things, and you will most certainly gain a greater appreciation of food, travel, and this wonderful world we live in. Kudos, Anthony Bourdain, and thank you for coming to Des Moines!

Bourdain was even better in person than on the show. His quick wit, intelligence, and insight made this a great night of food, humor, and snarky comments! He lived up to the hype and I would recommend this show in a heartbeat. The only unfortunate thing was the questions that were asked by the audience -- please think harder before giving us your life story and asking your questions.

But not for long enough. One hour? really.... two hours would have been way better.

Great to see Tony and liked the format of the Q&A with the audience. He is hilarious and snarky !! He has the best stories. Will see him again should he come back to Portland.

Tony gave a good and funny talk/rant and it was great that he opened the back half to questions from the audience. Aside from that, the Baghdad has one of the worst sound systems of any theater in Portland.

He is what he is. Entertaining. Could have lasted longer, would have like to have him talk more about his travels. Behind the scenes kinda of things. Bloopers? Enjoyable, and a book too! Glad I went.

He was very nice, answered a lot of questions, including mine. "Should I go to Berlin or Prague? Prague." Saw him outside, he was smiling and accommodating. Awesomeness. A signed copy of the book was given out at the door.

Anthony Bourdain was very entertaining but the sound and lighting systems were terrible. Either McMenamins or Powells needs to invest in/rent a quality sound system. Lighting was less than adequate but not as important as sound.

BY FAR this was better than his lecture last year. Same set up, considerably better execution. The free books were a nice touch too. Stick to what you do best, it's magic, AB.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. This guy has made a career of leveraging OPM (Other People's Money) to travel the world, explore his own curiosities and eat/drink really well, all while telling stories with a crass and brutal honesty that makes him the Howard Stern of the food world. So I shouldn't have been surprised that he stood up and told random stories about his kid for 15 minutes (I can almost guarantee he was one of those people whose eyes glazed instantly when someone started telling stories about their kids before he had one himself), and then opened the floor to questions. This is where things went south in a hurry. The Bagdad is a 600-seat theatre and this guy is trying to see through the spotlight shining in his eyes to point to people in the audience frantically waving their hands to ask him dumb questions like, "do you love Portland?". (So to be just, the weak rating in this review is definitely to be shared with McMenamins for not setting up microphones in the aisles and funneling those who wanted to ask questions to them, and to the attendees ourselves for not coming up with something more interesting to ask while we had the guy cornered.) Although he had some funny and enlightening answers to a variety of silly questions, Bourdain checked his watch repeatedly, as if to make absolutely sure he met his obligation to this room full of suckers who paid $35 for a $16.99 book and the chance to hear him say fuck live and in person, but not spend an extra minute lest the ROI of this particular milking of the cash cow be suboptimized. I think all of us plebes realize that the artists we revere would rather make their art than answer our questions about it, and Bourdain's very essence is crass honesty, but while I respect that he stayed true to who he is, I was disappointed with the evening.

overall it was a great event, really good to see Anthony live in person. The venue was good, plenty of seating, the lines went quick, great crowd. Although it felt really short to me..only about an hour or so, laughed the whole time. Sidenote, staff was courteous and efficient, had a good set up and it went smoothly.CHeers

Bourdain was entertaining as always with anecdotal stories and a real-life attitude. His style of answering audience questions was enjoyable and felt like you were sitting around and shooting the breeze with an old friend. The Bagdad theater, on the other hand, continues to fail in its ability to deliver anything approaching understandable audio. Feedback, echos, and dead-spots plague this venue ensuring no seat is a good seat if you don't hear really-really well.

Enjoyed the program, in spite of rude audience members who thought it necessary to shout questions over the top of his answers to others, so missed a lot. Biggest problem though, it would have been nice to see him, but there was almost no stage lighting so he was nothing but a dim ghost from the balcony. Really really disappointed in that. That being said, he was exactly as he is on his TV shows - wicked sense of humor, speaks exactly what is on his mind Thank you Powell's and Baghdad for the opportunity.

Informal, funny, short but sweet. The guy everyone wishes was in his group of friends, his insights on food and everyday life lighten your mood. Cannot wait to finish his new book.

It was an awesome show and well done. No issues to report and we enjoyed Anthony's humor, stories, and audiance interaction. Would do it again.

