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« Toasted Sandwiches @ Couture Crepe Cafe The New Chicago Dog »

Chef Fri Aug 08 2008

Anthony Bourdain Eats and Films at Hot Doug's

Tony waits in lineI decided to swing by Hot Dougs today and enjoy the award winning New Chicago dog and some Duck Fat fries. Right after I finished taking a photograph of my encased meat, a young woman came over and asked me very apologetically if I would move over a few seats. "You see, we're doing some filming, and this is unfortunately the seat with the best light." Since I was done using the light for my own purposes, I agreed and asked who was filming.

"It's a Travel Channel program called No Reservations.

My belly flopped, my breathing stopped and I was somehow able to mutter "Yeah, but Anthony Bourdain isn't really here? Right?"

"Oh yeah," she replied. "He's waiting in line."

I spent the next several minutes trying to eavesdrop on his ordering conversation with Doug Sohn, owner and head comedian of Hot Doug's, and trying to get a halfway decent shot of him standing in line. And then he came and sat beside me and grumbled about how hungry he was while the camera operators got everything focused and queued up and then he began to eat and talk while he was eating. The eating definitely took preference over the talking and he ate The Dog (what Doug calls a Chicago dog) and he ordered a "Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Mustard, Foie Gras Mousse and Sel Gris", probably just to piss of Alderman Joe Moore for trying to make foie gras illegal and costing poor Doug a fine for selling it anyway.

Honestly, if you've seen one man eat a hot dog, watching Bourdain eat a hot dog wasn't really any different. However, because almost everyone in the restaurant knew who he was, even though they were trying to pretend they weren't staring at him, and since everyone was suddenly "dialing" their cell phones at eye level, even he seemed a bit unnerved by the staring and attention. But he handled it gracefully. I honestly think he's used to being stared at while he eats, but probably not used to being stared at by people who know him while he eats. But he seemed to love his meal, including the duck fat fries (even though the camera operators, assistant and sound folks probably ate more of them than he did). And while Chicago is no Malaysian jungle, this Chicago foodie hopes that Tony enjoyed the rest of the meals he ate in our fair city. I'm not sure about everywhere that he went, but The Food Chain has a few places listed.

 
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Adam / August 8, 2008 10:51 PM

SUPER JEALOUS!!!! I think I might have been a little weak in the knees myself.

Now that's what I call a celeb sighting.

whit / August 8, 2008 11:54 PM

ahhh i wish i was there!!!

i love anthony bourdain and encased meats.

RogersParkPlace / August 9, 2008 10:50 AM

And to think that idiot Joe Moore almost ruined if for all of us.

It was always a joke that Moore focused the entire city council on banishing foie gras, while his own ward is perhaps the biggest open air crack dealership in Chicago.

As Mayor Daley said so well: Thank you Joe "Foie Gras" Moore.

Louisa Chu / August 9, 2008 3:02 PM

Cinnamon - I wish I would have know you were there! And heck yeah, the crew ate fistfuls of duck fat fries - with foie gras dogs paired with Mr. Pibb. This morning Tony immensely enjoyed the chili smothered breakfast at Ramova Grill.

Andrew / August 9, 2008 10:07 PM

Oh man! And I was THIS CLOSE to swinging by Hot Doug's this afternoon...

Simon / August 10, 2008 1:59 AM

I work for Affinia Valet parking.. I pulled his car out the garage today and he only gave me 4 dollar tip. Very simple guy, hes cool.

Leo / August 11, 2008 3:15 PM

I was there Friday when the No Reservations crew showed up. It was crazy!

Here are some pics I took with my phone:

http://pownce.com/leozh/notes/3055501/
http://pownce.com/leozh/notes/3055325/

bobbi b. / August 12, 2008 10:09 AM

Oh man. I wish I had known about this in advance.

Asma / August 12, 2008 9:14 PM

I saw him at C-View (rooftop bar in the Affinia Hotel). He was hanging out with Louisa Chu and some other folks drinking a Heinekin. I took a picture with him...he was nice.

MorganLF / August 13, 2008 12:26 PM

Man am I jealous...even tho I live in New York!

eric / February 4, 2009 9:23 PM

@Simon, only a $4 tip for valet? What do you usually get?

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Feature Thu Dec 31 2015

The State of Food Writing

By Brandy Gonsoulin

In 2009, food blogging, social media and Yelp were gaining popularity, and America's revered gastronomic magazine Gourmet shuttered after 68 years in business. Former Cook's Illustrated editor-in-chief Chris Kimball followed with an editorial, stating that "The shuttering of Gourmet reminds...
Read this feature »

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Drive-Thru is the food and drink section of Gapers Block, covering the city's vibrant dining, drinking and cooking scene. More...
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Editor: Robyn Nisi, rn@gapersblock.com
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