‘Somebody Feed Phil’ Rosenthal to talk food, travel, relationship problems and more at the Fox
As Phil Rosenthal puts it, he didn’t grow up having food with what most people called flavor.
“The only seasoning we ever had was salt,” he said.
From that upbringing, it’s surprising that Rosenthal’s life now revolves around food as the host of “Somebody Feed Phil” on Netflix. He previously hosted “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having” on PBS.
The first time he encountered flavor, he was a college student eating at a cheap Italian restaurant with friends. They couldn’t afford much, just pasta and sauce, but still, one bite in and Rosenthal knew it was “the most delicious thing (he’d) ever had.”
Rosenthal’s friends were confused by his enthusiasm, even more so when he asked about the “little white bits” in the dish.
“That’s garlic,” they said.
” ‘That’s garlic?’ ” Rosenthal replied. “I had never had it. I was living like an animal.”
From that meal on, he started looking for other flavors he had never tried, likening it to the scene in “The Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy opens the door after her home has been uprooted by the tornado and the movie goes from black and white to color.
“That set me on a journey,” he said. “It’s not like I had money and could afford fancy meals, but I could afford to try ethnic places that my parents would never try.”
When he was 23, Rosenthal got hold of a free plane ticket to Europe and landed in France. Eating a baguette in the park in Paris was another life-changing food-related experience.
He tells young people they don’t have to travel in first class to experience a new culture. Get the cheapest flight you can, he said, and stay in a youth hostel.
“The main thing is just to get there because when you sit in the park in Paris with a piece of bread and some cheese, you’re as good as anybody,” he said.
Food and travel have been a big part of his life since then, but he’s only recently been able to share that passion through “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having” and “Somebody Feed Phil,” which bring him to the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox on Saturday.
Over the course of the show’s eight seasons, Rosenthal has traveled around the country, including stops in Portland, Austin, Texas, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Las Vegas, and around the world, including Lisbon, Cape Town, Singapore, Iceland and Amsterdam.
In each episode, Rosenthal eats his way through the city, sharing the screen with local chefs and food producers. Some episodes feature cameos by famous friends like Ray Romano, Brad Garrett, Kelly Macdonald and Patton Oswalt.
At the Fox, Rosenthal will play a highlight reel of “Somebody Feed Phil” before chatting with a moderator about stories from his life and career. The second half of the show is dedicated to answering questions from the audience.
“I’m very good at relationship problems, problems with your kids or parents,” he said. “I’ve gained wisdom in my many years.”
For the majority of his career, Rosenthal worked behind the scenes on the long-running “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which he co-created, executive produced and wrote for.
Despite the television credentials, it took some convincing for networks to see Rosenthal as a television star. The first to recognize Rosenthal’s dream of creating a food- and travel-related show were the folks at PBS.
“I’ll Have What Phil’s Having” ran for one season and received the James Beard Award for Best Television Program. PBS couldn’t afford to produce a second season, so Rosenthal moved to Netflix.
One title change and eight seasons later, “Somebody Feed Phil” is the longest-running unscripted show in the platform’s history. But the show isn’t just about the food.
“I’m using food and my stupid sense of humor to get you the real message of the show,” Rosenthal said. “The world would be better if we all could experience a little bit of other people’s experiences. It’s more about getting you out the door and trying new things, new ideas, new people, new lands than it is about food … When you eat, you’re literally taking in the culture of where you are. I always say ‘If you can open a mouth, you can open a mind.’ “
Unsurprisingly, Rosenthal’s mind was opened significantly by his years of travel. As a young traveler, he was hesitant to try new things because he was convinced he wouldn’t like them. But over the eight seasons he’s filmed “Somebody Feed Phil,” Rosenthal said he’s gotten braver.
Our biggest fear, he said, is the unknown. If you try something new, then it’s no longer unknown.
“You may not like it, but you’re not afraid anymore,” he said.
Rosenthal and his daughter Lily released a book about this topic called “Just Try It!” Rosenthal said many an adult could benefit from the book too.
His newfound bravery influences where he travels. For the most recent season of “Somebody Feed Phil,” which was released in June, Rosenthal traveled to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
There are places Rosenthal thought he’d want to travel before Tbilisi, but he was happily surprised upon exploring the city, something Rosenthal said will happen every time if you put in the effort and go somewhere new.
“There are many happy surprises out there and most of the world is beautiful,” he said. “The people, for the most part, are sweet and nice and most people want to live in peace with their neighbors and most people are so much better than their governments.”
Though he might get political in interviews, Rosenthal avoids that talk on “Somebody Feed Phil,” seeing the show as alternative programming to the news. Even still, given today’s climate, Rosenthal said simply hugging someone from another culture can be turned into a political statement.
He’s not trying to be political though, he’s just trying to “be a nice guy in the world.”
“I’m reflecting back what I get, which is sweetness and hospitality and being a good neighbor and abiding by the Golden Rule,” he said. “That’s all. If you abide by ‘Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you,’ if that was the only law of the land, think how much better the place would be.”