August 19, 2025 • 26 mins
In PART 1 of this tasty episode, Jennie sits down with Somebody Feed Phil host Phil Rosenthal. From his “just try it” philosophy (also the name of his children's book!) to the way food connects us across cultures, Phil shares stories about travel, family and the meals that bring us together.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Garland. Hi, everyone,
welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about
the choices we make, and you know what, three times
a day, sometimes more, we make choices about what food
we are going to put in our mouths or to
(00:23):
feed our families. My hilarious guest has made a career
of sharing his favorites and encouraging us all to just
try it. Phil Rosenthal, the creative mind behind the hit
sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, spent years searching for his next
great scripted TV idea until he decided to pivot. The
(00:47):
result is Somebody Feed Phil, one of Netflix's longest running hits,
serving up food, travel, and connection. Beloved by fans around
the globe. It's now dishing out it's eighth season. He's
also writing books, opening a diner in Los Angeles, and
doing all he can to bring people together through food.
(01:09):
What a treat to talk to Phil Rosenthal. Hi there, Okay,
So your work has led to so many Emmy nominations
and awards, and that doesn't seem to be stopping anytime
soon because you have built this whole new era in
your career, which I am just so in awe of
(01:30):
I love this. It's like a pivot for you, and
it revolves around food, travel and connection. And I'm just
curious what made you choose to take this path because
it seems like just so I don't know, it seems
like a brave new world for you.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Well, you're in the business. You know that when you
switch lanes. M hmm. Not everyone's receptives to that because
they don't know you can do anything but what they've
seen you do. I understand it, yes, But I also
think that the people were in charge of making the
decisions about the creative people. They should trust the creative
people a little bit, you think, yeah, But after Raymond
(02:10):
was over, the business had changed greatly. They didn't want
those types of shows anymore. So I kept striking out
because I can only write with the sensibility that I have,
and everybody wanted friends at that time. They wanted hipp
and Edgy, and they kept telling me just we like you,
but just be more hip and Edgy. I said, well
(02:31):
you got the right guy, I mister hipp and Edgi.
And so I just kept beating my head against the
wall trying to get another show on I thought that
was my purpose in life, was to do that. And
after a while I got very discouraged and I put
my head down and I thought, what if you could
do whatever you want. Money's not the issue, right It
(02:52):
never was for me, even before Raymond, I didn't care
much about it. As soon as I could feed myself.
I never did anything for money. And then I thought, well,
I have this idea for this food and travel show.
And they looked at me like I was crazy, especially
(03:13):
because I said I think I can host this thing,
and they said you you're behind the camera, and I said,
I know, but I think I can do this, and
and it took me, Jenny, ten years to get the
show after the success of Raymond.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Okay, I'm so discouraged right now because if it takes
you ten years to get a show going, well, different way.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
You know. If you suddenly said you know what I
want to do is I want to I want to
be a scuba diver on the on the World Scuba Team,
they would say, what, right, we know you as this,
we don't know you as that, So you have to
convince the people. But I did sell the show finally
to PBS was the first stop that took the show,
(04:00):
and I sold it with one line. This is the line,
I'm exactly like Anthony Bourdain if he was afraid of everything.
Oh that's good, and they bought it. They bought six
and that show was called I'll Have What Phil's Having
And you can see those first episodes there on YouTube net.
And then they couldn't afford to do the show anymore.
(04:23):
And then thank god, this new startup, little startup called
netflicks came along and they liked the show, and so
we changed the name and that somebody feed Phil And
we are in our eighth season where the longest running
unscripted original series in their history.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Wow, well, congratulations, thanks. That must feel so good. It
feels like, in a way, this path does Journey sort
of chose you, even though you worked really hard at it.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, but this proof, I don't want you to choke
on that ten thing because when you see the Oscars,
everybody wins. The thing goes ten years it took to
make this movie, right, that just won the It's always.
But the lesson is, if you make something a priority
in your life, and it really is a priority in
(05:17):
your life, you won't stop until you do it. If
you stop, that means I guess it wasn't that priority.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I love it. It's just that's persistence and tenacity, all
the things.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yes, and you know you have to Does it mean
I was happy, go lucky all the time, knowing that
it would eventually work out. No, I was completely miserable
many moments. I still get depressed and angry. All you
have to do is watch the news. But I just am. I.
I have optimism, and I think that things will work out.
(05:54):
I believe in people. I believe that most people in
the world are nice. And I feel very, very grateful
for everything else that's happened in my life, especially my
family and my friends.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
That just comes through so loud and clear. Just looking
at your face and watching your shows, watching all your work.
But that is just at the forefront. Thanks, And it's
that gratitude. I feel like once you tap into that,
just gratitude for everything that you have. Yes, everything works out.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
You know, you wake up in the morning and you
should be grateful you woke up right at this age.