After waiting 2 hours to get in and grab a good seat, I was disappointed by the 40 minute show. Anthony talked for maybe 20 minutes, then opened up for questions from the audience. He was great, sharp funny, fast paced delivery...but I still felt gypped by the overall length of the program given the ticket price....and why weren't there any lights? It would have been great to be able to read the book while waiting for the program to start.

Anthony Bourdain is definitely worth every penny (and more) that we paid for the tickets! This is the second time I've seen him in Portland in 14 months and he was just as funny, snarky, honest and entertaining as ever. PLUS, this time around we got a copy of his new book WITH the ticket. Honestly, I probably would have paid almost twice the ticket price for the book and the experience. Whether you are a foodie or a travelhound, Tony Bourdain is the best friend you'd love to have.

Another great event with Anthony. He is such a great storyteller. He tells you how it is and doesn't hold anything back! I will definitely catch him the next time he comes through town! I just wish he wouldn't do a Q and A session. People ask some of the lamest questions and it's a waste of time that Anthony could use tellling one of his crazy stories.

Anthony Bourdain is a man on a mission, and it's simple; Open your mind. That's all he seems to be shooting for as he stood on the stage at the Bagdad Theater Monday night. Try something you haven't tried before. Think about what you're putting in your mouth. Get to know the people. Don't soak your burger meat in amonia. For those who have read Bourdain's masterpiece, Kitchen Confidential, or who follow him on Travel Channel's No Reservations, Bourdain's presentation wasn't even close to surprising, as they all expect only greatness. If you were unfamiliar with Bourdain before Monday night, you can, at the very least, now be no less than a rabid fan as Bourdain began the show with a prepared thesis about the food industry's attempt to poison America, organic vs non-organic, the love of his daughter, and his short lived imitation of a "softer, warmer" Bourdain. As is his M.O., Bourdain quickly turned the evening in a rousing Q&A session allowing everyone in the room the chance to get under his skin. The 60 minute session flew by with laughter, boos, and a man standing on stage who could have commanded the small army to follow his every order had he chose. And what's this? Everybody in the crowd gets a signed copy of his new book? Why yes I will! My only regret... I didn't raise my hand to ask this question... "Anthony, when will Portland get the one hour it deserves?"

For anyone who enjoys the Travel Channel's "No Reservations" show or has read Anthony Bourdain's books, spending an hour listening to his view of the Food Network, its celebrity "chefs", and related topics is a must-do. He is as engaging in person as he is on TV or paper, with his honest, street-level opinion, daring us to challenge our hard-held beliefs about food culture. What I like about him most is that he never pretends to be part of some gastronomic inner circle. He's learned to be a good guest, enjoy a variety of foods, appreciate the benefits of a good day's work, and is ever grateful for the opportunities life has presented him. One note on the venue: the Bagdad theater was a poor choice. Low lighting and a dodgy PA system made it difficult to see/hear. Tony deserved better. If it weren't for the Bagdad, I would have given this a 5-star rating.

Tony Bourdain was amazing! The event was fantastic! It was like spending an evening with a wonderful new friend. Bourdain was candid, personable, open and hilarious! Bring him back again soon!

The VIP experience was certainly worth it. Tony is a genuine type of person, perhaps too honest for some. He was humorous and very entertaining. The seats and reception were great. We so enjoyed meeting him. We were so happy to be able to tell Tony about my dad. No Reservations is his favorite show and if ever he wanted to meet someone - it would have been Tony. But he had a heart attack last year and is now in a minimum conscious state. My mom got him direct TV at the facility that he is in, just so he could continue watching the show. Through this show he can continue seeing the world. Thank God for shows like this. I wish that every disabled person that cannot travel could see this show.

What a great night. After following TB for years and having read most of his books, I'm very glad I was able to do this. Tony's as funny, irreverant, lude and insightful as he comes across on tv. What a treat.

Was expecting to hear more about books rather than all the food network people and why they suck.. I do not watch the food network so I had no idea what he was talking about..

Great night! Tony spoke for over an hour then took questions. Very fun!

Amazing, poignant, and enlightening. Awesome and funny storyteller. Fantastic voice that tells it as he sees it.

