Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S15 Ep 8: Phil Rosenthal

Episode Date: April 12, 2023

The kindest face of food and travel… the man with the job made of dreams.. this week, we welcome star of Netflix’s 'Somebody Feed Phil' - Phil Rosenthal. It was my turn to cook and what better meal for Phil than a full English fry up. We recorded this on his birthday so we followed up with a good old British tradition of Colin The Caterpillar. We discuss choosing childhood favourites as his last meal, the best cheese toastie he’s ever eaten, how he could live off pizza & his pet peeve in restaurants. What a mensch. Go have a listen and if you haven’t already, go and watch SOMEBODY FEED PHIL - it’s the best! X Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners. I'm Jessie Ware and I'm here in my house and I'm cooking. Yes darling. Mum's actually walked in ten minutes late. What are you cooking? What are you doing? What are you thinking about? I was just looking at Alice twisting her knobs. To be honest. Are you high?

No. to be honest are you high no well we have a very important man in the food and entertainment business he has basically the top food travel program on netflix six seasons of food and travel his name name is Phil Rosenthal. He was the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, a really successful sitcom in the States. And now he's become the face of food and travel with his programme Somebody Feed Phil. It has the best theme tune. He's this very kind, sweet man who goes around the world

and eats at the best places. Some fancy, some places like holes in the walls um recommended by really excellent people it is a really heartwarming gentle watch and also really exciting and there's so many recommendations if you're going on a trip somewhere just check if phil's been there for some food recommendations he has been everywhere from Seoul to New Orleans to Marrakesh London a featured brat and Rovi on there um he just seems like a really nice bloke so because he's so interested in eating kind of traditional foods I thought it was a no-brainer to give him an English fry up so what have I got I've got HG

Walter streaky bacon because HG Walter streaky bacon I think is the best bacon ever um and this is not an ad but on the gorillas app you can get HG Walter and it's bloody good meat um I've done homemade smoky baked beans which I did this morning I've done some portobello mushrooms done with rosemary and uh whole grain mustard that you stir for at the end what else have I done bubble and squeak I had some potatoes that I needed doing so I put them in the oven scooped it out had half a cabbage shoved that in onion butter salt pepper thyme and rosemary so that's going in and then I've got black pudding sausages fried egg oh and sourdough from Dusty Knuckle.

Thank you, Producer Alice. Thank you, Producer Alice. It's his birthday. So for pudding, you know I'm crap at cakes. So I got him a Colin the Caterpillar. Yeah. Do you think he's ever had a Colin the Caterpillar? Shouldn't think so, darling.

Quintessential British birthday emergency cake. And Babka. Babka is courtesy of Honey and Co. It's a Valentine's special, which when this comes out, probably won't be Valentine's special, but they should keep it on because it looks so beautiful.

It's in a tin. It's rose petals. It's got a kind of, some kind of cardamom, custardy something in there. It looks glorious. So you're having a bit of that. I hope he comes hungry

phil rosenthal coming up on table manners somebody feed phil i'm gonna feed you today i'm excited i'm so you are even more warm in real life than you are even on netflix and you're very warm on Netflix you've got very kind face kind eyes gentle sweet Phil is that right it's a big act it's not you also remind me of um mum's cousin Michael Gissing oh really yeah there's a kind of anyway um thank you for being here and happy birthday. Thank you. As I told you when I came in, there's no place I'd rather be. So what brings you to London?

Doing a show tonight and tomorrow night at the Hackney Empire. Have you been to Hackney Empire before? No. Great places to eat around there. Really? Well, Hackney's the best for food. I'm going to Dishoom. Delicious.

Which one are you going to? Shoreditch. Oh, Shored shortage i've only ever been to king's i think we filmed part of our london episode there we did you film your time because he's in your book yes we did and you went to brat as well yes we did and i'm going there tomorrow night for the turbot of course oh it's unbelievable is that where we had the turbot yeah and then they spray it with the lemon. You've got it in your recipe book. That book is great because it's recipes, but also it's a travel guide.

The stories. It's a hybrid. Yeah, and it really works. I'm so happy. I wrote it with someone named Jen Garby, who's a cookbook expert. I don't know anything about making a cookbook. I can tell my stories and how the show got started, and there's behind-the-scenes photos and all that kind of thing and then they're the 60 most requested recipes from the first four seasons of the show so i think that's why people

like it no but i don't cook you cook i do cook you don't cook i don't well you're in new yorker you will be able to you eat out eat out all the time, right? All the time. They can all cook. But I need to know. Yeah. Your parents. Yes, not cooks.

