Bourdain & Birds

I believe I have made it abundantly clear here that I adore Alice Waters and all that she stands for, yes? Yes. What I might not have shared is my utter fascination with Anthony Bourdain, chef, world-traveler, author and host of the Travel Channel show, No Reservations. Bourdain is like Keith Richards, one of my dear friends' loud Italian dad, a philosopher, a wise guy and you know, a fabulous chef, all rolled into one very sarcastic and sage package (insert Marlboro Reds here).

If you haven't ever caught an episode of the show, it's well worth a look. The premise is simple: Bourdain travels all over the world eating the food, meeting the locals and experiencing the culture. Last night, Bourdain left me with this wonderful line that is still, clearly, resonating with me: "Food brings everyone to the table, literally and figuratively." A lovely enough line to leave alone, methinks.

And how about this gem? Over at The William Aiken House, a bird's nest came tumbling out of one of the chimneys. Sadly, several baby birds perished from the fall, but three also survived. As I began this post, General Manager Kristen Rowe was on her way to the vet with the bird survivors! More on this as the story develops...And you thought hospitality was boring?!