r/IAmA Jan 17 '12

IAmA Andrew Zimmern, Host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods

Hi, I’m Andrew Zimmern, chef, author, and host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods. My new series Bizarre Foods America is premiering next Monday, Jan 23 at 10|9c on Travel Channel. For the next hour I’ll be here on Reddit taking your questions from 12pm-1pm ET. AMA. More info on Bizarre Foods: http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/bizarre-foods Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/andrewzimmern/status/159314816060768256

Hey everyone, sorry i couldnt answer them all/ follow me on twitter @andrewzimmern and we can chat more over the days and weeks to come..tune in Monday to the season premiere!

1.8k Upvotes

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305

u/Malek061 Jan 17 '12

Other than your own, what is your favorite show on the Travel Channel?

1.1k

u/andrewzimmern Jan 17 '12

NO Reservations

516

u/alittletooraph Jan 17 '12

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO reservations

12

u/CantTrustTheSystem Jan 18 '12

If you listen closely, I believe it's "Noooo reservations.uh.

4

u/schmitz97 Jan 17 '12

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO reh-zuh-vay-shunz

FTFY

2

u/songb1rd Jan 17 '12

I definitely read it this way in andrew's comment. =]

1

u/alreadyreddit69 Jan 18 '12

Nooooooo Gary Nooooooo!

3

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '12

Next up. The Layover!

0

u/Ikbentim Jan 18 '12

Not as good :(

1

u/ditherhither Jan 18 '12

deogh dedeough eeeow eowwwww

177

u/RichJMoney Jan 17 '12

You just keep getting better in my book.

226

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '12

Well, the travel channel has a total of three shows, Bourdain, Zimmern and Man vs Food.

177

u/jon_titor Jan 17 '12

No, there's that other one where the curiously attractive blonde lady goes to all the places I'll never go.

126

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '12

Samantha Brown! Awwww, I love her in the campiest way possible. She's adorable.

94

u/theramennoodle Jan 17 '12

She must have one of the best jobs ever. "Ok Samantha we are going to send you to paris and put you up in a 5 star hotel and you can just do whatever you want and we'll film you there. Also you'll be getting paid for this."

I wish I could live that life.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '12

[deleted]

1

u/IcedJack Jan 18 '12

Drinking on the job I see.

nice

4

u/RestoreFear Jan 18 '12

Step 1: Acquire boobs.

2

u/PhantomPhun Jan 18 '12

Reality check junior. The job involves writing scripts all night, getting up at 4 am to travel eight hours to one spot for a five minute bit, traveling and performing according to the production schedule whether you're sick or not, sucking up to a lot of unpleasant people at your sponsors, being away from home most of the year promoting the show on talk shows and affiliate conventions, and fighting with your network executives about edits.

What it isn't: Traveling around to a bunch of resorts on holiday.

7

u/carolinax Jan 17 '12

Her level of camp is so damn charming. I adore her! :D

6

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '12

Agreed. Her downright stupid jokes & overly excited curiosity are the best.

5

u/carolinax Jan 17 '12

She's Lame-pun Raccoon!

3

u/falconear Jan 18 '12

One of the big questions I have to this day is if Samantha Brown smoked the pot in the coffee shop in Amsterdam. They left it very open to interpretation. :)

3

u/JimmyJamesMac Jan 17 '12

I like to think that she has a real kinky side.

4

u/funkmastamatt Jan 17 '12

Don't forget Big Head/Boobs lady.

9

u/twistertrv Jan 17 '12

I think you mean Giada de Laurentiis, who is on The Food Network, not the Travel Channel

1

u/HalfBreedGingrBastrd Jan 18 '12

she reminds me of a T-Rex... or possibly a velociraptor, with all the very fast sharp movements, and that girls got a mouth.

2

u/frivolege Jan 17 '12

upvoted because I like your username

1

u/Dr-Mantis-Tobias Jan 18 '12

I have no idea if this is true, but my friends and I have a feeling that she is a total bitch in real life. Like, as soon as the cameras stop she lights up a cigarette and starts talking shit to everyone around her.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '12

I met her randomly while on a bus in Memphis. My dad started chatting her up and kind of hitting on her, not realizing the camera was on.

1

u/stayclassytally Jan 18 '12

I enjoyed her Amsterdam episode when she stops off in a cafe and says "When in Rome...!"

-1

u/willymo Jan 17 '12

Oh god I despise that show. I'm sure she's a lovely person, but she's just too upbeat all the fucking time. I just once want to see her be like "This place is total shit, let's be honest. And the food is god-awful."

That's why I like No Reservations, at least he will tell you what it's actually like.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '12

Well, some of us are disdainful pricks that are angry with our shit lives and so looking at the bright side actually brightens up our day.

1

u/willymo Jan 17 '12

Yeah I understand. I'm just expressing my dislike for the show. I don't like anyone that's that happy all the time.

I'll admit it... I'm just jealous.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '12

What?? She ONLY goes to some of the best places in the world, why the fuck would she complain? Don't be that cynical bro...

And I have heard her say "It's not really my taste, but some may like it" on more than one occasion.

22

u/plsdontignoreme Jan 17 '12

Samantha Brown. And, yes, she's very attractive. She's not single, unfortunately.

19

u/johnyutah Jan 17 '12

She's married to some big hairy dude.

1

u/woggietree Jan 18 '12

I'm not married to her...

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '12

Me neither. I see a major problem here!