Oh, yeah. Well, you talk about your mum not being the best cook. She was good in every other aspect of life. She was so supportive, very sweet, very intelligent, very cultured, turned me on to the whole world of the arts and was was incredibly supportive cooking not her strong suit so what is a memorable dish that your mom made good or bad the worst one yeah let's go there this is now legendary for passover you can't have and you can't have uh flour right you can't have flour, right? You can't have bread. So she found this recipe, I think, in an anti-Semitic cookbook.

And she made matzah lasagna. Oh, I've got that. I've got the recipe for that. You do? Have you ever made it? I don't want it. And that is what we're cooking you, Phil. Happy birthday.

Goodbye, everybody. Instead of sheets of pasta, sheets of matzah. It was like a cardboard souffle. Oh. It was... Inedible. The cat wouldn't eat it. It was inedible.

Did you laugh about it? Oh, yes, for years and years and years. I've got a recipe for matzah misu. Tiramisu made with matzah. Oh. Matzah misu. I like the name. I think we're losing every listener that you have

so that was a bad one but is there a dish that also with matzo matzo ball soup it was good very good and I know you're going to ask me about my last meal and that would be the final

no it wouldn't be the final thing it would certainly be part of it and't be the final thing it would certainly be part of it yeah and then i would have some of her steak and that would finish me off who would you have with you on your last meal oh what are you doing later okay i'm there i won't go if it's the shoe theyom. They do good cocktails. Yes, they do. Do you know what the number one pet peeve of restaurant goers is? They did a survey. What is it?

I'm wondering if you can guess. Well, is it that they take away their plates before you're finished? Like everyone's finished? Oh, no. But that's an American thing that you do. Not you. I don't know if you do it it we don't get it in england so where if someone if we're all sitting together yes and you finish your plate first and we're still eating they'll take your plate away because they think that's because it's dirty and they think that's what they should do but in england in england you

would never do it till everyone's finished did Did you find that in every restaurant you go to in America? In America, yeah. Oh, you know, I never noticed that. And it drives us mad. It feels so rude to us. It doesn't drive me as mad as it drives you. Oh, it drives me mad. You know, we haven't quite finished.

Okay. Well, that's, I guess, a particular British thing because you're not used to that. So what is it? What is it? Yeah. Waiting for the check. Oh, yeah. No, I can understand that. Because you're done and now that. So what is it? What is it? Yeah. Waiting for the check. Oh, yeah. No, I can understand that.

Because you're done. And now you'd like to go. And you can't go. Yeah. And people hate that feeling. Yes. I understand that. That's not my pet peeve.

My number one pet peeve. What's yours? What? The loud music. Me too. I'm here to talk to you. Yeah. If I go out to eat with you, I want to be with you and talk to you

also with all the new restaurants with hard services that's right also you've got lots of people talking and you don't hear the music

you hear just a banging beat in the background it's not proper music it's not atmospheric and the older I get the more trouble I have hearing

me too so I will actually say I have a bit of a hearing problem. Can you turn it down? That's a really clever way of doing it. Yeah, but they would for you. Have pity on me. But you could do it with your sweet eyes and then they'll go, okay.

And he's still miserable. Whereas mom's like, can you turn it down for me? Excuse me, I can't hear. We did that last night. And the truth is, I don't really have a hearing problem, but I do have a hearing problem in this restaurant right now. Yeah, me too. So that's what I say. I love that.

Right? I love that. Yeah. Do you know why the music is loud in so many places? Why? You want to guess at that reason? Because they're fighting in the kitchen? Nope.

They want you to leave. That's it. How did you know that? Producer Alice just said they want you to leave. That's exactly the reason. They can turn over the table. This is my kitchen secrets. Kitchen confidential.

Yes. Oh, my God. But it's antithetical to the reason we love restaurants, right? It doesn't work for me. You want to feel welcome. Yeah. And you want to feel. But at the same time, I actually invest in restaurants because I'm not very bright.

You're crazy. But I love them so much. But I also understand they have to, the margins are so slim. Yeah, they are. Right? To make any kind of living. Yeah. Right?