Step one, Yeah, two, I look, Oh, there's my wife
of thirty five years. Wow, there's my dog at the
foot of the bed. There my kids, live. They're grown
now they live. One lives over here one minute this way,
(06:48):
one lives five minutes that way. And they're married. They're
getting married. And I'm the luckiest guy in the world.
And look what I get to do.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Look what you get to do?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Oh love? But if you say was worth ten years
of your life to get it? Yes, looking at it
talking to Jenny.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
It was a flash now right, Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Yeah, it's where you end up.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It's where you Why do you think connecting and community
are so important?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Why are we here? All we do is as human
beings on the planets, tried to connect with other human beings.
That's all we do in every way. That's it.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Otherwise why, I mean, what else is there? So for me,
food happens to be the great connector. For me, the
food is the great connector are you saying food is
the great connector? And then laughs are the cement? So
if you and I we don't know each other, but
we let's go have lunch right So right away the
(07:44):
food comes, we're already happy. We're gonna eat, so we
all know how to do. I don't care if you're
living Swahili, you gotta eat here. Comes food. This might
be the best part of your day. It might be
you know, in addition to we have to live. We
like it. So if the food comes in so and
let's say it's delicious, ohh, now we're really happy. And
(08:05):
if we share a smile or a laugh, now we're
friends and we'll eat again.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yes, you have a rule about food, right, you say,
just try it? Yes, that is I mean, that's a
great life philosophy, not even just about food.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, it'd with my daughter.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
That's right. It's such a valuable lesson that you even
wrote a book about it.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Well it just try it, of course, is the what's
the underlying thing of just try it? Have an open mind?
So how many grown ups do we know that that
won't consider new ideas, that all stuck in their same
ideas and won't listen. So just try It applies to
(08:54):
all of us, doesn't it. And I'm guilty of it
of course. Yeah. Sometimes how we were brought up, Why
would I do something different? I've done it. Look, I'm
still alive. I did it this way my whole lifet
this about this, and I'm fine. I don't need to
change at all. But if what if we just tried
(09:14):
a new idea. Yes, food can open up a whole
new world. I always say, if you can open a mouth,
you can open a mind.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Nice. You're literally taking in the culture of other people
already unusual to you. Oh maybe, well, maybe Japanese food
is not so bad. Maybe Japanese people are not so bad.
Maybe Japan is not so bad. Maybe the way they
do things I could learn something from.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
I mean, it really opens up the world. There's you know,
that saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Yes,
how do you feel about that?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I think you can.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
That's what I thought you brought that.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
That's a defeatist attitude. You can't, right, what if you can? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Or the one you know? This is just how I am.
This is me, take it or leave it?
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah, okay, be that way you will always then be
that way.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Are you completely happy? I mean deep down? You know
stubborn guys they go, I'm happy the way I got.
You don't seem happy. I think you could be happier. Listen,
not for me, I don't care, you know, Goodbye. I
go on to my next person that I like. I'm
just saying for you, that's why travel is so great,
(10:30):
because yeah, you can't help but have your mind blown.
It's the most mind expanding thing we can do in life,
is to see something else. That's why I do the show.
It's why I think. I think the world would be
better if we all could experience a tiny bit of
someone else's experience.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Right, And people at home are wishing they could go
on these travels, but sometimes it's just not feasible. So
you're taking them. You're taking them even though they're in
their living rooms, and that's so meaningful.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Well, thanks, that's very important. However, I try to also say,
I understand not everybody can afford to go overseas, but
you can travel in your own town. What do I mean?
Let's say we were stuck in COVID. We're stuck at home.
We can't go out at all. We got to if
we want anything, we got to order it in right,
(11:25):
So what if we ordered from a restaurant that we
never tried before. Now, are you're traveling the Peruvian place from? Then?
I don't know anything about Peruvian. Let's look on the phone.
This is all I ask of people. Look on the phone,
Just look at the menu. See if there's anything there
you could possibly like. But what if I don't like it? Yeah,
(11:48):
so what if you don't like it? You're not five,
You'll get over it. But what if you do? That's everything?
So you look, they have chicken and rice. I like
chicken and yes, so you order the chicken rice chicken
rice I ever had. This is fantastic. Now COVID is over. Hey,
we should go to that place. We go to the place,
(12:09):
We see that the decorations, we try different things, We
meet the owner. He's fantastic. Next thing, you know, you're
not your peacher.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Oh my god, fast track you. You're so passionate. What
is the most meaningful part of your work?
Speaker 2 (12:26):
The connection to people?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
So I'm just using food and my stupid sense of
humor to get you the real message, to get you
that that people are worth knowing, no matter where they're from. Yeah,
you know, I picked maybe a stupid time to be
on because I'm very pro other I'm very pro immigrant,
(12:50):
I'm very pro all our differences. Somebody said America's diversity
is our super power.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Can you imagine just looking out at people around you
and everyone looking exactly the same as you, or dressing
the same as you having no diversity.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, your boring world not for you know, forget, forget
everyone has a right to live, forget that. I don't
want to live in a world where it's all me
And yeah it looks like me.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I'd be so bored.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Well, of course, and that that extends on the most
basic level. Yeah, the food choices we have. One of
the great things is like I go to Thailand, right,
and I have something I never had before, kowsoy. You
know what kowsoi is?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
No, what would you call it? Kowsoi?
