“I was promised pork and beer.” These were the intellectual words uttered by Anthony Bourdain ( Tony for those of us close), in tonight’s episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in Berlin. Tony goes on a voyage to 1) explore Berlin’s underground sensibility and 2) rid himself of his three word association to Berlin: sausage, beer, and David Hasslehoff. The opening segment was rather interesting tonight, and for those of you who actually watched you know what I’m talking about: Tony in a creepy museum hotel trying to find the most compatible room to sleep in without being completely turned off. I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it! Especially since one of the opening shots of the hotel featured a sign saying “No sex in the coffin,” and I’m not even going to go there.
Tony ditches the hotel for food at Prayer Garden in hopes of getting some “classic German light cuisine.” I say that sarcastically because I don’t think there’s anything “light” about the German diet, let me give you a visual. I’m talking about schnitzel aka veal cutlet with potatoes, hard boil egg, the German version of French toast, and beer. Not to mention, I’m probably missing a side or two.
The next meal he tackled with his good ol buddy Nigel was currywurst made out of pork sausage with a side of fries aka heart attack on a plate. Nigel points out that the big question here when consuming this meal is, do I want my currywurst circumcised or not? Maybe he doesn’t say it in those words, but that’s kind of how I like to think of it, and did I forget to mention that the currywurst is deep fried too? The fun just doesn’t stop!
Post currywurst consumption, Tony and Nigel take a look back and manage to get in a pretty heavy history lesson this episode. However other notable highlights were featured as the following:
• Tony’s trip to Ragacki and it’s “staggering variety,” that consisted of hedge cheese, liverwurst, sauerkraut, fried fish, blood sausage, mashed potatoes, white asparagus, and three types of herring…basically a vegetarian’s nightmare, but it is amusing how Tony ogles at the colors and textures of the food. It’s just the type of thing to get a chef all excited.
• The somewhat creepy segment with the art guy. One of my favorite lines of the night, Tony asks ‘when do you know it’s done?” The art guy replies, “the art tells me it’s done, or my mother tells me…or I take note from other people.” It doesn’t read nearly as funny as it sounded, but I guess you had to be there.
• Tony’s “trip to Turkey,” and the Doner accompanied by a smorgasbord of kebabs, his meal at Brastubal, and his look into Caberat.
You gotta love Anthony Bourdain!
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