That they'll try anything to get an advantage, to try to get one more extra seating if they can per night. So they crank this up because it's a matter of their survival people can't but sometimes if i go with girlfriends of my age we go and i have to say please can we not go to that place i love the food but i can't hear of course me too and it's not even just music they cram so many that's right jews complaining do you think no i don't i think it's anyone where do you live Phil? I live in Hancock Park in the center of Los Angeles. Oh I love Hancock Park. You know it? Yeah I like Larchmont. That's my, I walk there every single

day with my dog. Do you come to LA a lot? Yeah I went. Can we go eat when you come? Oh my god. I'm going but I'm coming in March. Hopefully I'll be there. She's holding Phil's hand as she says this. Phil is locked in. I'm looking into his eyes. I was there in October. Gaga, come on. I was there in October and December. Yeah.

I went to Safi's twice. Safi's is so good. Well, that chef happens to be one of the best chefs in the world. You know his bestia and bevel. Yeah. I've been to bevel, but not bestia. I did go to bestia. I think Safi his bestia and bevel. Yeah, I went to bevel, but not bestia. I did go to bestia. I think Safi's is better than bevel.

More casual, certainly. But the lamb neck shawarma at bevel is one of the great dishes in the world. Do you think Yotam is your favorite over him or not? Equal. No, I think... Equal and different. Have you been to Honey and Co?

Oh, yeah. That's when you should eat whilst you're here. equal no i think equal and different have you been to honey and co oh yeah that's no their lamb shawarma is i promise you better than the one at uh south honey and co i don't know how long you've got to be i don't have enough time oh you've got to go well we've got a babka that we're going to give you a bit later oh nice um i'm basically i'm giving you a fry up today but it's kind of a grill up a filling filling. You know what a fry up is. I do. And I know you've got lots of meals to eat today. So you should give me a very small amount. You have a little taste of everything.

I don't want to offend anybody, so I'm going to taste everything. I'll make it very small. I'll taste everything. I'll finish nothing. Okay. Is that? That's part of the secret. Yeah, that's what John Turode said as well.

Look at this. Yeah. He's slim. But sometimes things are too good to not finish, no? You know how they make a dog food commercial? Oh. They don't feed the dog until the commercial. Yeah, okay, fine.

So that's how we do the show. So have you not eaten yet? So I don't eat until the scene. And so it looks like I eat a lot. I do. But it's a week's worth of filming. Yeah. Condensed into less than an hour.

Okay. So that scene you're seeing, that's probably what I ate that day. That's why you think everything is so delicious because you're just so famished. That's part of it. You want to say, oh boy, when the food comes, not oh no. And I've been in that situation too. But I feel like you're scared of the fact that I'm feeding you. You're going to be okay.

If you're okay with me not finishing everything. I okay no she's gonna give you no she's going to she usually overdoes it because we're feeders yeah but you'll put little on his plate jess yes i will yes i will just tell you look how slim he is and he does food you know why mom because we eat fucking three course meals three times a week doing this podcast. We're buggered. Yeah. With champagne. I have a podcast, too, called Naked Lunch, and we eat lunch. With no clothes on.

With our guests. Oh. Why, would you like that? No, it's called Naked Lunch. It's from William Burroughs' novel, Naked Lunch. There used to be the naked chef here. The naked part is hopefully the the conversation and how do you find it do you cook the meal no no we take away and do the does the guest choose to take away

sometimes if they if they're interested otherwise they they like me to feed them okay fine and we share everything phil you're the king of eating. I am. What would be your favorite food to eat and your favorite restaurant? Do you like Indian food? I love it. It's not great in LA, is it? Oh, we have some good places. Do you now? But London wins, I think.

Yeah. By the way, I haven't been to India. Have you? Yeah. I'm dying to go. That's next on the list. I've been to... Yeah, I have.

I've been to Kerala. It's delicious. I can't wait. It's next on the list. I've been to, yeah, I have. I've been to Carol. It's delicious. I can't wait. It's wonderful. I can't wait. I always say if you love a food, you go to the source. Yeah. You know where they have really great Italian food?

Italy. Italy, it's true. Yes. So that's why I'm encouraging people to go. No, it's only one of the favorites. Italian is amazing. I think the number one food That I could live on the rest of my life

Is probably pizza Could you? It would be the last thing that I could live on Why? I must eat it twice a year That is such a lie mum You had it at the weekend with my children Because of your children

We're already in January Because of your children I wouldn't eat it normally I've got chocolate in your fridge for my son But I would never go out And that was already in January. But because of your children, I wouldn't eat it normally. Oh, you're so selfish. I've got chocolate in your fridge for my son. But I would never go out to a pizza place with friends. Would you? Or would you order in pizza?

