Anthony Bourdain in an interview for Cleveland.com
“You’ve been known to hold Cleveland in fairly high regard. As a guy who’s traveled quite extensively, what is it about this area that appeals to you?
I love Cleveland. It’s one of my favorite American cities. There’s something very majestic about it: the architecture, the outsized vision of its dreams and builders, and its run-down state. I find that very compelling, a place where I WANT to go. It’s a very quirky place, and if there’s one thing I love, it’s quirkiness.
If you live in Cleveland and love Cleveland, I think you’re a person I’ll get along with. Michael Symon loves his town; Harvey Pekar is like a patron saint. On its surface, it has so many problems, but it still strives. When I visited, the chamber of commerce types wanted to whisk me right down to the shiny new sites, and I hate that [stuff] — the new restaurant district or the Rock and Roll Hall. I’d rather see the Old World butchers, the sausage makers, the West Side Market and the old neighborhoods, the industrial side. It’s a great city. I’ve always felt very welcome, and I always feel at home there.”
Full article here: http://www.cleveland.com/taste/index.ssf/2011/11/anthony_bourdain_talks_clevela.html
