Au revoir, No Reservations

"The journey is part of the experience - an expression of the seriousness of one's intent. One doesn't take the A train to Mecca.”
― Anthony Bourdain
A Cook's Tour 

Eight years ago, Tony Bourdain began taking us on his adventures to Paris and Penang and all places in between.  Now, he's onto his "Final Tour" of No Reservations and I am feeling a little sad that he won't be letting me vicariously hitch a ride any longer.

Through his unmatched combination of charm and snark, Tony has taught me how to travel.  Here's what I've learned along the way:

• Eat where the locals eat and respect local culinary customs whether that means eating with your hands, using chopsticks or sharing with your fellow diners.  Be humble.
• "Meat in tube form" is generally a delicious bet in most any country, especially in the very early morning,  and especially after a night of imbibing. 
• Have fearless tastebuds(except in the case of fermented shark or bovine nether-regions) and indulge in (carefully-sourced) street food.
• Savor the simple, unadorned "No Reservations" required establishments. 
• No matter where you are and no matter how you muddle it, try to say "hello", "goodbye", "please" and "thank you" in the native tongue.
• Meet the people who grow the food, cook the food and serve the food.  Listen to their stories.
• Match your mode of transportation to the destination (camel= Egypt, scooter= Mumbai, water taxi= Venice).
• Approach each journey with openness and no judgements.
• Food tastes best with friends and a heavy pour of the local libation (and of course it helps to have friends like Eric Ripert, Michael Ruhlman, Norman Van Aken and Zamir Gotta).
• Reflect on your adventures at the end of each journey and assess how you grew over the course of the trip.
• Enjoy the ride...