I would say this reminds me of college lecture/sharing. Anthony was great and funny! I love the part that he talked smack about different food shows on TV, including Food Network, Hell's kitchen. It wasn't unreasonable. His reasons make sense. The overall experience was good. His talk was about one hour, then there was the question time. Of course, some people asked some really stupid and annoying questions. And, that lasted another hour. If the tickets are cheaper, I think the experience would be a lot better. But oh well, what can you do? Anthony is popular!

Bad boy chef, writer and Travel Channel host Anthony Bourdain was extremely entertaining, funny and shared a wealth of information about his travels throughout the world. I would attend again if I had the chance.

It was a good show, but the booksigning event was only reserved for people who paid the most money for VIP seats. There was no mention of this on ticketmaster site (that booksigning will be limited to VIP seats only) when we purchased the tickets, which disappointed us. I felt that the book signing should have been open to all as it usually is. We bought a book of his to get it signed, will be returning it today.

Anthony Bourdain is a great story teller who had the audience laughing and gasping throughout. He answered a ton of questions at the end and was gracious. Highly recommended show!

Mr. Bourdain has a gift for articulating the things that many of us cannot, whether for lack of words or gumption. His impeccable perspective is always on point, and his delivery addictive to the listener. He gave a great show - I'd definitely attend another.

I was a bit of a disadvantage, in that I only have broadcast TV. The first and major segment was about TV - chefs, shows, personalities, etc. And there after, a good deal of the jokes required knowledge of who's in the celebrity food biz and TV shows. Anthony Bourdain wasted no time criticizing all of the above, much to the delight of the audience. And his material was as polished as a major touring comedian. Some material was a bit too east coast, but his delivery mitigated that enough so that the stories were enjoyable. It's clear that Anthony is a well liked and talented communicator, but no real insight into the world as he sees it was offered - Cutting into a TV show or chef or other person is popular and entertaining but not insightful.

What a GREAT evening!!! Although the VIP package was a bit pricey compared to other markets, it definitely was well worth it... the seats were amazing and getting the book signed and picture with AB made my night!!!! I just adore his snarkiness!

Bourdain was amazing. He is exactly the way he is on the show. Honest, rough, and absolutely hilarious. I was not impressed with the gentleman who interviewed him. He was hard to hear and not so eloquent. Ripert was a nice added surprise for me since I hadn't followed him as much as Bourdain. Loved his activist side.

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert. They were honest, funny and real! I loved how they played off each other. The show started a little late, but the Stevie Ray Vaughn pre-show music and Bourdain/Ripert slideshow kept the audience happy. My only complaint of the evening was the sound, which was horrible. The mike on Bourdain was bad the entire evening. Otherwise, highly recommended.

Fantastic show. Meet and greet was amazing!! Very very funny!!

Anthony Bourdain's show at the Chicago Theater was great. He started a little late (about 8:20) and talked until nearly 10. He seemed genuinely overwhelmed by the number of people attending the show, even mentioning it was the biggest crowd he played to. He wandered the stage telling stories and making jokes. The whole thing seemed heavily scripted and he seemed a little uncomfortable with it but still did a great show. He took a lot of questions from the audience, even getting to people up in the balcony to make them a part of the show. He was funny and candid, only a few profanities. I could have used more, to be honest, I like the vulgar Tony! He seems like just a regular cool guy. Lots of fun.

Anthony was great.... a no-nonsense speaker sharing his experiences in the food industry. He is outspoken and opinionated and not afraid to say what he thinks. With a wealth of travel experience and a respect for the cultures he experiences, he offers much advice on finding the best food in foreign cultures, and how to appreciate it all. Wasn't sure what to expect from this event, but it was a good time. However, the question-and-answer bit, while entertaining, was far too disorganized and unstructured. It felt a bit like a free-for-all and was difficult to hear questions/answers at times.

amazingly funny and sassy and damn sexy! I loved all the stories. He spoke with ease and comfort. If I wasn't laughing I was smiling. Truly a delightful evening with Mr. Bourdain. See you in Milwaukee!!

I attend many shows - mostly live entertainment in my home town of Portland, ME, in Boston, MA and lately in NYC, and this week in Las Vegas. I'm no stranger to good shows and some that you leave and say that was good just not great. Anthony Bourdain's show was disdainful. I don't mind vulgar referencing even when it's not necessary. I can get down and dirty with the best; however, that was the only thing he had to say... string after string of empty banter. He ranted for an hour and 15 minutes saying absolutely nothing... he slammed anyone and everyone on every food channel. Hmmmm and notice he got booted off everyone of them. He just called them big nothings... hmmmmm - strange that they've been successful and Anthony not so much. I was outraged for getting suckered into a show that cost $90 total for the ticket and heard nothing - zip - zero. I felt it was an hour of his ego... such a shame because I wanted to hear what it said in the write up... stories about his food travels. shame on me. I hope I can save someone their hard earned money for some other good event.

