August 21, 2025 • 24 mins
In Part 2 of Jennie and Phil Rosenthal's conversation, the pair explore VEGAN restaurant options around the world and Phil introduces Jennie to the magic of old-fashioned diners. Whether you’re a foodie, a traveler or simply looking for more happiness in your life, this episode is worth savoring from the first (sound) bite.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Girl. Hey, everyone,
welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about
the choices we make. We're back with Phil Rosenthal, host
of Somebody Feed Phil, and he's about to tempt me
(00:22):
with some amazing restaurant choices. Warning you're about to get hungry. Well,
I'm a vegan, so you know it's I'm limited as
far as like where I can go.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
And if you go to New York and LA you're doing.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, you're doing okay. Anywhere else be.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
A happy vegan?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, for sure?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Just the Indian food alone, right?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Oh yeah, did you go to London?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Of course?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Have you had the Indian food in London?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Amazing?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Amazing?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
But I found a place in New York that I
think is as good as London. Nothing's as good as India. Yeah,
been there?
Speaker 1 (01:00):
No, not yet?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Okay, So you can be a very happy vegan in
India because a lot of people are so. And and
if you listen, if you like Indian food gets where,
it's really good in India. Same with every other country
you can think of. But there's a place in New York.
Next time you go. You might want to write this down.
It's called Bungalow.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Bungalow.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
It's on the Lower East Side. Okay, brilliant, brilliant chef.
And that's some of the best Indian food I've ever
had in New York, London or India. That's the one
thing I find. Don't be mad at me, people that
maybe La doesn't have as strong a game.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
M Yeah, I've never really like sought out all the
Indian food.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
There are great places, there's just not I find as
many as in New York, London, and of course India.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Is it's what's your favorite kind of food?
Speaker 2 (01:57):
I actually love Indian and I can eat it once
a week. I think I do really love Italian. I
love Chinese, I love Japanese, I love barbecue, I love
Korean barbecue. I love Korean food. I love you know,
I live right in the middle of town, and you
know I love a diner.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yes, Oh, I want to ask you about the diner.
You are opening a diner.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yes with Nancy Silverton. You know who she is?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Incredible? What's it called? And where can people find it?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Because it'll be on large bumple of art in LA.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Hopefully it's lovely little street.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Lovely hopefully it'll be uh end of the summer. But
you know, the city's very tough with the inspections and
everything with just yesterday a guy came in. Different guy.
It's always a different thing.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Was a different guy.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
We did this, take a look according to the blueprint. Yeah, no,
that's no good. What do you mean The inspector said,
this is exactly right. Yeah, but I didn't.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Why do they have to make things so difficult?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I don't know, but it's like, you know, have you
ever worked with a studio where you get a note
from one guy and then you do it, and then
another guy has a different that's like that. Yeah, everyone
wants to be king of their kingdom, so you have
to deal with that. But it's it's a necessary evil. Anyway.
The Diaerd's going to be fantastic.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
It's named after your mom and dad.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
It is called max Helens Maxon Helens. And they were
always in somebody feed Phill while they were alive. They
did a little scene with me at the end. I
would zoom with them just like this from wherever I
was in the world to tell them about the place
I was at. And they were always so sweet and funny,
(03:47):
really funny. They never failed, they always delivered. Anyway, this
is a little tribute to them. My dad loved his
very soft scrambled eay. It was his favorite thing in life.
So there'll be Max's fluffy eggs on the menu and
Helen's Matsi bol soup.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Oh my god, I'm coming.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Come on.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
You know it's hard to find a good mats of
ball soup.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Well, Nancy Silverton, I have to say, uh, no offense, mom,
but this is a little better.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Oh exciting everybody.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Everything he touches it becomes the best you ever had.
So imagine the diner of your dreams, like just nothing fancy,
just basic diner. The best waffle you ever had, the
best pancakes, the best tune of milk, the best pattimel,
the best Oh my god, well Vegan, it's gonna be
(04:43):
a little harder for you, But.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I know I can have a waffle. It's got to excentent,
but I'll try it anyway.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Waffle batter have eggs in it, I.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Think, so, I think so maybe yours.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Well, salads, there's salads.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Well it's coming and that's a exciting. So everybody look
out for Max and Helen's opening soon hopefully. We talked
before about how your family seems to play such a
big role in everything you do, which again is why
I think everyone loves you. See what I did there,
from everybody loves Raymond to your foundation, to your new
(05:19):
diner to your new cookbook.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Oh yes, what's happening.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
You have a new cookbook.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Here's the first one, and that did very well. That
was a New York Times bestseller. Somebody feed filled the
book and we thought we'd expand on that. The first
one was just recipes from the first four seasons of
the show, but now we have eight scenes of the show,
so my favorite recipes from the rest of the show,
and friends and family recipes. So it's Phil's favorites.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Oh my gosh, your life is so good right now.