Speaker 2 (13:39):
How soy? Okay h ao o ikowsoy? And you find
it Thai restaurants. I didn't know that, but I went
to Thailand. I went to a shack in chang My, Thailand,
and what comes coconut curry broth and then fresh hand
pulled noodles at the bottom like the best pasta you
ever had. And then whatever pro you like. It can
(14:00):
be chicken or beef, pork or tofu if you want that,
you have anything shrimp fish, then chilis and pickled mustard
greens and shallats and so it ticks all the boxes. Oh,
and then crispy fried noodles on top.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Crispy that you got me with the crispy.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
All the textures and all the flavors right lime over
the whole thing. My mouth's warming things.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I know you're making me hungry.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Okay, So this in Chang Mai, Thailand, this bowl of
the most delicious thing I've ever had a dollar which
is my second favorite price. And then what did I
do when I came home? Well, we have a tie
town in la We have Thai restaurants all over the place.
Do you have cow so of course I never knew
(14:50):
to look, I would never know. But now see, I'm
turning you onto it. And whoever's listening next time, order
cowsy at the Thai rest right and tell me you're
not happy?
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Okay, challenge accepted, I will do.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
I'm curious also in your life, besides with eating, where
do you push yourself to just try it even when
it's scary?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Oh? Well, I have a brother for that, right. So
my brother is the executive producer of the show, and
he and I, you know, made the show together, and
I need him to push me into let's say, going
into the coldest water on the earth in Iceland, a
in a wet suit. I don't want to go in.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Yeah, he reminds you, just try it.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Listen, what do you have a show for if you're
not going to do stuff? I'm like, yeah, but let's
say we don't have to be crazy. And so I
do it, and I'm always happy that I did it,
even though I fight again, I don't want to do it.
I really am not Anthony Bourdain right right, it's a
superhero and adventurer. I'm not that guy. And I do it,
and even if I don't enjoy it, I'm happy I
(16:01):
did it. Why because take that off the things of
not to be afraid of anymore doesn't mean I'm going
to do it. But I'm not afraid if I hadn't
to do it or you know, gun to my head. Yeah,
I've done it. Our biggest fear is the unknown.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Until you do it, it is and then it's yep.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
You got to get over that hump of just try
it and now you're better for it.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
I did a polar plunge once in Alaska and did
not want to do it. Still don't want to do it,
don't want to do it again.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Can I tell you something? But you did it and
you're happy you did it. That's a life experience that
you know. You can say I did that, and you
know what that's like, and so many people don't. And
I'll tell you something else. I come home from the
experience and I swear this is true. However many years ago.
That was every day since then, no matter where I
am in the world, I take a shower in the morning,
(16:51):
and the last thirty seconds I put it on cold. Hm.
Why it takes me right back to that? I know
there's health properties to this. Right. And by the way,
anyone listening, you forget your all your troubles. That's true, truly.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, you can't think about anything else.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
I built up from ten seconds just on my head, right,
Your head can actually take it more than the rest, right,
So I try to. I still focus on my head,
but I built up to thirty seconds. Still gets on you.
But I can do it. And I not only that,
I feel incomplete if I don't do Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I love that a challenge every morning. Yeah, yeah, just
to take you back.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
It's better than coffee.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Now you're up, you're awake, going back to your book.
Just try it. How was it working with your daughter
like that?
Speaker 2 (17:48):
It's the greatest thing ever. She calls me. She goes,
you know, you should do a kid's book. Kids like
you and you love kids. You should do it. I said,
good idea. I'll do it if you do with me.
So's She was twenty five at the time, and I
had a ball doing it. And guess what we're doing.
Three more Phil and Lil series.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Excellent, Good for you.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
The next one comes out in the spring and it's
called just Try It Someplace New. I take it to
Grandma's for the first time. She's afraid to sleep over
someplace new because all she knows is her bed in
her room. She's all the you know, it's just like
trying new foods. What if I hate it? What if
I hate it? What if I don't like it? That's
everything in life. What if I don't like it, that's
so limonade. It keeps us down, our own heads, keep
(18:35):
us down.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
What if I don't like it? Yeah, guess what. That's
what little kids said, You're supposed to grow out of that.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
It's true. I think I need to remember that sometimes
when I'm just like I dig deep and I dig down,
and I'm like I don't want to I don't want
to eat that whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Now, know what else, Jenny, Or taste buds literally change
as we get older. Literally every every I forget what
the stat is, either every few years or every few months,
even all new taste buds, and some of them change,
and you're you're reacting to a memory of beats now
(19:18):
when you eat them. Wait a minute, they're not so bad.
That's right, They're not so bad because this is now different.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Even my taste buds are evolving. That makes me happy.