I hadn't seen Bourdain preform live before last night, and had no idea what to expect. I've read all of his books and watch his shows. Is he a cynic? Yes, of course he is, so I wasn't surprised that he came off as cynical, and he did it in a very humours way that kept me laughing the whole show. The auditorium is a beautiful place to see any show, and when the house lights were turned on during the Q&A portion, I couldn't help but look around seeing this pretty palace built in 1889. History aside, Anthony captivity the audience with his stories, insight into food television, food competition and, of course his world wide travels. Thank you Bourdain. Be seeing you at gate 34 at the Tokyo airport.

Really enjoyed the show! Laughed and could relate to his stories and humor! Bourdain at his best as he put on the show with minimum propts and shot from the hip. Eric was pretty funny to. Nice to see friends roast and enjoy each other. Bourdain is raw humor at it's best using his own life experiences from youth to present to show where he came from and where he is now. Basically really funny stuff! Only bad thing about the show was the sound system, which was not his fault. You would think the Auditorium would have decent equipment. All in all strongly recomment anyone who likes Bourdain to go see him. An enjoyable evening!

Very disappointed in overall performance. Not at all a professional production. Less than 10 minutes into the show his glorified PowerPoint failed to advance a slide and he was completely unprepared to carry the show without a prop! He spent a good 15 minutes of his show discussing methods for using drugs or getting high while filming, but without being seen directly on camera. Really? But yet, during the Q&A, a member of the audience asked him to elaborate on Alphabet City, and he patronized the person by saying that this was a terrible time in his life, he said "I was a heroine addict, and that's not fun." He said that was nothing he wanted to discuss. He was willing to sensationalize the drug usage on his show, but not discuss his reality! We know Anthony Bourdain is a liberal, who has been and probably continues to be a drug user. That's all the more reason we did not need to hear more of his political views or listen to him glamorize his methodology for getting high! I sure didn't pay what I paid to hear what I heard! Mr. Bourdain, you have had the great luck to travel the world, work with some of the most renowned chefs, eat foods many of us will never even see in cultures that are so foreign to us, and the most you have to share is how much you dislike other celebrity chefs, how to get high on TV, and how we as a nation are somehow responsible for people who can't say "no" to the clown, the king and the colonel. That's just sad to me!

I read previous reviews saying the speach was short and not that good etc. When Tony was in memphis this week the wife and I went to see him... Very entertaining. Tony talked for 1 hour then took questions for about 20 minutes. He did a slide show with clips from his show... hilarious. Poked fun of some of the travel channel competition. He brought to the audience attention he is not canceling no reservations but moving the show to CNN. Should be interesting. Definitely recommend this show. Very fun and entertaining.

Seriously. The back half of the hall could not hear the show. The sound was just too quiet. We struggled to hear but missed soo much that it was not even enjoyable. The people around us were clearly struggling to hear as well as they were rudely shh-ing people that made any noise at all. Devos Hall usually has it together so I wonder if this wasn't an Anthony Bourdain problem.

The last 20 percent of the main floor could not hear the show at all, or at a minimum, we had to struggle like hell to hear anything. My wife stuck it out, but many of us left in frustration. I talked to the management at length and they said they could do nothing because it was Tony's sound tech, but noted that no sound check was performed. We love Tony, but for goodness sake, do a freeking sound check before you disappoint so many people who paid good money. Very unprofessional and easily fixed but this oversight ruined many people's night for sure.

We saw the show in Hershey , the venue was smallish (900) but very comfortable! He talked for about an hour and was just as he seems on his show! Lively and entertaining! A world class traveller and chef, he has many interesting and funny stories! He took questions from the audience for about 30 minutes, until they got really stupid(questions). We will see him again for sure!