You just eat and laugh and have fun and travel.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
These are the values family, friends, food, travel, laughs. That's it. Yeah,
that's life to me. That's that's what makes life good.
M right, m hm.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Did you grow up in a diner?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Oh yeah, My whole life spent in diners. Yeah, sure,
so New York, New Jersey, that whole area that's diner
ground zero for dinner. Yeah, so you know, it's where
we went after high school. This is where every event
after high school. Let's go to the diner. You have
a cheeseburger deluxe.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Would you know where I used to go Canters?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Of course. Well that's a deli and it's a lot deli.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
It's a lot like.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Uh and it was twenty four it's.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I don't know, I'm too old to go out that
late now. But when I used to go out and
like go to dance clubs and stuff, we would always
end up okay.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
And we see guns and roses there, right.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, it's quite a scene.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
It was a scene, but it's wonderful. And I love
breakfast all day. I think that's great.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
You and my husband both yes, yes, Dave loves a
breakfast burrito.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Me too. We won't have breakfast burritos. That's too new.
So we're going back. Okay, this old school diner.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
This is like on the plate.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And the designer of the space said, what do you want?
I said, listen, I just wanted to look like we
found one hundred year old diner because Larchmount where it is,
has that history. What if it looked like this diner's
always been there for a hundred years and what if
the menu you kind of reflected, you know, the basic,
just the basics, elevated only by the best possible ingredients,
(07:39):
done by a great chef who knows what they're doing,
which is need.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
You got to go back to the classics. You got
to go back to where you started. I think that's
the key.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Well, it's that comfort food. It's that ratatoy thing if
you have. If you bite into, you know, grilled chy
sandwich with tomato soup on the side, it'll take you somewhere.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
It will take you somewhere. I know where it'll take me,
but I hope it takes you somewhere.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
All are fantastic, but choose your own adventure.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Yeah, oh my gosh. Okay, So, like you said, you've
been married to your wife Monica since nineteen ninety Is
that right?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Exactly right?
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Wow, Okay, that is rare and amazing. Congratulations in this
day and age. What is your secret sauce for keeping
that partnership going strong?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
I have a travel show.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
What does that mean? You're gone a lot?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
The real secret sense of humor?
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's our most undervalue trade as human beings.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
I think, well, what about when the jokes are old
and she's heard them a hundred times. Got to write
some new jokes, get some new material.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
She can always make me laugh. I think I can
make her laugh, and that there's nothing better than that,
because now at the end of the day, you're old friends, right,
And I think that the sense of humor thing and
not just saying that as a platitude. Well, from the
(09:22):
time your kid, you're attracted to the other kids who
you laugh with, who, even if their sense of humor
isn't exactly yours, you appreciate each other's sense of humor, right,
You get each other's and it's how we make friends
going forward in life. In high school you can remember
laughing with your friends. In college, of course you have
(09:44):
extra help sometimes making things funny. But then I'll go
so far as to say it's who we choose to marry. Yeah,
if you don't have laughs with the person I don't,
I think it's long for the world.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yeah, I mean yeah, because I want to laugh, Like
I don't want to be serious. I'm I'm serious at
work or i'm you know, I've got a lot of
my mind. I want somebody that's gonna take my mind
off of things. Sometimes and give me that just that
feeling of safety and comfort.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
My parents, you know, they came from they came from Germany.
You know, they were Holocaust survivors. So they had deep,
dark backgrounds, right right, and so they had problems obviously
that psychologically that that of course, you can't live through
something like that where it doesn't affect you. And so
(10:46):
it was volatile. And you know, they had two little
monsters at home and me and my brother we were
always fighting. But when we weren't yelling, we were laughing.