I love how you in even the food world, you
share and talk a lot about feelings. From your perspective,
How are how we eat and how we live connected
to feelings?
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Well, first of all, it's all connected. So I give
an example. Let's say we're in Venice and where we're
in love, we're going to get married, and and we're
just it's the prime of life. You're with this person
you can you love, and you are sitting on the
canal and you're having a beautiful meal and oh look
(20:03):
at Venice. The boats are going by, and the sunset
is here, and you've never been happier. And the wine
is the most delicious wine either of us have ever had.
This wine is. So you know what, Let's buy a
case of this wine. Let's buy a case. It will
have it forever. It will always be our special wine
from Venice, memory of this place, Okay, because it's the
(20:26):
best wine we ever had. Go home a year later.
It's our anniverse. Let's open a bottle of that wine
from Venice. We open the wine, we decant it, we
pour it, we swirl it. Here's to you. I love you,
I love you. Taste how is it?
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It's all right, it's not what I remember.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Because why we were in love on the canal in Venice,
and the scents and the sights and the sounds and
the feelings literally affected the way it tasted. Wow, that's true.
You know. I used this example because we all know
what that feels like. Everything's connected, the feeling, the sight,
(21:06):
the sound, smells, the call evocative. A smell is you
can smell it a scent and be transported like this
to a feeling.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
A feeling, Right, yeah, I guess you can't. You can't
really have one without the other. It seems like the.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Greatest example ever in a movie is Ratitude. So the
critic you saw the movie, right, Yes, a critic at
the end, he's going to try the ratitude. Now the
whole movie's on the line. Here we go. He tries
the ratitude. What happens He zooms back to childhood m
where his mom made him ratitude, not this ratitude, but
(21:46):
ratitude and that, oh, Michael made him cry and remember
his mom and remember that feeling.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Yeah, that's what It's so great when you eat something
and it takes you back to something lost memory or.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Yes, and then and the reason that's so special is
because it made you feel something that maybe you haven't
felt a long time. Yeah, I had a crazy experience.
I don't know if you saw the episode we did
in Dubai, but I had a lunch with a Palestinian
woman and the world has told me. You know, you're
(22:22):
not supposed to be friends with Palestinian woman. Palestinian woman
is not supposed to be friends with someone like me.
We got along so great. I love this lady. She
made me food from her own hand. Her daughter's next
to me. She goes, you're gonna eat this, You're gonna
feel something. I said, listen, I'd like to feel that
it tastes good. That's good enough for me. But here
(22:44):
it is, and she's telling me your story to she
gives me this thing and I put it in my
mouth and I got emotional. Why it wasn't like zooming
back to my mom's kitchen because she never made anything
that tasted this good. This was special. This was like
a special effect in a movie. This was like a UFO.
(23:04):
I don't know what it was. I can't even explain
it to you. But sometimes this happens if you're lucky.
And do you know that this lady and I all
through all the troubles in the Middle East, we ride
each other, We dm each other sence, send love and
hope and peace to each other because we had this
special connection.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yeah, you had that connection.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yes, So it is all about feeling.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Yeah, it really is. I read that you loved. When
the La Times food critic delite Jonathan Gold said that
he was trying to make all of us a little
less afraid of our neighbors, that's right, just that, I mean.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
You can't you're gonna hate the guy that made you
something delicious. You're gonna hate that guy. No, you're gonna
love that guy. And you're seeing a human being for
what they have to offer, which is by the way
almost everybody. Everybody's got something to offer, I feel, and
(24:05):
I love cooks. First of all, I can offer that
I'm no cook, but I think chefs like me because
I love.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
That you appreciate them them. Yeah, yeah, I know when
someone cooks you something, Yes, when they make you something
from scratch, there's just so much love in it, just
in it.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
That's right. I swear that's what I tasted in that
Palestinian woman's food.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
I can't even describe it. Okay, how do you describe?
There's love in it. It's just you know it when
you have it.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yeah. I like salads, right, I have my ex in laws,
my nony of my daughters. Yes, she makes a salad
that she grows the lettuce in her backyard and she
makes this salad. It's just a plain salad, but it
tastes so much better than any other salad I've ever had.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Anyone that makes you a salad or a sandwich, it's
always better than anything you could make. And one of
the things about that I find is if you make it,
you know everything that's in it. There's no surprise. It
might be one reason I don't cook is because I
love the surprise. It's like, I'm a fan of magic,
(25:22):
and if I know how the trick is done, it's
not magic anymore.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
No. Yeah, And there's just something about having someone make
something for you. I don't know. I love it. I
love it so much.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Why the name of the show is what it is?
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
It also denotes a character that can't take care of himself,
which is pretty trick.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
You need somebody to cook for you or I'll die.
Oh you'll die. Oh my god, Phil, this is so fun.
Let's keep going, okay. In part two of this episode,
we'll talk about the best places in the world to
eat vegan f Phil's newest adventure, and of course, his
last I Choose Me moment. Remember, if you subscribe to
(26:06):
I Choose Me, you'll be reminded every time there's a
new episode in the queue.