We waited almost 2 hours to get, kind of surprised by the venue, hard to get seats because they were taken by people saving seat, felt a little like high school. I was disappointed by the 40 minute show. Anthony talked for maybe 20 minutes, then opened up for questions from the audience. The sound was terrible, could not hear half of the questions or answers, lighting was just as bad. This is a place to have music that is only barley audible and not a good place for this type of event. The overall length of the program left me feeling like a cattle call. We saw the first show and he kept checking his watch to make sure we left on time. Overall I did not care for food network bashing, it felt like one restaurant knocking another to their clients. Tho I do not care for many of the food networks shows; I am sure that it is better entrainment than most of the "reality" tv that people are addicted to. I felt like I spent the night in a hotel 6 instead of the Hyatt.

Getting to see Tony in Oregon again was a blast! Though this time his show was a little more of a "book signing" speech moment. It would've been better had there been VIP tickets so those of us could get autographs or pictures with him. Still very entertaining! Hope he comes back again!

Anthony could have gotten on stage and read the damn phone book as far as I'm concerned! Love him

As expected Bourdain came out and provided his in your face opinions about food and why he loves - or hates it.

First, Anthony was genuine, sincere, snarky and sarcastic as always, and had me in stitches. He spoke for all of about 30 minutes, then took another 25 minutes of questions from the audience. Another hour would have been great. Also noteworthy was the autographed copy of his book (which incidentally costs the same as the ticket to the show did - nice touch!) The venue was HORRENDOUS!!!! There are no house lights, so Anthony could not see the people who were asking questions. The biggest issue, though, was that the venue CLEARLY sold more tickets than they had seats. Also, the parking situation is a joke. It's all street parking, and with the other local venues and attractions, we were lucky enough to only have to park six blocks away (other said they walked 20 minutes from their parking space to reach the venue). Overall, it was a great show, but it would have been far better if hosted at just about any other venue.

The show was really incredible! Anthony was everything we expected and more. One little thing I thought was too bad though for Anthony, when we asked what his favorite beer was at McMenamins he said Guinness....obviously he missed his chance to try some of the best beer in the world, the local beer from Portland. That was a little bit disappointing considering he prides himself on knowing local cuisine wherever he goes. My opinion is he needs to come back and try some local food and BEER! Portland wants to show off a little Anthony come back and see what we have to offer! The signed book was a nice part of the show ad he was fun to see over all.

I knew it was a book tour. I knew it was Anthony Bourdain. What I didn't expect was an older, calmer and generally more stoic Anthony Bourdain just making a stop in Portland while fulfilling his contractual obligations. Maybe the incessant world traveling is starting to cramp his busy family life or he was just plain tired of answering the same questions for the 2nd time that day (not to mention probably the 50th time in the last 2 months). He came out right on time and left right on time - no lolly gagging or bs-ing for one extra minute. Not even an encore of a second thank you and hand wave. Don't get me wrong, he was charismatic, charming, jovial all while being the same foul mouthed, uninhibited, tell it like it is Tony. I ate up every minute of it - from his rant on how to keep his kid out of McDonald's clutches to his well prepared answers on Portland-specific questions to the two shots he took while on stage (I think two is his limit in a public situation). It was great. All of it. And, his book, so far, is great. Slightly narcissistic and right to the point (all the qualities we love about Tony) and presented in a Pulp Fiction manner, what could be better?

I'd waited some time for the opportunity to see Tony in person, and was pleased with what I saw and heard. He undeniably has a way with words and body language, and is so strongly confident (on the verge of being really delightfully cocky). He shared some anecdotes and thoughts that I'm sure even he'd admit were quite opinionated, and took the time for a great number of questions from the audience give the time restrictions between one presentation and another. That there wasn't a personalized autograph session is more than understandable - the man signed 1300 copies of what is a very entertaining book for the event. And hey, $27 for both book and admission? Hard pressed to beat that. I don't want to be restricted to the balcony next time (which, indeed, warrants that there -will- be a next time).

Great! Met expectations and just underscored why I love his TV series...and that he truly is someone I'd feel comfortable sitting down and having a beer with...I wish! Negatives? Venue-related: sound system not great/house lights couldn't be turned up for Q&A session. This was show 1 of 2; Tony looked at his watch several times which underscored that our time with him was going to end any minute. Made me wish I'd booked the 2nd show.

It was like seeing AB uncut. It was great to hear him speak his mind.

Saw Anthony the last time he was in town and this time was much more fun. As usual, he kept the audience enthralled by his stories. Whether it was about his favorite episodes or his encounters with the Food Network personalities he had us hooked.

