Adult audio: Anthony Bourdain

Track 1. Introduction

[MUSIC—NO RESERVATIONS THEME.]

ANTHONY BOURDAIN—Hi, I’m Anthony Bourdain. For 30 years I was a chef. Now I’m some kind of writer guy, and the host of “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel.

It’s early morning…early for me, anyway. But today I’ve got a mission: basically, to eat my way into the heart and soul of lower Manhattan. I’m making this audio diary so you can join me on this trip to some of my favorite places in New York City. They’re all places you can get to on public transportation or on foot. Or splurge: hail a cab and ride in style.

I’m going to visit eight places that I consider to be temples of enlightenment in my own personal cosmos. Each stop on this tour takes you to a restaurant, a market, or some other establishment that does what it does, and serves what it serves, and does it right. These are places that chefs crave: where they don’t tart up what they serve, insult your intelligence. They don’t send you a message that you need pink martinis and elaborate décor or ambiance, or some nitwit maitre-D in a black turtleneck and a black jacket who’s going to make you feel like a jerk. These are bare-bones, no-frills, hard-core places where anyone can go. They serve food and drink without the ...

[SOUND: BLEEP.]

ANTHONY BOURDAIN—You sit down, you feed your soul what it needs. This is the good stuff.

So let’s get moving. Our first stop is Union Square Park for a place lots of chefs go to seek inspiration, and sometimes buy stuff. The Union Square Greenmarket, at East 17th Street and Broadway.

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