And making each other laugh was like the currency of
the house. That was how you got Oh i'm good,
I'm in good with mom, or I made dad laugh
(11:07):
or I made my brother laugh. That's everything. That's that's
that's like. And what's better? What's better? Everything's good when
you're laughing, everything is good.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
What if what if there are homes out there that
are listening right now and they need more laughter in
their life, they need they want more laughter. How do
you think they can get it?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
You lighten up. First of all, you watch you don't
just watch the news. You don't just watch the murder.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
That's not going to make you laugh.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Or the murder shows there's murder shows. There's a lot
of entertainment at what they call entertainment out there that
is the worst of human nature. I mean sometimes I'm
not a prude, but shows where moms sleep with their
son's friends. What kind of show is this? What the
(11:57):
hell is happening?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Show? It sounds like a bad porn site. What are
you doing? But it's Those shows are a lot more
popular than somebody feed Phil.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
So lighten up, lighten up. Even what you're watching on TV, well, that's.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
A very good way if you're not. Everyone has to
be funny, but you should know at least where to
go to find the funny.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
There's a really fun movie out right now that I
would tell people to watch that I just watch, which
was Naked Gut. Oh.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
I haven't seen it yet, So.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
You got something to look forward to because it's jilly
and funny and damn if it's not what the doctor
ordered right now? Yeah, you know, I tell people, yes,
you have to be informed. You have to know what's
going on your you know, our lives, I think depend
on it. But once in a while, a little somebody
feed Phil, a little little break.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
A little levity, right, yeah, you need a break. That's
so true. You have this foundation. What's the name of
your foundation?
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Somebody Feed the People?
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Somebody Feed the People? Perfect? Yes, Why was food injustice
and supporting restaurant workers something that you wanted to champion?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Well, it's not just that you go wherever the need is.
And for me, if I'm identified now as the food guy,
then why not have it be centered around food? And
if you go to my website at Phil rosenthalworld dot com.
First of all, you can see everywhere we've been on
(13:26):
the show, including every single restaurant in place that we visit,
has their website, their phone number. You can make a reservation,
you don't have to take No, it's all there. But
the other thing that's there the links to all of philanthropy,
including Somebody Feed the People, which is just an amalgam
of all the food charities that we love to support.
(13:50):
In this episode, I try to find some kind of
charitable organization in the place we're in that we put
it on the screen. If this has touched your heart,
maybe you want to give a little something like me,
and then that's a good way so you feel like
you're helping a little bit, which is better than not
helping a little bit.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Right, that's so true. I think we can get scared
that we don't know how to help, or our little
bit of help is not going to change anything. Use
so that keeps us from doing anything.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
By the way, at the very least, it makes you
feel better because you did something. When my kids would
get upset all my life, Oh I hate everything and everybody,
I'd say, go help somebody.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Yeah, it instantly changes things, that's right, when you put yourself.
I mean that for me was having when I had kids.
I was like, oh, this is so good to put
my love and energy into something else and rather than
being focused on myself. And I always kind of credit
becoming a mom and having kids just saving me from
(14:56):
myself in Hollywood. Yes, and I just think that that's
the best thing I ever did, so in essence, that
was helping.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
We can all be self centered, right yeah, yeah, career
or career, career, And I'm sure this extends to people
not in show for sure, but the moment you have
kids or have to help someone else, already out of
your own head with your own blowney so true.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
What will we do without restaurants? I'm my husband, Yeah,
he is in the hospitality industry, owns a bar. He
owns a bar restaurant. This is his third endeavor. It's
called the Douglas. It's in LA It's right by Dodger Stadium.
So it's a great pregame after game place to go.
(15:47):
They have really good food, not just bar greasy food,
but nice bar food.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
So have to go.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, I gotta check it out. Come in. We'll feed you.
He will feed you.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
But so I speak for my husband and thanking you
for spreading the awareness and you know, and the gratitude
for what is a really hard business and industry.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
You don't have to tell me I've invested in many restaurants,
actually because I'm not very bright. Yeah, it's because it's
one of the arts. Why shouldn't your sense of taste
be any less important than your sense of smell or sight?
We're hearing right, It's again all connected. And of course
(16:29):
it's an art form.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Yeah, it's like you know, cheers, where everybody knows your name. Yes,
I think that's a good feeling too, when you go
in a restaurant and you just feel welcome and you
feel like the people there actually care and enjoy what
they do.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
I asked Thomas Keller, one of the great chefs of America,
for a little advice about opening the diner. I said,
what's the most important thing? And you know what he said,
the service, the service, even the food.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
I mean, it's true.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
You have to have that that you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
Yeah, that atmosphere is so important. Yes, and it has
to be across the board with all the employees, everybody
that works there, because there's that one, like, you know,
rotten Apple. Yeah, that one cranky person you can really
mess things up.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Yeah. What's your relationship with self care? I mean, I
don't say eating pizza because well unless that's true, but
that's it. What's something you do just for you?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Work out every day?
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Really? Yeah, I was just I was going to ask
you follow up to this and ask you how do
you stay fit when you're always eating and on the road.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Well, that's, first of all, it's necessity. I have to
the way in my clothes. But by and then I
you know, I guess there's no such thing as a
free meal. You gotta pay for it somehow. I'm paying
for it by exercise. Walk first thing in the morning,
I walk up like a mile and a third to Largemont.