I REALLY ENJOYED THE SHOW.I HAVE BEEN A TONY FAN FOR MANY YEARS AND ENJOY HIS DON'T GIVE A DAMN ATTITUDE..I WISHED IT WAS A LITTLE LONGER-1 HR DID NOT BEGIN TO COVER ALL HE COULD SAY. THE INCLUSION OF HIS NEW BOOK WAS A REAL BONUS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT HE SIGNED THEM.WHAT A TREAT TO THE FANS. ACOUSTICS COULD HAVE BEEN ALOT BETTER BUT ALL IN ALL -A REALLY ENJOYABLE HOUR WITH TONY.

The memories Mr. Bourdain brought back to me were wonderful. His thoughts on line cooking brought a knowing smile and a nod of agreement from both myself and my associate. Both of us CIA alumni from near Mr. Bourdains time.

Overall it was a nice experience. I am not a foodie nor a travel channel buff. I watch Tony's show and that's it. Apparently the rest of the audience followed every celebrity chef on television with a passion. Tony catered to this crowd. My husband and I were lost on a few of the inside foodie/chef jokes. We were there to hear him sardonically berate one culture after another but he was on his best behavior. He talked for about 45 minutes and did Q and A for another 20. We were able to purchase a pre-autographed copy of Medium Raw but he was only signing live for VIPs I heard. Still, he's the kind of guy you want to sit and have a drink with.

Anthony Bourdain was as good in person as he is on TV. He was funny, personable, honest and totally approachable.

The show was fantastic! He is such a great public speaker, I could probably listen to him talk for hours. The place was packed, and some of his stories were absolutely hilarious, the whole audience was cracking up. He is just so honest and relatable when he talks, he seems like someone you could sit and have beers with for hours. I wasn't really expecting anything less though, I love his books and his shows, and it's nice to know that's really who he is. In the q and a section he answered all the questions honestly, and some of the questions were really smart. Some people asked some really out there questions, or one's that made no sense, so it would have been nice to have some editing on what people asked. I would 100 % go see him again. What an amazing life he has had! One thing, if you go to UCLA for an event get there an hour early. We got there about 30 minutes early they lead us into a parking structure that was full, so we drove around for 20 minutes until I asked them what was going on. They then routed us to another lot about a 10 minute walk away from the theather. I think they could have handled that better by counting the number of spots they had and not funneling us all into the same little section. So just plan accordingly.

Hilariously funny Bourdain came out like a locomotive following Iggy and the Stooges songs playing as an intro and the funny train kept a rollin'. Sparked by audience appreciation the antedotes of foodie sensation Boudain were tossed out like a good Caesar of his global experiences. From sarcastic jabs at the Food Network personalities Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee to his adoration of Mario Batali the only chef who can out Italian our fearless leader, Bourdain kept the audience amused and abused by his POV at the beautiful Royce Hall. His admission to routing for the Lakers and love for In and Out Burgers were cheered on as the stories unfolded. Witty insights to Vietnam, Japan, China and Africa were his palates of adventures, revealing a passport to passions of pork, uni and vodka. A new found softer family side playfully pulled on everyone's heartstrings as he admitted caving into the organic food world caution of eating as a result of his three year old's needs. The only thing missing in the prix fixed menu was an encore.

Bourdain rocks as usual! Got a signed copy of his book too. :)

His philosophy of travel, i.e., above all act as a respectful guest, are words to live by.

Disappointing - for all the places he has been and all he has seen, most of the time was spent bashing other food show people. the zip and sass he shows on tv was lost in person (great editing) will continue to watch his show, not in person

Hilarious and insightful talk, and excellent, lengthy Q & A.

Absolutely fascinating, hilarious, good time. Tony is who he is and tells a story masterfully. He's a walking quote machine - "Sandra Lee did to food what Hitler did to Poland." Tony ROCKS!!!

This was the most entertaining evening that my daughter & I have had at any speaking event. It was well worth the expense and drive from Rancho Cucamonga and I look forward to future Bourdain events. He connected so well with the audience and was inspiring, insightful and incredible!

He speaks just like he writes. I was enterained the entire time. It was great!

Thoroughly enjoyed Tony's observations about his world-wide travel, being a chef and his candid comments about his past. The interchange and banter with his good friend Eric Ripert made it even better. I will definitely se him (them) again.

