Be A Cultured Couch Potato: Anthony Bourdain "No Reservations" Collection 7 DVD

Anthony Bourdain in Cuba

Being a couch potato just got way more interesting thanks to the Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Collection 7 DVD. So, pour a nice glass of wine, curl up on the sofa, and spend 645 minutes traveling the world with the witty, fearless, sometimes cranky and always engaging Bourdain.

I was sent an advance copy of No Reservations Collection 7 and I was thrilled to see that this 3 DVD set features some of my favorite episodes - Bourdain's unforgettable journey to post earthquake Haiti that included a visit to a relief camp and explorations of the local music and arts, an entire episode dedicated to the legendary Catalan restaurant El Bulli where Bourdain works the line and looks very dashing in chef's whites, and a jaunt to Cajun Country where his cholesterol gets raised to deliciously dangerous levels at a boucherie (a celebration featuring a whole hog roast). Other destinations include Nicaragua, Macau, Naples, Boston, Vienna and more.



Bourdain in Spain with renowned Chef Ferran Adrià

But apart from the amazing meals and breathtaking scenery, what I really admire about Bourdain is that he doesn't shy away from the truth. Too many travel shows deliberately ignore some of life's harsher realities - poverty, war, class, racism, and corruption. Not Bourdain - he looks right in the camera and tells it like it is. I'll miss seeing Bourdain on the Travel Channel when he wraps up No Reservations this season (his new series launches on CNN in early 2013) but I'll just pop in a DVD when I need to escape or want some of his insightful tips for my next trip.

Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Collection 7 (list price $24.98) is available at Amazon.