As Dana told you a few months back, Anthony Bourdain is bringing his new "Close to the Bone" stage show to TPAC's Jackson Hall on July 7 at 7:30 pm. In fact, Nashville is the first stop on his 10-city tour. In preparation for his visit, he sat down with me to discuss the show, Nashville and his favorite airport foods. (Well, I was sitting down; he might have been walking his dog while talking to me on the cellphone for all I know.)
His last visit to Nashville in November 2012 was his first and so far only visit to Music City, but he's keen to return. "I won't get much of a chance to visit much on this trip since I'm only in for one night, but you're undergoing a real food renaissance down there. The chefs who have moved there or opened restaurants couldn't be more evangelical."
On his last trip, he pretty much only experienced the Oak Bar at the Hermitage Hotel due to his tight schedule. "My big regret was that I didn't get to eat any hot chicken. Some of my chef friends in New York speak of it fondly and with awe." So even though his time here has been brief, it has clearly given Bourdain an appetite for more.
"I really want to shoot an episode of Parts Unknown in Nashville next season. We'll be soliciting local feedback for advice on where to go." Indeed, even though his CNN show frequently puts him, literally, in the line of fire in exotic locales around the world, it's the U.S. destinations that can be more difficult for him. "We try to do a mix of international and domestic shows, but sometimes the domestic ones are more challenging. There are so many food and travel shows, and most of them are bad. It's always a challenge to try to find new perspectives. I certainly don't want to do a 'Top 10 Spots to Eat in Nashville' sort of show. In fact, I don't necessarily even want to be useful to someone planning a trip to your town. I just want to tell a compelling story."
The switch to CNN as a presenting and producing network has revolutionized the types of stories that he can tell through Parts Unknown, he says.
"They've been extremely loyal to me and did everything they promised me when I came aboard. They took a lot of grief hiring an ex-chef to do a travel show on a news network. A lot of people asked 'What the hell are you doing?!' But I really think we're doing the best work we've ever done, and they let me travel anywhere to tell any story.
"They've let me feature people like Iggy Pop and Darren Aronofsky and helped me travel to some really dangerous places like Congo, Libya and Iran. CNN has always been the support behind us and, most importantly, are determined to do right by us."
I asked Bourdain where, besides Nashville of course, is still on his to-do list. He replied, "I really want to go to Indian or Pakistani Kashmir, Afghanistan, Yemen and Oman. And we need to get back to China. It's such a huge country that there's lots to discover. And I'm always looking for any excuse to return to Tokyo to eat."
Is there anywhere he wouldn't want to visit again? "I don't want to beat them up, but Eastern Europe isn't always that much fun to shoot in. There was one episode where the government really tried to manipulate our narrative and alter reality. It turned out to be a hilariously cruel show. I always want to revisit places I've been because I think I could do a better job the second time. We're going back to Beirut for the third time, even though I had to be evacuated by Marines during my first show. Not even war can keep me from going somewhere."
(Coincidentally, the ship he was evacuated to was the USS Nashville.)
You'll hear plenty more stories at Bourdain's upcoming show, and tickets (including VIP options with a post-show meet-and-greet) are still available at TPAC's website. When asked how it would differ from his last foray to the stage at TPAC, Bourdain promised "It's filthier. Don't bring your kids. I've been working hard at putting together 90 minutes to two hours of material. If you're going to stand and talk in front of thousands of people, you'd like to be reasonably sure you can keep them laughing." To prepare, Bourdain plans to drop into some new comedy clubs around New York to work on his shtick.
With a minute left in our phoner, I asked him a couple of questions gleaned from suggestions from my Facebook friends. When asked about his favorite indulgence food and what he suggests eating when stuck in an airport food court, he gave one response. "Mac 'n' cheese from Popeye's Fried Chicken. That's my guilty pleasure. And it's so much better than a gray disk of mystery meat!" Hmm ... there's a Popeye's at the Nashville Airport. Not to encourage any of you Bourdain stalkers out there (and you are legion), but that might not be a bad place to stake out on July 7 or 8.