A great evening for foodies and those who just love great storytelling! Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert are the perfect hosts as they guide you through an evening of tales about life behind the apron, a behind the scene glance at reality television, and an overview of their relationship. What a great night out!

My boyfriend got me tickets to the event since he knows I enjoy Bourdain's show. It was definitely a fun and interesting interview to watch, pretty laid-back and with 'no reservations' (I know, kinda cheesy, but true). I wish the sound would have been better though. I was sitting not too far from the stage and at times it was hard to hear - but this I guess is a complaint to the Warner Theatre and not the event. All in all, pretty fabulous.

This eveing was like stting in your living room and having a glass of wine with Tony and Eric. Sobering; funny and entertaining. A Down to earth candid discussions, from runing a resturant, to married life, to who is the worst cooks on TV; to the best sandwich to eat. Loved it.

I thought the event was very well done. I really enjoyed listening to their tales in the industry and about the culinary world from their perspective. very insightful and VERY entertaining. Anthony Bourdain is so honest and to the point. Eric Ripert is very soft spoken up against Bourdain.

I thought the evening was very cool! It was awesome seeing Anthony Bourdain in person! He's the exact same in person as he is on tv and we really enjoyed listening to him tell stories and answer questions. Although I wasn't sure who Eric Ripert was at first, I did recognize him when he came on stage. It was tough to hear both of them at times and Eric's accent made it difficult to understand him at times, especially with the sound issue. However, his sense of humor was awesome. He and Tony made a great team. I thought Tommy McFly did well although I was surprised that someone so young and not that well known in DC was hosting. Some of the audience questions were a bit political. I thought that may have been handled a tad better. All in all, we were very happy to see Tony in person and get to know Eric better.

Everything I expected and more. Just the ideal setting in which to enjoy Bourdain and Ripert. I could have listened for 2 more hours...and the Baltimore foodie experience was fantastic as well! Bourdain's stories are amazing. He has an irreverent - to say the least - sense of humor, but incredibly high standards for himself and others in his profession.

Two really introspective guys, loving life, spreading joys and truths.

I liked the setting of the show, it was a very intimate discussion with the Chefs. You could very much tell that Eric and Anthony were at ease in each others presence, and that their styles are very different yet complimentary. It was an entertaining show. Eric Ripert was hillarious and was obviously having a good time.

While it was great to see both chefs in person, the moderation and particularly the sound made me think I would have preferred to watch a video version of this event.

This was the personable Tony that everyone thinks they've seen on TV. Except he really is that way! Funny. Thoughtful. Provocative. Insightful. The presentation was great fun and the Q&A was even more so. just wish it was longer as there were so many questions folks, including me, wanted to ask.

I thought the show was great. Both of these chefs were very funny and both seemed very humble. They shared some great stories and Bourdain explained a lot of comments that have been made about Baltimore in the past. I have always been a fan of his show but HATED when the focus came to Baltimore because I didn't think he was fair... after hearing his side of things, it all makes sense and I believe he does like it here.

The interview was entertaining. Anthony and Eric were a lot of fun. The sound was pretty terrible, way too much feedback. The audience questions went on for longer than I would have liked. The "Foodie Experience" was not at all what I expected. There were way too many people and not enough space for them. They really should have limited those tickets to about half of what happened. Standing in line for 10 minutes to shove something down my throat so I could get in line somewhere else to do the same thing was not what I had in mind. There were so many people there that you couldn't tell where your favorite restaurants were set up and that was frustrating. Some of the restaurants were not prepared for such a large crowd, which was obviously not their fault. One of our favorite places, The Wine Market, was told to have 500 samples, brought 700 and were cleaned out within 15 minutes. Ridiculous. I left quite disappointed.

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert engaged in a witty, friendly and bantering night of anecdotes and opinion that kept a roomful of fans spellbound. Hosted by local radio personality Tommy McFly, the two discussed their careers as world-famous chefs (Ripert is still in the kitchen, while Bourdain moved on to television and travel ten years ago), including what they do on their rare days off and their opinions about current superstar TV chefs. During the Q&A, my wife was lucky enough to ask what each considered their go-to dish for the family-- and the response it provoked was great, as each talked about their families and how they bond. Genuinely a terrific night, worth twice the price and well worth seeing again and again (if you can).