(18:03):
I have my coffee with my friends and my dog
with me. Then I walk back another mile and a
third home and then the weights, the weights. I gotta
do it. I have to. And I'll tell you something.
Even with that, it gets harder every year because we
love muscle. As we get older, we gain weight as
we get older, and I want to keep eating the
(18:24):
way I'm used to eating, and I can't even you know,
it's not even, it's not fair because I have to.
I have to actually cut back otherwise you can't. They say,
you can't outrun a bad diet, right.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
It can't.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
So your body is maybe twenty percent of your workout.
Your workout affects maybe twenty percent of how your physical body.
The diet is like eighty percent.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah, it's all about the food.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
The diet.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I'm that's so hard because there's so many yummy things
I want to eat nice. Yes, do you work out
on your own or do you do? You go in
there and you have the drive to get in there
and pump the iron.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
You know. I never worked out a day in my
life until I was forty. Really, yeah, and then I
started going to trainers, and over the years, I've picked
up routines and now I I'm self sufficient. So I
have a little gym in my house, and of course
every hotel I go to hazard gym. And before, let's
say i'm filming the show, before I'm going to shoot
(19:29):
that day, i'd better do some physical activity because if
you've seen the show, you see me eat a lot.
Because I am eating a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
It's a hazard of your job, but it's the best.
It's true.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
The other secret is I share everything.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Oh that's a good idea, and it's.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Only good if you can share it, because you know,
I'm eating the most delicious thing in the world, and
I look out at the crew and they're looking at
me like this, it's not cool, So it's only fun
to sh air it with them. I love sharing it. Yeah.
The other secret is if you see me eating a
lot in that scene, it's because that scene is the
(20:09):
only scene we shot that day, which means that's the
only thing I ate that day.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
So you're gonna, yeah, you're in go for it.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
So I'm getting hungry for the camera.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
I can't even believe how hungry you're making me with
this interview. I do have one more question, though, but
I feel like I know the answer, but I think
it's important to ask this question because we talked about
meaning and purpose and how we hang in there and
the hard times. But let's talk about joy because you
sure have a lot of it, and you sure bring
a lot of it to a lot of people, and
that's got to just make you feel really good. But
(20:47):
what is it that brings you joy?
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Meeting great nice people like you? Because again that you asked,
it's the same answer as to what keeps you going
when in these times because most people are sweet and
nice's let's forget that. Well, we see the news, right,
So the news is by design showing you all the
(21:16):
negative stuff. Why because the negative stuff in life is
the stuff that actually stands out because most of the time,
like somebody said, they never report on all the planes
that landed safely today, that's true, right, but nine percent,
ninety nine point nine percent land safely. We did a
(21:39):
show in Israel. There was this was years ago, where
there's a town called Ako, and they said, you know,
the Arabs and the Jews live side by side in
that town. Can you imagine. Yeah, I go there and
I'm going, oh, my God, the Arabs and the Jews,
they're gonna meet in the towns where and you know
(22:00):
what's going to happen. They're gonna have lunch like they
do every day. The synagogue is right next to the mosque.
And not only do they just tolerate each other, they
celebrate each other's holidays and weddings and celebrations. This is
not in the news. That doesn't sell tickets, that doesn't
get the eyeballs. Yeah, so maybe we can throw a
(22:25):
spotlight on that. Right, Maybe there's room for something like
that in the world. Maybe we won't be so depressed
if we see the other side of things. Not everything
is terrible, Right.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
It's so easy to listen and spread the word of
bad things that you've heard about happening. But I think
that is so true. If we just spend a little
more time focusing on the good things in our days
and the good things that are happening out there, it
would we still have the script.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
We still have to fight, We still have to fight for,
you know, so that more of the world this way
and we're not dominated by the rotten Yeah, So okay,
is it worth fighting for? Yes? Because we want to
live in peace and love our neighbor.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
And everybody wants to.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Be happy golden rule.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Yep, that's very good advice. Well, before I let you go,
Phil Rosenthal, what was your last I choose me moment?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Oh, I guess right before I got on with you,
which is a very good I choose me moment. Talk
to you. Uh, I was on the elliptical for a
half hour.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
That great.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Right, So not only do I do weights in the morning,
but I find another spot if I want to watch TV.
