Anthony Bourdain & Eric Ripert in Charlottesville, VA, Sunday 10/30

Can you say FABULOUS!!!! What a night!!!
Before the show, started out with dinner at the infamous "Peter Chang China Grill" (do a search on this guy - both weird & amazing). Started out with "Dry-Fried Eggplant", which would make an eggplant lover out of the most ardent eggplant hater. Eggplant pieces shaped like thick-cut French fries, perfectly & greaselessy fried with mouth-numbing Szechuan peppercorns, sliced garlic, scallions, & cilantro. Beautifully crisp outside, fluffy & soft inside. VERY addictive - & if you didn't know they were eggplant, you'd never guess.

Followed that with "Gzuichuan Chicken"(sp?), which consisted of tender small pieces of boneless chicken crisp-fried with long pieces of bamboo shoot, carrot, scallion, & dried hot chilis; & "Chicken with Mixed Mushrooms" - truly the star of the meal - tender slices of "velveted" chicken with whole assorted mushrooms (authentic Chinese Black Mushrooms, white button, oyster, straw, & a few unidentifiable ones) in a light garlicy sauce.

Re: the show, the evening started by my finding out that I didn’t have 3rd-row seats – I had 2ND ROW SEATS. Tony could have spit & hit me – lol! My husband thought he’d have to treat me for the vapors I was so excited – lol!

Both men are infinitely more handsome in person than they are in their books or on tv. What really shocked me is that while on tv Tony seems to have put on some weight in his last season, in person he is built like a stick. A STICK. Eric is also svelte, although a little stockier than Tony. I really was shocked. It must really be true that the camera adds pounds, because you really wouldn’t believe how thin Tony is in person. Can you say Misses Size 4 maybe? Lol!

Both gentlemen were dressed in casual slacks/jeans, open-necked shirts, & sports jackets. Tony reached for the beers in the ice bucket; Eric the Diet Coke.


They worked off of each other beautifully, covering topics that kept even the non-foodies (including my husband) highly entertained. Eric always the gentleman; Tony the rowdy. Discussed other “chefs” (ahem) – Paula Deen, Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay, etc., etc.; embarrassing moments of their past; personal histories; food trends; sustainable seafood & farming; lots of different topics, which really made for an extremely interesting presentation. And who would ever have thought that Eric's favorite music/band is "Pink Floyd"?

The show lasted 2-1/2 hours with a 15-minute intermission. Terrific bang for ones buck. I’m SO glad I bought tickets, & if you’re a fan & he’s coming to your area, I sincerely recommend going to see him. He (& others) have a blog where his personal appearance schedule for the next month is listed. While most of his appearances are solo, I believe Eric Ripert will be joining him in Portland, Maine, in early November. Definitely worth seeing. I’m still buzzing – lol!!!


 

UncleRalph

Quo Fata Ferunt
Site Supporter
He is next on the list!!

Last month, got to go see Ferran Adria and Jose Andreas at the Lisner Auditorium(GWU in NW). What a night!
 
I'm ambivalent about Jose. Was gifted with one of his cookbooks, & on tv he ranges from enthusiastic & literate to downright looney - lol!
 
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