In the 2018 inaugural episode of Phil Rosenthal’s “Somebody Feed Phil” Netflix show, the TV writer, producer and author eats his way through a Bangkok floating market, exclaiming over grilled bananas, the best pad Thai of his life, and cinnamon-and clove-scented boat noodles.
“I can’t imagine anyone not liking this — except my parents,” Rosenthal declares. “This is why you travel.”
Now in its eighth season, Rosenthal’s travel and food show is probably better known than his hit sitcom, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which ran on CBS from 1996 to 2005. Thanks to his wide-eyed glee, earnest commentary and abundant dad jokes, “Somebody Feed Phil” is simultaneously kin and antithesis of the personality-driven culinary travel genre pioneered by the late Anthony Bourdain.
On Sunday, September 7, as part of a tour of 30-plus cities, Rosenthal will appear at the Flynn Main Stage in Burlington for a conversation with a yet-to-be-announced moderator. It will start with a “Somebody Feed Phil” highlight reel and conclude with an audience Q&A. (He says kids ask the best questions.)
Rosenthal talked with Seven Days while he drove to a meeting with chef Nancy Silverton about a diner they’re opening in Los Angeles, which will be named Max & Helen’s after his parents. Diner food, they liked.
Why were you drawn to make a TV show about food?
Actually, it’s more about travel. I’m using food and my stupid sense of humor to get to the real underlying message of the show, which is that I think the world would be better if we all could experience a little bit of other people’s experiences.
You realize, in spite of the news, that most of the world is sweet and nice, and that’s so life-affirming. I’m trying to provide alternative programming.
Food can have “magical powers,” as Frank said about Debra’s braciole in “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Her version of the Italian tomato-braised meat classic makes Raymond sing. In “Somebody Feed Phil,” you sometimes dance when you eat something especially delicious. What will it take to get you dancing up on the Flynn stage?
I leave it to whoever is giving me a treat. The moderator can bring me little treats onstage. I don’t plan it — it hits me or it doesn’t.
It happens almost every day. Often it might be something chocolate. I’m kind of a chocolate freak. I have a rock-star rider [in my show contract], but there’s only one thing on it: I want, from a local chocolatier, their homemade dark — not milk — dark chocolate peanut butter cup, or any dark chocolate thing that they do.
The only thing I’m not crazy about is black licorice. Sometimes I say that at the show and I get booed because there are black licorice people.
That’s great that you can find joy in food every day.
I learned that from my parents. My dad’s favorite thing in life were very soft scrambled eggs. And he would ask every day, “Are my eggs fluffy? Are they fluffy?” And my mother would yell at him, “Max, first of all, I’m listening to the opera. Why are you bothering me? Don’t you know I’ve been making you eggs for 60 years?”
On his tombstone — you’re gonna think I’m making this up, but it’s 100 percent true — it says, “Are my eggs fluffy?” And next to him, on her tombstone, it says, “I’m listening to the opera.” The reason I did this was because these were truly their favorite things in life. The lesson I got is if you can find joy in these simple pleasures every day, maybe you’ll be happy every day.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
An Evening with Phil Rosenthal of “Somebody Feed Phil,” Sunday, September 7, 7 p.m. at the Flynn Main Stage in Burlington. From $42.75-102. flynnvt.org
The original print version of this article was headlined “Everybody Loves Phil | Three questions for Phil Rosenthal of “Somebody Feed Phil” ahead of his Burlington show”
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2 2025.
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