Don't just sit there, get get up and move a
little bit. Mat you do feel better? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Move move move yeah yeah. Oh my goodness, it's been
such a pleasure talking to you.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
My pleasure. Dear.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Let's go, let's go eat at the Douglas okay, okay,
or I'll see at the diner too, Yep, I'll be there.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Bye, dear Bye,
You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Girl. Hey, everyone,
welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about
the choices we make. We're back with Phil Rosenthal, host
of Somebody Feed Phil, and he's about to tempt me
(00:22):
with some amazing restaurant choices. Warning you're about to get hungry. Well,
I'm a vegan, so you know it's I'm limited as
far as like where I can go.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
And if you go to New York and LA you're doing.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, you're doing okay. Anywhere else be.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
A happy vegan?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, for sure?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Just the Indian food alone, right?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Oh yeah, did you go to London?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Of course?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Have you had the Indian food in London?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Amazing?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Amazing?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
But I found a place in New York that I
think is as good as London. Nothing's as good as India. Yeah,
been there?
Speaker 1 (01:00):
No, not yet?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Okay, So you can be a very happy vegan in
India because a lot of people are so. And and
if you listen, if you like Indian food gets where,
it's really good in India. Same with every other country
you can think of. But there's a place in New York.
Next time you go. You might want to write this down.
It's called Bungalow.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Bungalow.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
It's on the Lower East Side. Okay, brilliant, brilliant chef.
And that's some of the best Indian food I've ever
had in New York, London or India. That's the one
thing I find. Don't be mad at me, people that
maybe La doesn't have as strong a game.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
M Yeah, I've never really like sought out all the
Indian food.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
There are great places, there's just not I find as
many as in New York, London, and of course India.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Is it's what's your favorite kind of food?
Speaker 2 (01:57):
I actually love Indian and I can eat it once
a week. I think I do really love Italian. I
love Chinese, I love Japanese, I love barbecue, I love
Korean barbecue. I love Korean food. I love you know,
I live right in the middle of town, and you
know I love a diner.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yes, Oh, I want to ask you about the diner.
You are opening a diner.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yes with Nancy Silverton. You know who she is?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Incredible? What's it called? And where can people find it?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Because it'll be on large bumple of art in LA.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Hopefully it's lovely little street.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Lovely hopefully it'll be uh end of the summer. But
you know, the city's very tough with the inspections and
everything with just yesterday a guy came in. Different guy.
It's always a different thing.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Was a different guy.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
We did this, take a look according to the blueprint. Yeah, no,
that's no good. What do you mean The inspector said,
this is exactly right. Yeah, but I didn't.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Why do they have to make things so difficult?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I don't know, but it's like, you know, have you
ever worked with a studio where you get a note
from one guy and then you do it, and then
another guy has a different that's like that. Yeah, everyone
wants to be king of their kingdom, so you have
to deal with that. But it's it's a necessary evil. Anyway.
The Diaerd's going to be fantastic.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
It's named after your mom and dad.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
It is called max Helens Maxon Helens. And they were
always in somebody feed Phill while they were alive. They
did a little scene with me at the end. I
would zoom with them just like this from wherever I
was in the world to tell them about the place
I was at. And they were always so sweet and funny,
(03:47):
really funny. They never failed, they always delivered. Anyway, this
is a little tribute to them. My dad loved his
very soft scrambled eay. It was his favorite thing in life.
So there'll be Max's fluffy eggs on the menu and
Helen's Matsi bol soup.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Oh my god, I'm coming.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Come on.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
You know it's hard to find a good mats of
ball soup.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Well, Nancy Silverton, I have to say, uh, no offense, mom,
but this is a little better.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Oh exciting everybody.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Everything he touches it becomes the best you ever had.
So imagine the diner of your dreams, like just nothing fancy,
just basic diner. The best waffle you ever had, the
best pancakes, the best tune of milk, the best pattimel,
the best Oh my god, well Vegan, it's gonna be
(04:43):
a little harder for you, But.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I know I can have a waffle. It's got to excentent,
but I'll try it anyway.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Waffle batter have eggs in it, I.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Think, so, I think so maybe yours.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Well, salads, there's salads.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Well it's coming and that's a exciting. So everybody look
out for Max and Helen's opening soon hopefully. We talked
before about how your family seems to play such a
big role in everything you do, which again is why
I think everyone loves you. See what I did there,
from everybody loves Raymond to your foundation, to your new
(05:19):
diner to your new cookbook.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Oh yes, what's happening.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
You have a new cookbook.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Here's the first one, and that did very well. That
was a New York Times bestseller. Somebody feed filled the
book and we thought we'd expand on that. The first
one was just recipes from the first four seasons of
the show, but now we have eight scenes of the show,
so my favorite recipes from the rest of the show,
and friends and family recipes. So it's Phil's favorites.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Oh my gosh, your life is so good right now.