You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Garland. Hi, everyone,
welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about
the choices we make, and you know what, three times
a day, sometimes more, we make choices about what food
we are going to put in our mouths or to
(00:23):
feed our families. My hilarious guest has made a career
of sharing his favorites and encouraging us all to just
try it. Phil Rosenthal, the creative mind behind the hit
sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, spent years searching for his next
great scripted TV idea until he decided to pivot. The
(00:47):
result is Somebody Feed Phil, one of Netflix's longest running hits,
serving up food, travel, and connection. Beloved by fans around
the globe. It's now dishing out it's eighth season. He's
also writing books, opening a diner in Los Angeles, and
doing all he can to bring people together through food.
(01:09):
What a treat to talk to Phil Rosenthal. Hi there, Okay,
So your work has led to so many Emmy nominations
and awards, and that doesn't seem to be stopping anytime
soon because you have built this whole new era in
your career, which I am just so in awe of
(01:30):
I love this. It's like a pivot for you, and
it revolves around food, travel and connection. And I'm just
curious what made you choose to take this path because
it seems like just so I don't know, it seems
like a brave new world for you.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Well, you're in the business. You know that when you
switch lanes. M hmm. Not everyone's receptives to that because
they don't know you can do anything but what they've
seen you do. I understand it, yes, But I also
think that the people were in charge of making the
decisions about the creative people. They should trust the creative
people a little bit, you think, yeah, But after Raymond
(02:10):
was over, the business had changed greatly. They didn't want
those types of shows anymore. So I kept striking out
because I can only write with the sensibility that I have,
and everybody wanted friends at that time. They wanted hipp
and Edgy, and they kept telling me just we like you,
but just be more hip and Edgy. I said, well
(02:31):
you got the right guy, I mister hipp and Edgi.
And so I just kept beating my head against the
wall trying to get another show on I thought that
was my purpose in life, was to do that. And
after a while I got very discouraged and I put
my head down and I thought, what if you could
do whatever you want. Money's not the issue, right It
(02:52):
never was for me, even before Raymond, I didn't care
much about it. As soon as I could feed myself.
I never did anything for money. And then I thought, well,
I have this idea for this food and travel show.
And they looked at me like I was crazy, especially
(03:13):
because I said I think I can host this thing,
and they said you you're behind the camera, and I said,
I know, but I think I can do this, and
and it took me, Jenny, ten years to get the
show after the success of Raymond.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Okay, I'm so discouraged right now because if it takes
you ten years to get a show going, well, different way.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
You know. If you suddenly said you know what I
want to do is I want to I want to
be a scuba diver on the on the World Scuba Team,
they would say, what, right, we know you as this,
we don't know you as that, So you have to
convince the people. But I did sell the show finally
to PBS was the first stop that took the show,
(04:00):
and I sold it with one line. This is the line,
I'm exactly like Anthony Bourdain if he was afraid of everything.
Oh that's good, and they bought it. They bought six
and that show was called I'll Have What Phil's Having
And you can see those first episodes there on YouTube net.
And then they couldn't afford to do the show anymore.
(04:23):
And then thank god, this new startup, little startup called
netflicks came along and they liked the show, and so
we changed the name and that somebody feed Phil And
we are in our eighth season where the longest running
unscripted original series in their history.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Wow, well, congratulations, thanks. That must feel so good. It
feels like, in a way, this path does Journey sort
of chose you, even though you worked really hard at it.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, but this proof, I don't want you to choke
on that ten thing because when you see the Oscars,
everybody wins. The thing goes ten years it took to
make this movie, right, that just won the It's always.
But the lesson is, if you make something a priority
in your life, and it really is a priority in
(05:17):
your life, you won't stop until you do it. If
you stop, that means I guess it wasn't that priority.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I love it. It's just that's persistence and tenacity, all
the things.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yes, and you know you have to Does it mean
I was happy, go lucky all the time, knowing that
it would eventually work out. No, I was completely miserable
many moments. I still get depressed and angry. All you
have to do is watch the news. But I just am. I.
I have optimism, and I think that things will work out.
(05:54):
I believe in people. I believe that most people in
the world are nice. And I feel very, very grateful
for everything else that's happened in my life, especially my
family and my friends.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
That just comes through so loud and clear. Just looking
at your face and watching your shows, watching all your work.
But that is just at the forefront. Thanks, And it's
that gratitude. I feel like once you tap into that,
just gratitude for everything that you have. Yes, everything works out.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
You know, you wake up in the morning and you
should be grateful you woke up right at this age.
Step one, Yeah, two, I look, Oh, there's my wife
of thirty five years. Wow, there's my dog at the
foot of the bed. There my kids, live. They're grown
now they live. One lives over here one minute this way,
(06:48):
one lives five minutes that way. And they're married. They're
getting married. And I'm the luckiest guy in the world.