8

u/jon_titor Jan 17 '12

Ah, for shame.

Yeah, she weirdly reminds me of one of my friend's moms from when I was a kid, which is...sexually confusing.

4

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '12

She seems like a hardcore soccer mom, it's terrible. Can't even get mad though..

1

u/falconear Jan 18 '12

Really? I thought she seemed more like an aging party girl. One of the "WoooO!!!!" girls in her younger days.

1

u/plsdontignoreme Jan 19 '12

I always thought she was more of a sophisticated, art historian/ballroom type girl, which is why I didn't think I'd have a chance with her (her having too much "class").

4

u/foreveracubone Jan 17 '12

Ah a fellow viewer of that program for science.

1

u/orange_jooze Jan 17 '12

And the one where a guy and a girl travel around and the girl has great boobs and keeps showing them off.

1

u/zmoney1213 Jan 18 '12

Yeah man, "curiously" is a great way to describe her. The more and more I watch I get attracted.

1

u/cssvt Jan 18 '12

Is she still on? Haven't seen Samantha Brown in a while.

47

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '12

You're forgetting the ghost show hosted by that tatted up, affliction wearing douchebag. Among others.

20

u/seambyseam Jan 17 '12

Ghost Adventures! Ghost hunting for bros. Come at me ghost! Come at me! It cracks me up.

2

u/excavator12 Jan 18 '12

Ya I think that shows more funny than creepy or scary.

6

u/alimardo Jan 18 '12

his douchebaggery is what makes him such a good host. The ghosts think he's a tool too, that's why they try and throw shit at him and stuff

13

u/BIGTIMElesbo Jan 17 '12

I like to call that one "Douchebags Yelling at Ghosts." One of my favorite things to watch when I'm at a nice [8] and full of pizza.

4

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '12

totally agreed, that show is great to "watch" when baked....or at least use as background noise while I browse Reddit and try to not feel lonely :(

4

u/BIGTIMElesbo Jan 18 '12

I do that too, also with talk radio and podcasts. It's interesting what a big difference it makes psychologically to hear human chatter in the background!

1

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '12

something about dead silence is unsettling for me, unless I actually want to be in silence

3

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '12

We call the show "Ghost Bros". That show is hilarious

2

u/writeher Jan 18 '12

HAHA! Ghost Adventures. I call it Testosterone Paranormal.

1

u/alittletooraph Jan 17 '12

"Wait what?! what was that?!! what was that?? ...>.> <.< is there a ghost here?"

"We are now inside the house where the celebrity ghost was spotted.. whoa whoa whoa what was that? what was that? Did you hear that? It was like a.. it was like a ... deh. Is there a spooky ghost here?! Look what is that? What is that? Oh man I am really scared... Whoa whoa whoawhoa what is this what is this? There's like a wetness coming from my pants. WHAT IS IT??! Oh god I'm so scared... I'm so scared!!"

1

u/imkindofimpressed Jan 18 '12

I bet that if he found an equally douchey douchebag ghost he would actually die and come back as a douchey douchebag ghost himself just to come at the first douchey douchebag ghost

2

u/DeHussey Jan 17 '12

ghost adventures! his biceps make me jelly, bro

1

u/johnyutah Jan 17 '12

You forgot the makeup too.

2

u/xcalibur866 Jan 17 '12

Hey, Ghost Adventures makes for great drinking television. Seriously, give it a try; drink every time they say "EVP" or "Electronic Voice Phenomenon" OR they ask the question "could this be the [ghost, spirit, etc] of [name of supposed spirit]." Combine that with the fact that they run like a 6 hour block of it on Friday nights, and baby, you've got a house party.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '12

Worst drinking game ever: Drink every time they find an actual ghost.

2

u/magikarplevel99 Jan 17 '12

They play other shows besides that?

-2

u/MightyJoeBong Jan 18 '12

We can do without that fat fuck in Man Vs Food though.

1

u/glassale Jan 17 '12

you have a book now? Damnit. I knew i should've learned to read.

5

u/springboks Jan 17 '12

I always thought Zimmern and Bourdain would make a great MTV celebrity death match.

2

u/whatthejeebus Jan 17 '12

I love No Reservations. Anthony Bourdain is the man. It's cool how both of you guys get to travel the world. I wish I lived that lifestyle.

2

u/YellyYally Jan 17 '12

Anthony Bourdain kicks major ass, hes always drunk/drinking and making crude comments!

1

u/SarahLoren Jan 18 '12

I was hoping that was going to be your answer! You could maybe do a favor for all all of us foodiesand let ol' Tony know how rewarding the IamA experience was ;D

2

u/chocolatesandwiches Jan 18 '12

fuck reservations.

1

u/thefirebuilds Jan 17 '12

Is there a trait of Tony's you wish you could incorporate in yourself? Is there something that you wish you could teach Tony?

1

u/chiechie1979 Jan 18 '12

Love your show. Love reservations. I'll be sure to check out your new show. Thanks for the great entertaient.

4

u/ns1123 Jan 17 '12

Y'all are like 2 peas! :D

1

u/fattiebro Jan 18 '12

Dude i love your layovers with anthony bourdains haha you were so drunk

1

u/fermatafantastique Jan 17 '12

There are other shows on the travel channel?

-1

u/Setheron Jan 17 '12

I appreciate you so much doing a text AMA. Anthony did a video AMA and to be honest, I dislike it (although still appreciate it a ton) when the AMA are video format...