You just eat and laugh and have fun and travel.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
These are the values family, friends, food, travel, laughs. That's it. Yeah,
that's life to me. That's that's what makes life good.
M right, m hm.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Did you grow up in a diner?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Oh yeah, My whole life spent in diners. Yeah, sure,
so New York, New Jersey, that whole area that's diner
ground zero for dinner. Yeah, so you know, it's where
we went after high school. This is where every event
after high school. Let's go to the diner. You have
a cheeseburger deluxe.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Would you know where I used to go Canters?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Of course. Well that's a deli and it's a lot deli.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
It's a lot like.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Uh and it was twenty four it's.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I don't know, I'm too old to go out that
late now. But when I used to go out and
like go to dance clubs and stuff, we would always
end up okay.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
And we see guns and roses there, right.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, it's quite a scene.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
It was a scene, but it's wonderful. And I love
breakfast all day. I think that's great.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
You and my husband both yes, yes, Dave loves a
breakfast burrito.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Me too. We won't have breakfast burritos. That's too new.
So we're going back. Okay, this old school diner.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
This is like on the plate.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And the designer of the space said, what do you want?
I said, listen, I just wanted to look like we
found one hundred year old diner because Larchmount where it is,
has that history. What if it looked like this diner's
always been there for a hundred years and what if
the menu you kind of reflected, you know, the basic,
just the basics, elevated only by the best possible ingredients,
(07:39):
done by a great chef who knows what they're doing,
which is need.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
You got to go back to the classics. You got
to go back to where you started. I think that's
the key.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Well, it's that comfort food. It's that ratatoy thing if
you have. If you bite into, you know, grilled chy
sandwich with tomato soup on the side, it'll take you somewhere.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
It will take you somewhere. I know where it'll take me,
but I hope it takes you somewhere.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
All are fantastic, but choose your own adventure.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Yeah, oh my gosh. Okay, So, like you said, you've
been married to your wife Monica since nineteen ninety Is
that right?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Exactly right?
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Wow, Okay, that is rare and amazing. Congratulations in this
day and age. What is your secret sauce for keeping
that partnership going strong?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
I have a travel show.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
What does that mean? You're gone a lot?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
The real secret sense of humor?
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's our most undervalue trade as human beings.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
I think, well, what about when the jokes are old
and she's heard them a hundred times. Got to write
some new jokes, get some new material.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
She can always make me laugh. I think I can
make her laugh, and that there's nothing better than that,
because now at the end of the day, you're old friends, right,
And I think that the sense of humor thing and
not just saying that as a platitude. Well, from the
(09:22):
time your kid, you're attracted to the other kids who
you laugh with, who, even if their sense of humor
isn't exactly yours, you appreciate each other's sense of humor, right,
You get each other's and it's how we make friends
going forward in life. In high school you can remember
laughing with your friends. In college, of course you have
(09:44):
extra help sometimes making things funny. But then I'll go
so far as to say it's who we choose to marry. Yeah,
if you don't have laughs with the person I don't,
I think it's long for the world.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yeah, I mean yeah, because I want to laugh, Like
I don't want to be serious. I'm I'm serious at
work or i'm you know, I've got a lot of
my mind. I want somebody that's gonna take my mind
off of things. Sometimes and give me that just that
feeling of safety and comfort.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
My parents, you know, they came from they came from Germany.
You know, they were Holocaust survivors. So they had deep,
dark backgrounds, right right, and so they had problems obviously
that psychologically that that of course, you can't live through
something like that where it doesn't affect you. And so
(10:46):
it was volatile. And you know, they had two little
monsters at home and me and my brother we were
always fighting. But when we weren't yelling, we were laughing.
And making each other laugh was like the currency of
the house. That was how you got Oh i'm good,
I'm in good with mom, or I made dad laugh
(11:07):
or I made my brother laugh. That's everything. That's that's
that's like. And what's better? What's better? Everything's good when
you're laughing, everything is good.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
What if what if there are homes out there that
are listening right now and they need more laughter in
their life, they need they want more laughter. How do
you think they can get it?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
You lighten up. First of all, you watch you don't
just watch the news. You don't just watch the murder.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
That's not going to make you laugh.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Or the murder shows there's murder shows. There's a lot
of entertainment at what they call entertainment out there that
is the worst of human nature. I mean sometimes I'm
not a prude, but shows where moms sleep with their
son's friends. What kind of show is this? What the
(11:57):
hell is happening?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Show? It sounds like a bad porn site. What are
you doing? But it's Those shows are a lot more
popular than somebody feed Phil.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
So lighten up, lighten up. Even what you're watching on TV, well, that's.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
A very good way if you're not. Everyone has to
be funny, but you should know at least where to
go to find the funny.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
There's a really fun movie out right now that I
would tell people to watch that I just watch, which
was Naked Gut. Oh.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
I haven't seen it yet, So.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
You got something to look forward to because it's jilly
and funny and damn if it's not what the doctor
ordered right now? Yeah, you know, I tell people, yes,
you have to be informed. You have to know what's
going on your you know, our lives, I think depend
on it. But once in a while, a little somebody
feed Phil, a little little break.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
A little levity, right, yeah, you need a break. That's
so true. You have this foundation. What's the name of
your foundation?