Yes, he would. He's saying it's his favorite place. No, he said it's one of the things he could live on. Listen, listen. There are now pizza places in New York and L.A. all over. I'm sure they're here, too, where it is world class, where you can't believe how delicious. Mozza. Nazi Silverton.

Mozza, yes. How about Pizzana from Daniele Uditi, who used to be the pizzaiola in Naples at the most famous pizzeria in the world. And then he came to America, and his pizzas are phenomenal. When it's great, I think, you know, it's one of the great pleasures in life. Speaking of the last meal, my last meal would be childhood favorites. Okay, so you have a multiple suit. Complete the cycle, right? If it is my last meal, go back to...

Yeah, me too. I think I would do that. And I think my favorite food in life... Yeah. I've had all the fancy meals. Okay. Go on. I think when you have comfort food, the food you loved as a child growing up, and you have

it elevated to a level where it's the best... Okay. Like I just had the best cheese toasty. Yeah. Let's talk about that cheese toasty. was it from cap casein it's a it's a word for for melt for melted i think it's a it's a word for i never heard that sounds like a german place we featured it on the london episode bill oglethorpe is the proprietor he used to work at neil'sairy, and he was a grilled cheese fanatic. So he experimented with all types of cheeses to find the right ones that would melt perfectly and taste great.

Then he puts little leeks and onions in it. Oh, wow. And he found the ideal bread as well. This was years of trial and error. Which bread? Sourdough? Poilam Bakery from Paris. Oh, that's my favorite. Okay, so it's thin.

Fabulous, fabulous. So here's what happens. You're going to love this. I've never had it. He shreds the cheese. Yeah. He puts in the leeks and onions under these two,

between these two slices of bread, and he starts warming it on one panini press. Yeah. There's no butter because the cheese melts through the bread and becomes the butter of the bread. Then he moves it to the hotter panini press to finish it and crisp

the... I can't believe you haven't had this. I can't believe I haven't either. Borough market. This is actually quite stressful for me that I haven't had this. Because I thought I knew about the best cheese toastie which is this one at the Topaf Cafe which you should eat at. Well listen, you might prefer it.

I might, but it's got quince jelly in it, and I love that. But John Tarota says we should put mayonnaise on the outside to crisp it up. I heard that, too. I'm with you. Somebody said baste a turkey in mayonnaise. Coat the turkey with mayonnaise. That would be a good idea. Before you roast it, because it gets this gorgeous brown skin.

You'll never know because you won't be cooking it. No, but I'll advise. I love this. So who lives with you in Hancock Park? My wife and my dog right now. Your wife and dog. And the kids are grown. The kids are 28.

How many children have you got? Two. My boy is 28, Ben, and Lily is 25. Oh, lovely. I put them on the show as much as I can. And where do they live? Nearby. Nearby.

You know, I always said that one of the blessings of COVID, right, if you didn't have tragedy, was that we were thrown together more with the family because that was your pod. Did they come and... Yes, they didn't live with us, but they were... They were allowed to be in your... Yes, exactly.

And we were together almost every day. And so when your kids are in their 20s, well, they don't want to be with mom and dad. They should be out living their lives yeah but you know my wife and i would evilly look at each other and go hey they can't go we get them a little longer but you know what happened what that feeling stuck and people you're very very close but we're we got closer. And it's a gift. And you were close to your own parents.

I was. Yeah. So was that when you, did you move away when they were still living in New York? I did.

Yeah. So, so we. Broke your parents' heart, no doubt. They would come and visit us often.

I would visit them often. Yeah. And we would travel together. The whole family with the parents. So where did you go? They loved...

We came to London once. We came to Paris once. We went to Italy a couple of times. And then we went up the coast of California with them. We did all kinds of things. You know, while they were still able. I recommend it. I recommend it to people whose parents might be a little older because the sad truth is none of us last forever.

I thought the special about your parents was so beautiful. Thank you. And you've got all your friends and family around to reminisce. Yes. It must have been really hard. I mean, of course, it's hard losing your parents. Yes. But they were such a part of the show as well you know and how that changed things for you because I loved how you talked about them

being like it being like a postcard that's right and and just the fact that your mum could never really use that like when her eyes would be right up against it it was just amazing and um but you know I it's been such a, you lost your parents. It's awful. But also them being part of this journey with you as well. I'm sorry that I'm still cooking. No, you're fine. It was a joy to do, to be honest.