And look what I get to do.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Look what you get to do?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Oh love? But if you say was worth ten years
of your life to get it? Yes, looking at it
talking to Jenny.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
It was a flash now right, Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Yeah, it's where you end up.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It's where you Why do you think connecting and community
are so important?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Why are we here? All we do is as human
beings on the planets, tried to connect with other human beings.
That's all we do in every way. That's it.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Otherwise why, I mean, what else is there? So for me,
food happens to be the great connector. For me, the
food is the great connector are you saying food is
the great connector? And then laughs are the cement? So
if you and I we don't know each other, but
we let's go have lunch right So right away the
(07:44):
food comes, we're already happy. We're gonna eat, so we
all know how to do. I don't care if you're
living Swahili, you gotta eat here. Comes food. This might
be the best part of your day. It might be
you know, in addition to we have to live. We
like it. So if the food comes in so and
let's say it's delicious, ohh, now we're really happy. And
(08:05):
if we share a smile or a laugh, now we're
friends and we'll eat again.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yes, you have a rule about food, right, you say,
just try it? Yes, that is I mean, that's a
great life philosophy, not even just about food.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, it'd with my daughter.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
That's right. It's such a valuable lesson that you even
wrote a book about it.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Well it just try it, of course, is the what's
the underlying thing of just try it? Have an open mind?
So how many grown ups do we know that that
won't consider new ideas, that all stuck in their same
ideas and won't listen. So just try It applies to
(08:54):
all of us, doesn't it. And I'm guilty of it
of course. Yeah. Sometimes how we were brought up, Why
would I do something different? I've done it. Look, I'm
still alive. I did it this way my whole lifet
this about this, and I'm fine. I don't need to
change at all. But if what if we just tried
(09:14):
a new idea. Yes, food can open up a whole
new world. I always say, if you can open a mouth,
you can open a mind.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Nice. You're literally taking in the culture of other people
already unusual to you. Oh maybe, well, maybe Japanese food
is not so bad. Maybe Japanese people are not so bad.
Maybe Japan is not so bad. Maybe the way they
do things I could learn something from.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
I mean, it really opens up the world. There's you know,
that saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Yes,
how do you feel about that?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I think you can.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
That's what I thought you brought that.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
That's a defeatist attitude. You can't, right, what if you can? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Or the one you know? This is just how I am.
This is me, take it or leave it?
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah, okay, be that way you will always then be
that way.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Are you completely happy? I mean deep down? You know
stubborn guys they go, I'm happy the way I got.
You don't seem happy. I think you could be happier. Listen,
not for me, I don't care, you know, Goodbye. I
go on to my next person that I like. I'm
just saying for you, that's why travel is so great,
(10:30):
because yeah, you can't help but have your mind blown.
It's the most mind expanding thing we can do in life,
is to see something else. That's why I do the show.
It's why I think. I think the world would be
better if we all could experience a tiny bit of
someone else's experience.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Right, And people at home are wishing they could go
on these travels, but sometimes it's just not feasible. So
you're taking them. You're taking them even though they're in
their living rooms, and that's so meaningful.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Well, thanks, that's very important. However, I try to also say,
I understand not everybody can afford to go overseas, but
you can travel in your own town. What do I mean?
Let's say we were stuck in COVID. We're stuck at home.
We can't go out at all. We got to if
we want anything, we got to order it in right,
(11:25):
So what if we ordered from a restaurant that we
never tried before. Now, are you're traveling the Peruvian place from? Then?
I don't know anything about Peruvian. Let's look on the phone.
This is all I ask of people. Look on the phone,
Just look at the menu. See if there's anything there
you could possibly like. But what if I don't like it? Yeah,
(11:48):
so what if you don't like it? You're not five,
You'll get over it. But what if you do? That's everything?
So you look, they have chicken and rice. I like
chicken and yes, so you order the chicken rice chicken
rice I ever had. This is fantastic. Now COVID is over. Hey,
we should go to that place. We go to the place,
(12:09):
We see that the decorations, we try different things, We
meet the owner. He's fantastic. Next thing, you know, you're
not your peacher.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Oh my god, fast track you. You're so passionate. What
is the most meaningful part of your work?
Speaker 2 (12:26):
The connection to people?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
So I'm just using food and my stupid sense of
humor to get you the real message, to get you
that that people are worth knowing, no matter where they're from. Yeah,
you know, I picked maybe a stupid time to be
on because I'm very pro other I'm very pro immigrant,
(12:50):
I'm very pro all our differences. Somebody said America's diversity
is our super power.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Can you imagine just looking out at people around you
and everyone looking exactly the same as you, or dressing
the same as you having no diversity.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, your boring world not for you know, forget, forget
everyone has a right to live, forget that. I don't
want to live in a world where it's all me
And yeah it looks like me.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I'd be so bored.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Well, of course, and that that extends on the most
basic level. Yeah, the food choices we have. One of
the great things is like I go to Thailand, right,
and I have something I never had before, kowsoy. You
know what kowsoi is?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
No, what would you call it? Kowsoi?
