On Feb. 9 at The Pearl, ribald TV foodie Anthony Bourdain and acclaimed French chef Eric Ripert cross-examined and conversed with each other for two never-dull hours about all things culinary. And while Ripert was not without his own bons mots and ripostes, Bourdain stole the show with his trademark mouthiness. Some choice examples:
“I hope you motherfuckers have been drinking!”
[On Guy Fieri] “He looks like Billy Idol fucked a panda. He spells ‘culinary’ with a ‘k.’ How does he de-douche?”
[On appearing on Martha Stewart’s TV show] “Longest 15 minutes of my life. She’s terrifying.”
“Cocaine, on balance, was probably not a career builder.”
[On “selling out” with his ABC show] “I sold out the minute I agreed to a brunch shift.”
“If me and Ted Nugent can be friends, then there’s a chance for the world.”
[On eating a pig’s rectum in Namibia] “It wasn’t good. Sand, fur and crap in every bite. But I [practice] the Grandma rule: When I’m at Grandma’s house, I eat what’s on my fucking plate. So I ate the rectum!”
[Regarding Ripert’s $350-a-head restaurant, Le Bernadin] “Why couldn’t you just call it Eric’s: A Place With Fish?”
[On hormones in meat] “Yeah, I don’t want my kid to reach puberty at 6.”
[On quitting his 38-year, two-or-three-pack-a-day smoking habit] “I don’t feel better. My life has not improved. Any young people out there: Smoke!”