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Somebody Feed the People?
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Somebody Feed the People? Perfect? Yes, Why was food injustice
and supporting restaurant workers something that you wanted to champion?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Well, it's not just that you go wherever the need is.
And for me, if I'm identified now as the food guy,
then why not have it be centered around food? And
if you go to my website at Phil rosenthalworld dot com.
First of all, you can see everywhere we've been on
(13:26):
the show, including every single restaurant in place that we visit,
has their website, their phone number. You can make a reservation,
you don't have to take No, it's all there. But
the other thing that's there the links to all of philanthropy,
including Somebody Feed the People, which is just an amalgam
of all the food charities that we love to support.
(13:50):
In this episode, I try to find some kind of
charitable organization in the place we're in that we put
it on the screen. If this has touched your heart,
maybe you want to give a little something like me,
and then that's a good way so you feel like
you're helping a little bit, which is better than not
helping a little bit.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Right, that's so true. I think we can get scared
that we don't know how to help, or our little
bit of help is not going to change anything. Use
so that keeps us from doing anything.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
By the way, at the very least, it makes you
feel better because you did something. When my kids would
get upset all my life, Oh I hate everything and everybody,
I'd say, go help somebody.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Yeah, it instantly changes things, that's right, when you put yourself.
I mean that for me was having when I had kids.
I was like, oh, this is so good to put
my love and energy into something else and rather than
being focused on myself. And I always kind of credit
becoming a mom and having kids just saving me from
(14:56):
myself in Hollywood. Yes, and I just think that that's
the best thing I ever did, so in essence, that
was helping.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
We can all be self centered, right yeah, yeah, career
or career, career, And I'm sure this extends to people
not in show for sure, but the moment you have
kids or have to help someone else, already out of
your own head with your own blowney so true.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
What will we do without restaurants? I'm my husband, Yeah,
he is in the hospitality industry, owns a bar. He
owns a bar restaurant. This is his third endeavor. It's
called the Douglas. It's in LA It's right by Dodger Stadium.
So it's a great pregame after game place to go.
(15:47):
They have really good food, not just bar greasy food,
but nice bar food.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
So have to go.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, I gotta check it out. Come in. We'll feed you.
He will feed you.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
But so I speak for my husband and thanking you
for spreading the awareness and you know, and the gratitude
for what is a really hard business and industry.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
You don't have to tell me I've invested in many restaurants,
actually because I'm not very bright. Yeah, it's because it's
one of the arts. Why shouldn't your sense of taste
be any less important than your sense of smell or sight?
We're hearing right, It's again all connected. And of course
(16:29):
it's an art form.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Yeah, it's like you know, cheers, where everybody knows your name. Yes,
I think that's a good feeling too, when you go
in a restaurant and you just feel welcome and you
feel like the people there actually care and enjoy what
they do.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
I asked Thomas Keller, one of the great chefs of America,
for a little advice about opening the diner. I said,
what's the most important thing? And you know what he said,
the service, the service, even the food.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
I mean, it's true.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
You have to have that that you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
Yeah, that atmosphere is so important. Yes, and it has
to be across the board with all the employees, everybody
that works there, because there's that one, like, you know,
rotten Apple. Yeah, that one cranky person you can really
mess things up.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Yeah. What's your relationship with self care? I mean, I
don't say eating pizza because well unless that's true, but
that's it. What's something you do just for you?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Work out every day?
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Really? Yeah, I was just I was going to ask
you follow up to this and ask you how do
you stay fit when you're always eating and on the road.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Well, that's, first of all, it's necessity. I have to
the way in my clothes. But by and then I
you know, I guess there's no such thing as a
free meal. You gotta pay for it somehow. I'm paying
for it by exercise. Walk first thing in the morning,
I walk up like a mile and a third to Largemont.