Speaker 2 (13:39):
How soy? Okay h ao o ikowsoy? And you find
it Thai restaurants. I didn't know that, but I went
to Thailand. I went to a shack in chang My, Thailand,
and what comes coconut curry broth and then fresh hand
pulled noodles at the bottom like the best pasta you
ever had. And then whatever pro you like. It can
(14:00):
be chicken or beef, pork or tofu if you want that,
you have anything shrimp fish, then chilis and pickled mustard
greens and shallats and so it ticks all the boxes. Oh,
and then crispy fried noodles on top.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Crispy that you got me with the crispy.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
All the textures and all the flavors right lime over
the whole thing. My mouth's warming things.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I know you're making me hungry.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Okay, So this in Chang Mai, Thailand, this bowl of
the most delicious thing I've ever had a dollar which
is my second favorite price. And then what did I
do when I came home? Well, we have a tie
town in la We have Thai restaurants all over the place.
Do you have cow so of course I never knew
(14:50):
to look, I would never know. But now see, I'm
turning you onto it. And whoever's listening next time, order
cowsy at the Thai rest right and tell me you're
not happy?
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Okay, challenge accepted, I will do.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
I'm curious also in your life, besides with eating, where
do you push yourself to just try it even when
it's scary?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Oh? Well, I have a brother for that, right. So
my brother is the executive producer of the show, and
he and I, you know, made the show together, and
I need him to push me into let's say, going
into the coldest water on the earth in Iceland, a
in a wet suit. I don't want to go in.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Yeah, he reminds you, just try it.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Listen, what do you have a show for if you're
not going to do stuff? I'm like, yeah, but let's
say we don't have to be crazy. And so I
do it, and I'm always happy that I did it,
even though I fight again, I don't want to do it.
I really am not Anthony Bourdain right right, it's a
superhero and adventurer. I'm not that guy. And I do it,
and even if I don't enjoy it, I'm happy I
(16:01):
did it. Why because take that off the things of
not to be afraid of anymore doesn't mean I'm going
to do it. But I'm not afraid if I hadn't
to do it or you know, gun to my head. Yeah,
I've done it. Our biggest fear is the unknown.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Until you do it, it is and then it's yep.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
You got to get over that hump of just try
it and now you're better for it.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
I did a polar plunge once in Alaska and did
not want to do it. Still don't want to do it,
don't want to do it again.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Can I tell you something? But you did it and
you're happy you did it. That's a life experience that
you know. You can say I did that, and you
know what that's like, and so many people don't. And
I'll tell you something else. I come home from the
experience and I swear this is true. However many years ago.
That was every day since then, no matter where I
am in the world, I take a shower in the morning,
(16:51):
and the last thirty seconds I put it on cold. Hm.
Why it takes me right back to that? I know
there's health properties to this. Right. And by the way,
anyone listening, you forget your all your troubles. That's true, truly.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, you can't think about anything else.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
I built up from ten seconds just on my head, right,
Your head can actually take it more than the rest, right,
So I try to. I still focus on my head,
but I built up to thirty seconds. Still gets on you.
But I can do it. And I not only that,
I feel incomplete if I don't do Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I love that a challenge every morning. Yeah, yeah, just
to take you back.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
It's better than coffee.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Now you're up, you're awake, going back to your book.
Just try it. How was it working with your daughter
like that?
Speaker 2 (17:48):
It's the greatest thing ever. She calls me. She goes,
you know, you should do a kid's book. Kids like
you and you love kids. You should do it. I said,
good idea. I'll do it if you do with me.
So's She was twenty five at the time, and I
had a ball doing it. And guess what we're doing.
Three more Phil and Lil series.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Excellent, Good for you.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
The next one comes out in the spring and it's
called just Try It Someplace New. I take it to
Grandma's for the first time. She's afraid to sleep over
someplace new because all she knows is her bed in
her room. She's all the you know, it's just like
trying new foods. What if I hate it? What if
I hate it? What if I don't like it? That's
everything in life. What if I don't like it, that's
so limonade. It keeps us down, our own heads, keep
(18:35):
us down.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
What if I don't like it? Yeah, guess what. That's
what little kids said, You're supposed to grow out of that.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
It's true. I think I need to remember that sometimes
when I'm just like I dig deep and I dig down,
and I'm like I don't want to I don't want
to eat that whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Now, know what else, Jenny, Or taste buds literally change
as we get older. Literally every every I forget what
the stat is, either every few years or every few months,
even all new taste buds, and some of them change,
and you're you're reacting to a memory of beats now
(19:18):
when you eat them. Wait a minute, they're not so bad.
That's right, They're not so bad because this is now different.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Even my taste buds are evolving. That makes me happy.
I love how you in even the food world, you
share and talk a lot about feelings. From your perspective,
How are how we eat and how we live connected
to feelings?
