July 22, 2010, 4:31 PM |
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By Chris Collins, Executive Producer
The truth is, I don’t get to go out on shoots as much as I used too (and I swear I really used to). I’m sure the newer folks at ZPZ just view Lydia and me as the two office wonks bolted to our desks who are constantly stressed out – which isn’t too far from the truth… But at one point, early in our career as freelancers, Lydia and I were out in the field producing and shooting all the time. Then Zero Point Zero, “the company” happened and we were forced into different roles… So when the INDIA shoot presented itself I grabbed at it thinking: “Hey, never been there, want to go there, should be fun, and what a great excuse to relax on a very long flight, spend a week in a well-appointed hotel room reading and watching movies undisturbed – except of course when room service shows up with my pasta Bolognese…” Well, at least that was the fantasy…
Continue reading: Packing for Kerala »
Posted By: no reservations crew
July 20, 2010, 12:36 PM |
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By: Michael Steed, Producer
I’ve been working on No Reservations now for about seven months; just days ago I was in New York finishing my first show – Food Porn II – with a shoot starring legendary porn star Ron Jeremy. Now, I find myself in Liberia producing my first international episode of No Reservations. Needless to say, working on this show provides one with a wide array of experiences.
My colleague Rennik and I have been in the country for two days scouting locations and such. So far we’ve managed to wrangle shooting permits from the UN, walked to the roof of the abandoned 5 star Intercontinental Hotel (beautiful view of Monrovia up there), learned that the rest of the crew and Tony’s flights were cancelled; we’ve also gotten a flat tire on the road to Robertsport – in the middle of the bush – with no spare tire. But don’t you worry: we managed to get rescued, Tony and crew arrived only a day late and our drivers got spare tires. Most importantly we’ve learned that nothing will be easy in Liberia.
Continue reading: Worth the Effort »
Posted By: no reservations crew
July 7, 2010, 4:02 PM |
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By: Michael Steed, Producer
Being a producer on No Reservations has its perks. Truly. Ossetra caviar at Petrossian, Daniel Boulud’s blood sausage, fatty, fatty tuna at Sushi Yasuda. It doesn’t really get better than this. Trust me when I say that I’ve been the recipient of my fair share of evil eye from justifiably envious family and friends. Fortunately though, every once in a while, I get the opportunity to spread the love.
Continue reading: Delilah's Brain »
Posted By: no reservations crew
June 24, 2010, 10:49 AM |
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By Chloe Kaplan, segment producer
Although I am a veteran of producing travel and food related shows, I had never worked on a Bourdain shoot and when the opportunity landed in my unexpected lap I naturally accepted with enthusiasm. Not only am I a lover of new flavors and discovering a culture from the bottom of a soup bowl in France or from the cozy kitchen of a Korean grandmother’s stove, but I am a fan of the show. To be honest, it’s my husband who is the true fan in our family, but after watching the show over his shoulder, I have become a fan in my own right – and the chance to work with Tony and the crew excited me.
Continue reading: Island hopping with Anthony Bourdain »
Posted By: no reservations crew
April 15, 2010, 12:04 PM |
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Nari Kye, Associate Producer
Many moons ago, Tony decided Ron Jeremy (probably the most decorated male porn star ever) simply had to be apart of the sequel to the Food Porn 2 episode. We dig up his number and have a cordial phone conversation where at the end, “The Hedgehog” is going to be on No Reservations. Great! Let’s talk in a couple of months
Several weeks after our initial phone call, one of our co-workers returning from lunch, tells us he just saw Ron Jeremy roaming the streets of Soho…
Continue reading: It's Ron Jeremy! »
Posted By: no reservations crew
April 8, 2010, 3:25 PM |
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Emily Mraz, segment producer
When it was decided that there was going to be a Maine show I couldn’t have been happier. Maine is my home state and a place that I am very proud of. Basically isolated from the rest of the country and tucked into the far Northeast corner we tend to like to do things our own way. Yankee ingenuity, jack-of-all-trades and strong constitution are all things that come to mind when I describe Mainers.
Maine is almost like three states in one, Southern Maine, Central Maine and Northern Maine. Each one is distinct. Landscapes, accents, livelihoods, diet and economy change depending on which region you are in. Lobstermen, sailboats, lighthouses, and Maine’s largest city Portland are what most people know about the state. hat we set out to do in this episode however, was highlight the parts that people haven’t seen and to do that you have to drive north.
Continue reading: Maine. My hometown. »
Posted By: no reservations crew
April 1, 2010, 9:18 AM |
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By Diane Schutz, producer
“Allo, Diane – zees ees Jacques Pepin…” began the message. Yes, THE Jacques Pepin — godfather of French cooking, former chef to Charles de Gaulle and buddy of Julia Child — left a message on my cell phone to discuss our upcoming shoot for the “Techniques” Bourdain special, which I was producing. Food geek that I am, I was giddy that he called me himself (his assistant had simply passed along my message to him), and took a deep breath before I nervously returned his call.
Continue reading: Techniques, a special post »
Posted By: no reservations crew
March 25, 2010, 9:52 AM |
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By Ha Pham, fixer
Do not get me wrong…I actually really, really hate articles about Vietnam with lead-ins referring the war. It is so formulaic and cliché. Come on, it was over almost 35 years ago! “Let the by-gone be by-gone” as Linh, the government official and Tony’s long time friend, quoted.
Tom, the show producer, once told me that now in the United States, food and travel shows are huge. It definitely reflects what the U.S. audience is hungry for. This is Tony’s fourth show about Vietnam. Great! Keep coming back Tony! We definitely want you to show everyone things that leave good taste in their mind and good feelings in their heart about Vietnam.
Continue reading: There is more to Vietnam than the War »
Posted By: no reservations crew
March 19, 2010, 2:56 PM |
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By Alex Lowry, producer
I have never regretted moving to New York. Not even a tiny little bit. I love everything about this great city – the food, the people, the chaos, the weird calm. I had no regrets. No longing for Europe, until I went back to France for the first time in five years on a 3 week shoot.
Continue reading: J'adore le fromage »
Posted By: no reservations crew
March 11, 2010, 10:37 AM |
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By Jared Andrukanis, Segment Producer
It gets chilly here in New York during the winter months. That cold can be exacerbated by the winds that sweep over and through the corridors cut by the streets and buildings, and sometimes turning a corner into the wind can take your breath away for an instant. The morning process in the city always warrants a quick glance at the weather report to see what to expect when you head out for the day. Cold weather? An easy fix for me…I break out the big jacket, the scarf/hat/glove trifecta, and walk a bit faster to the office. Easy enough, right?
So then there is this shoot in Harbin…
Continue reading: No Refrigeration Required »
Posted By: no reservations crew
