ElectricBoogaloo October 18, 2015 Share October 18, 2015 Bourdain visits the Bay Areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose to take a personal journey – in martial arts training with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor Kurt Osiander, and healing through food, featuring dinner at the original Trader Vic’s with author Sean Wilsey (Oh the Glory of it All) and at soul food restaurant Real Miss Ollie’s with Bobby Seale (Black Panthers founding member). Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo October 18, 2015 Author Share October 18, 2015 I'll be interested to see where else he goes in this episode. Kurt Osiander's gym is in San Francisco and Real Miss Ollie's is in Oakland. The original Trader Vic's was in Oakland but that location closed in 1972 and the current Bay Area location is in Emeryville (which opened in 1972 when the original Oakland location closed). San Jose is specifically listed in the episode description so we'll see where he goes there. Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo October 19, 2015 Author Share October 19, 2015 every restaurant where Tony ate in this episode Link to comment
Dagny October 19, 2015 Share October 19, 2015 I actually ate at one of the restaurants he ate at! The moment they showed the Buddhist Temple, I knew exactly where they were. Squee. J-Town is slowly being taken over by the hipsters, but it is a great place to get old school Japanese food. Minato's isn't known for its sushi menu (I think they only make three types of rolls), but good food at a decent price. I don't think that was brown gravy on Tony's plate , I'm pretty sure it was the curry plate. Fairly mild curry, but it doesn't like me. Link to comment
Snarklepuss October 22, 2015 Share October 22, 2015 (edited) So tired of all the jiu jitzu with Tony. Nice to see he's getting in shape but after all these years the constant martial arts being interjected in his shows is growing very old with me. If not for that I would have liked this episode better. Although he's just phoning it in anymore going to Swan Oyster Depot, I mean how many times in the past decade have I seen him go there? I think I've lost count. I would love to go there one day, though! Edited October 22, 2015 by Snarklepuss Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo October 22, 2015 Author Share October 22, 2015 Well, he had to show his jiu jitsu training during the episode in order to justify CNN paying for his millionth trip to San Francisco! But seriously, I do agree that I've seen enough of it. And he definitely showed way more of it in this episode than I cared to watch. Mr. EB said the Swan Oyster Depot is awesome! I still haven't been there yet but it all looked delicious. The tech stuff taking over the area is nothing new. It's been like that for years. I'm surprised that he focused so much on that and not his usual hatred of hipsters (which San Francisco is full of). Apparently the theme for this season is "change is bad, mmmkay?" Link to comment
biakbiak October 22, 2015 Share October 22, 2015 I live a block and a half from Swans, I go there are on the regular. It annoys me that Tony goes there on his shows, it increases an already long line. For more than one person during crab season there is a line starting at 10 am that can last for hours. 2 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo October 22, 2015 Author Share October 22, 2015 I have to admit that I always hope he doesn't go anywhere I like because I don't need long lines at my favorite places. 1 Link to comment
biakbiak October 22, 2015 Share October 22, 2015 (edited) To clarify Swans has had a long line before Tony knew it existed and I want them make bank so I should shut it but this episode aired two weeks before SF crab season, luckily I know you can cut the line and get take out. People visiting just go early or slightly before five. You will get no lines and sill have to sit in uncomfortable chairs but the service and the people next to you are always a delight. Edited October 22, 2015 by biakbiak 4 Link to comment
7-Zark-7 October 25, 2015 Share October 25, 2015 This really got the feel of San Francisco for me and now I have a few new places to go next time I'm there. This season has been on fire. Link to comment
meep.meep October 25, 2015 Share October 25, 2015 So tired of all the jiu jitzu with Tony. Nice to see he's getting in shape but after all these years the constant martial arts being interjected in his shows is growing very old with me. If not for that I would have liked this episode better. Although he's just phoning it in anymore going to Swan Oyster Depot, I mean how many times in the past decade have I seen him go there? I think I've lost count. I would love to go there one day, though! I prefer hearing about the jiu jitsu if it means that his attempts to be a rock music "expert" are minimized. He made fun about how many times he has been to Swan's. But he missed the boat about gentrification. The problem isn't that it's too expensive to open a new restaurant in SF, it's that the people you need to work there can't afford it. If labor has to live across the bay, why would they want a long commute to a minimum wage job? Good that he finally made it to San Jose. Would have been nice to mention Yosh Ushida the father of modern American judo. After the war, his gym was one of the institutions that brought the Japanese back to town. 1 Link to comment
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