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Well, first of all, it's all connected. So I give
an example. Let's say we're in Venice and where we're
in love, we're going to get married, and and we're
just it's the prime of life. You're with this person
you can you love, and you are sitting on the
canal and you're having a beautiful meal and oh look
(20:03):
at Venice. The boats are going by, and the sunset
is here, and you've never been happier. And the wine
is the most delicious wine either of us have ever had.
This wine is. So you know what, Let's buy a
case of this wine. Let's buy a case. It will
have it forever. It will always be our special wine
from Venice, memory of this place, Okay, because it's the
(20:26):
best wine we ever had. Go home a year later.
It's our anniverse. Let's open a bottle of that wine
from Venice. We open the wine, we decant it, we
pour it, we swirl it. Here's to you. I love you,
I love you. Taste how is it?
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It's all right, it's not what I remember.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Because why we were in love on the canal in Venice,
and the scents and the sights and the sounds and
the feelings literally affected the way it tasted. Wow, that's true.
You know. I used this example because we all know
what that feels like. Everything's connected, the feeling, the sight,
(21:06):
the sound, smells, the call evocative. A smell is you
can smell it a scent and be transported like this
to a feeling.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
A feeling, Right, yeah, I guess you can't. You can't
really have one without the other. It seems like the.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Greatest example ever in a movie is Ratitude. So the
critic you saw the movie, right, Yes, a critic at
the end, he's going to try the ratitude. Now the
whole movie's on the line. Here we go. He tries
the ratitude. What happens He zooms back to childhood m
where his mom made him ratitude, not this ratitude, but
(21:46):
ratitude and that, oh, Michael made him cry and remember
his mom and remember that feeling.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Yeah, that's what It's so great when you eat something
and it takes you back to something lost memory or.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Yes, and then and the reason that's so special is
because it made you feel something that maybe you haven't
felt a long time. Yeah, I had a crazy experience.
I don't know if you saw the episode we did
in Dubai, but I had a lunch with a Palestinian
woman and the world has told me. You know, you're
(22:22):
not supposed to be friends with Palestinian woman. Palestinian woman
is not supposed to be friends with someone like me.
We got along so great. I love this lady. She
made me food from her own hand. Her daughter's next
to me. She goes, you're gonna eat this, You're gonna
feel something. I said, listen, I'd like to feel that
it tastes good. That's good enough for me. But here
(22:44):
it is, and she's telling me your story to she
gives me this thing and I put it in my
mouth and I got emotional. Why it wasn't like zooming
back to my mom's kitchen because she never made anything
that tasted this good. This was special. This was like
a special effect in a movie. This was like a UFO.
(23:04):
I don't know what it was. I can't even explain
it to you. But sometimes this happens if you're lucky.
And do you know that this lady and I all
through all the troubles in the Middle East, we ride
each other, We dm each other sence, send love and
hope and peace to each other because we had this
special connection.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yeah, you had that connection.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yes, So it is all about feeling.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Yeah, it really is. I read that you loved. When
the La Times food critic delite Jonathan Gold said that
he was trying to make all of us a little
less afraid of our neighbors, that's right, just that, I mean.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
You can't you're gonna hate the guy that made you
something delicious. You're gonna hate that guy. No, you're gonna
love that guy. And you're seeing a human being for
what they have to offer, which is by the way
almost everybody. Everybody's got something to offer, I feel, and
(24:05):
I love cooks. First of all, I can offer that
I'm no cook, but I think chefs like me because
I love.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
That you appreciate them them. Yeah, yeah, I know when
someone cooks you something, Yes, when they make you something
from scratch, there's just so much love in it, just
in it.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
That's right. I swear that's what I tasted in that
Palestinian woman's food.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
I can't even describe it. Okay, how do you describe?
There's love in it. It's just you know it when
you have it.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yeah. I like salads, right, I have my ex in laws,
my nony of my daughters. Yes, she makes a salad
that she grows the lettuce in her backyard and she
makes this salad. It's just a plain salad, but it
tastes so much better than any other salad I've ever had.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Anyone that makes you a salad or a sandwich, it's
always better than anything you could make. And one of
the things about that I find is if you make it,
you know everything that's in it. There's no surprise. It
might be one reason I don't cook is because I
love the surprise. It's like, I'm a fan of magic,
(25:22):
and if I know how the trick is done, it's
not magic anymore.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
No. Yeah, And there's just something about having someone make
something for you. I don't know. I love it. I
love it so much.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Why the name of the show is what it is?
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
It also denotes a character that can't take care of himself,
which is pretty trick.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
You need somebody to cook for you or I'll die.
Oh you'll die. Oh my god, Phil, this is so fun.
Let's keep going, okay. In part two of this episode,
we'll talk about the best places in the world to
eat vegan f Phil's newest adventure, and of course, his
last I Choose Me moment. Remember, if you subscribe to
(26:06):
I Choose Me, you'll be reminded every time there's a
new episode in the queue.
Host
Jennie Garth
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