We're sorry to see Les Halles—the dependable brasserie with the great steak frites, spitting distance from B&C headquarters—shuttered after 25 years. Of course, when we think of Les Halles, we think of its most famous alumnus—chef, author and TV host Anthony Bourdain.
Season seven of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown rolls on CNN April 24, with the intrepid nibbler visiting Manila, Tblisi and Buenos Aires, among other exotic locales. How does Bourdain keep the show as fresh as this morning’s catch?
“We’re going places and telling stories in a way that’s designed to interest me and the crew first,” he says. “If I’m not having fun, there’s no point in me going out there.”
Bourdain sees a bunch more seasons ahead. “It’s a big world, and I have a restless mind,” he says.
TV-wise, Bourdain is digging the new season of Archer, and he raves about Fargo too. What about HBO’s druggy rock ‘n roll paean, Vinyl? “It’s too close to home,” Bad Boy Bourdain says with a wince. “I lived through that period.”
Familiarizing himself with the cuisine in London is Rob Delaney, star of Amazon comedy Catastrophe. He admits he misses the grub back home. “To get excellent pizza, you might have to travel more than a quarter mile in London,” he says.
But Delaney is digging the TV big-time. Crime drama Happy Valley? “Peerless.” Lusty comedy Chewing Gum? “Amazing.” Apparently the U.K. has its own version of peak television going on. “There is definitely some pretty amazing television being made here,” Delaney says.
That includes wickedly funny Catastrophe. Season 2 aired across the pond and just recently landed on Amazon. Is there a more natural, relatable and likeable couple on TV right now than Delaney and costar Sharon Horgan? Not that The Watchman has seen of late.
Delaney connected with Horgan on Twitter years ago. “I was a fan of her earlier sitcom [Pulling] and asked her, ‘Do you want to write a pilot script with me?” he relates. “I had no idea it would turn into a TV show!”