(18:03):
I have my coffee with my friends and my dog
with me. Then I walk back another mile and a
third home and then the weights, the weights. I gotta
do it. I have to. And I'll tell you something.
Even with that, it gets harder every year because we
love muscle. As we get older, we gain weight as
we get older, and I want to keep eating the
(18:24):
way I'm used to eating, and I can't even you know,
it's not even, it's not fair because I have to.
I have to actually cut back otherwise you can't. They say,
you can't outrun a bad diet, right.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
It can't.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
So your body is maybe twenty percent of your workout.
Your workout affects maybe twenty percent of how your physical body.
The diet is like eighty percent.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah, it's all about the food.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
The diet.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I'm that's so hard because there's so many yummy things
I want to eat nice. Yes, do you work out
on your own or do you do? You go in
there and you have the drive to get in there
and pump the iron.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
You know. I never worked out a day in my
life until I was forty. Really, yeah, and then I
started going to trainers, and over the years, I've picked
up routines and now I I'm self sufficient. So I
have a little gym in my house, and of course
every hotel I go to hazard gym. And before, let's
say i'm filming the show, before I'm going to shoot
(19:29):
that day, i'd better do some physical activity because if
you've seen the show, you see me eat a lot.
Because I am eating a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
It's a hazard of your job, but it's the best.
It's true.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
The other secret is I share everything.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Oh that's a good idea, and it's.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Only good if you can share it, because you know,
I'm eating the most delicious thing in the world, and
I look out at the crew and they're looking at
me like this, it's not cool, So it's only fun
to sh air it with them. I love sharing it. Yeah.
The other secret is if you see me eating a
lot in that scene, it's because that scene is the
(20:09):
only scene we shot that day, which means that's the
only thing I ate that day.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
So you're gonna, yeah, you're in go for it.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
So I'm getting hungry for the camera.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
I can't even believe how hungry you're making me with
this interview. I do have one more question, though, but
I feel like I know the answer, but I think
it's important to ask this question because we talked about
meaning and purpose and how we hang in there and
the hard times. But let's talk about joy because you
sure have a lot of it, and you sure bring
a lot of it to a lot of people, and
that's got to just make you feel really good. But
(20:47):
what is it that brings you joy?
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Meeting great nice people like you? Because again that you asked,
it's the same answer as to what keeps you going
when in these times because most people are sweet and
nice's let's forget that. Well, we see the news, right,
So the news is by design showing you all the
(21:16):
negative stuff. Why because the negative stuff in life is
the stuff that actually stands out because most of the time,
like somebody said, they never report on all the planes
that landed safely today, that's true, right, but nine percent,
ninety nine point nine percent land safely. We did a
(21:39):
show in Israel. There was this was years ago, where
there's a town called Ako, and they said, you know,
the Arabs and the Jews live side by side in
that town. Can you imagine. Yeah, I go there and
I'm going, oh, my God, the Arabs and the Jews,
they're gonna meet in the towns where and you know
(22:00):
what's going to happen. They're gonna have lunch like they
do every day. The synagogue is right next to the mosque.
And not only do they just tolerate each other, they
celebrate each other's holidays and weddings and celebrations. This is
not in the news. That doesn't sell tickets, that doesn't
get the eyeballs. Yeah, so maybe we can throw a
(22:25):
spotlight on that. Right, Maybe there's room for something like
that in the world. Maybe we won't be so depressed
if we see the other side of things. Not everything
is terrible, Right.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
It's so easy to listen and spread the word of
bad things that you've heard about happening. But I think
that is so true. If we just spend a little
more time focusing on the good things in our days
and the good things that are happening out there, it
would we still have the script.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
We still have to fight, We still have to fight for,
you know, so that more of the world this way
and we're not dominated by the rotten Yeah, So okay,
is it worth fighting for? Yes? Because we want to
live in peace and love our neighbor.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
And everybody wants to.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Be happy golden rule.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Yep, that's very good advice. Well, before I let you go,
Phil Rosenthal, what was your last I choose me moment?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Oh, I guess right before I got on with you,
which is a very good I choose me moment. Talk
to you. Uh, I was on the elliptical for a
half hour.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
That great.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Right, So not only do I do weights in the morning,
but I find another spot if I want to watch TV.
Don't just sit there, get get up and move a
little bit. Mat you do feel better? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Move move move yeah yeah. Oh my goodness, it's been
such a pleasure talking to you.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
My pleasure. Dear.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Let's go, let's go eat at the Douglas okay, okay,
or I'll see at the diner too, Yep, I'll be there.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Bye, dear Bye,
Host
Jennie Garth
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