Phil Rosenthal has led two lives in the entertainment industry. First, as the behind-the-scenes creator of the mega-hit sitcom, “Everybody Loves Raymond.” And second, as the front-of-camera star of the uber-popular Netflix food and travel show, “Somebody Feed Phil.”
The Netflix show has taken the ever-positive Rosenthal around the world to major food centers like Bangkok, Tel Aviv, Marrakesh, and Venice where he explores the city hotspots, discovers new cultures, and, of course, devours a ton of amazing food. In season four, released on October 30, 2020, Rosenthal takes his gregariousness to Rio De Janeiro, San Francisco, Singapore, The Mississippi Delta, and Hawaii.
While there aren’t any Italian cities on the list this season, we still wanted to chat with Rosenthal about his love of Italian cuisine, how it influenced “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and his favorite Italian dishes and destinations.
Did you have a singular food moment in life that gave you this never-ending desire to discover something new?
Only every single bite of every single thing I had on my first trip to Europe. I went to Paris and to Florence where just a croissant would change your life and then a bowl of pasta in the simplest trattoria or a slice of pizza or a taste of gelato. I went absolutely out of my mind.
Okay, let’s dive into Italy and Italian food.
Great! It’s only my favorite place. Italy wins. I always say Italy wins.
Why is Italy your favorite?
Well, every bite of food is delicious. Everywhere you look, no matter where you are in the country practically is spectacular. And everyone's hugging and kissing, so what's not to like?
What are some of your favorite Italian restaurants in Los Angeles?
There’s quite a few like Rossoblu and Ronan or Osteria Mozza. In fact, I'm going to Nancy Silverton’s new place tonight which is a Tuscan Steakhouse. I think Daniele Uditi is a genius and he’s a sweetie pie. Have you had his Cubano sandwich? I mean, I had it two days ago and there’s all this roast pork, which would have been enough for any sandwich, and then he stuffs it further with this incredible mortadella. He’s like an evil genius. I love every single thing he does. He's like Nancy Silverton in that way where he can't do something not delicious.
And it’s also made with just pure love and joy.
Yes. But you know that there's a lot of people who have love and joy, but they don't have talent. You know, people like Nancy and him, they got talent, there's a genius part where they understand that this goes with this and don't make this too sweet or it's not going to be as good.
Do you have some pizza favorites in Los Angeles?
Yeah. How about Apollonia, the Detroit style pizza place? I'm in love with them, and by the way, their round pizza, it’s very New York. It's very good there. And when you order, get a big one because it's just more fun when the slices are big, and it'll remind you of New York pizza.
Are there other Italian restaurants across the US that you just love?
Yeah, I went crazy for Monteverde. I thought that was as good as any Italian place I’ve ever been to. And that sandwich that she makes, that alone is worth a trip to Chicago. Oh, and that giant centerpiece dish with the shank and the pasta and the salad all in the bowl together? That was unbelievable. By the way, right after we filmed that scene, that was a wrap on that episode, and the crew had their celebratory dinner there and I ate it again!
When you were on “Everybody Loves Raymond” how did Italian American food influence the show and how you incorporated it?
Well, I was already an Italophile. I loved it. I loved Italy so much. And Ray is, of course, Italian, and my mom can’t cook. So, I put it in where his wife couldn't cook really, but his mother was a great Italian chef. And that quality came more from his mother, even though the character of Marie was more like my mother. But this one thing, this being a great Italian cook, I understood that that would be so powerful. And that superpower alone was how she held sway over the entire family. She could bend all the men to her will. Especially her husband, because if he pissed her off too much, he would not eat that night. He had to eat, and we made it a centerpiece of many, many episodes where the food was this kind of nuclear warhead that she wielded.