Rob Brunner writing for Fast Company;

But the executives who had championed A Cook's Tour eventually left, and Bourdain says the network started pushing for episodes on middle-of-the-road American fare, like barbecue.

Bourdain now has a term for such corporate meddling: being asked to "eat a shit sandwich." It's one of the few meals he flat-out refuses to consume. "Given a choice between eating the sandwich and not having a television career, I would happily not have a television career," he says. "Most people eat the sandwich." He quit, taking the show to Travel Channel.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN HAS BECOME THE FUTURE OF CABLE NEWS, AND HE COULDN'T CARE LESS

Tags: TV