My brother and I are so happy that we had the opportunity to do it, that we had an excuse to do it, right had an excuse to do it right yeah wouldn't wouldn't you do it for your parents i always say if if you had a deal with netflix you know what i mean yeah we had i mean i recommend your brother i mean yes it is but i realized when we when we finished it we should have done this on our own or we would have done this on our own, or we would have done it on our own had we not had the deal with Netflix, right? And I recommend that people do something like that.

Some kind of filming of your folks telling their story for the grandkids, right? Because we forget. I've served you up, Phil, and I've done like a half a sausage, and I've done a half a black pudding.

Look at that bread, that bread looks incredible. Oh, this is the most. Have you ever been to Dusty Knuckle Bakery? No. You need to go, it's great. It's in Shoreditch, the greatest bakery in London, I think. Wow, well it came to me, didn't it? Yes, it did.

I gotta try this hot bread while it's hot. But I have, I have. Oh, it's very hot. You're not kidding with the hot. Okay, that is like- Oh, look at that! That is very small. A full English.

A full English. Have you had HP sauce before? I love it. Oh, great! Help yourself, start eating, relax. Hee hee. I've just thought, I've balanced out the fact that I'm having Shabbos dinner later with loads of pork. Jessie did her bat mitzvah just before Christmas.

Oh! Age 38. My wife did it around that age. Really? She converted. Oh, right. Okay. Was it important for you to have her convert? No, it was important to my grandmother, who she became great friends with. Oh, that's lovely.

My grandmother didn't want to meet Monica. Oh. Because... Less lovely. I told her I had a girlfriend. Yeah. First question. Is she Jewish?

That's right. I said, no, not exactly. She says, oh. I said, no, not exactly. She says, oh. I said, I'd love for you to meet her. She said, I'd rather not. I said, really? You know, Oma, German for grandmother, I understand where you came from, and I understand you having this feeling, but that was a long time ago,

and this is someone special to me and I would love for you to meet her and she really agonized over this and even talked to her daughter my mother about it and my mother told me later that she said do you want to lose your grandson and over this she said no and so she met Monica now I bring Monica over for dinner to my grandma's house. I lived, her apartment was around the corner from me in New York, in Washington Heights.

I bring her, I bring Monica. Within five minutes, I could have jumped off the roof. They wouldn't have cared. They were so close, so fast. And when my grandmother died, I was in California working. I had to work. And the only person in the room with her holding her hand was Monica.

That's how close they were. Yes. Very beautiful. So my wife converted for her. And she never asked her to convert. And how proud was your grandma? She was a little afraid for her. And she never asked her to convert. And how proud was your grandma? She was a little afraid for Monica. Why? She literally said,

don't you know the world will hate you? Antisemitism. Yes. And she said, I love the religion. I love you. I love what you stand for. I love what you've been through. Right?

So it was very meaningful. And, of course, I always say right? So, it was very meaningful. And of course, I always say that the converts, they're the worst because they, they, they really get into it. And if you're raised in it,

you rebel against it because it was forced on you and they chose it. So they are into it. That's such a, yeah, it's like Gaga. My grandma was called Gaga

and she converted. And she had the biggest mug and dovet around her neck. She like wore it, you know, badge of honour. Proud. Proudly used the most Yiddish words out

of anybody I knew. She used to say, how do you say it in English? And she was, you know, born in Birmingham. Yeah. Does Monica ever get a bit resentful that she doesn't get to come away with you?

Not at all. In fact, she comes when she can. Yeah. I want her to come as much as she can. I want the kids to come as much as they can. I like the family feeling of the show. I feel like it's kind of a research library for you, planning a vacation with your family.

Absolutely. And so I want to show that these are not exclusive vacations that only i can take once in a while i get some special treatment it's obvious in the show that i'm getting into an experience that maybe not everyone can have but most of the things are doable not just for you but with your. That's what I like about it because I was in Marrakesh at the weekend. So I watched the Marrakesh one and it was really great. I've been to Marrakesh before and sadly I didn't get to eat as much of the food in the kind of soup in the Medina. And then I watched yours after.

And I'd heard about Nomad, which is where you went and ate. But I loved the bit when you went and ate yes but i loved the bit when you went and ate in the soup and you had the husband and wife yes and you had the sandwich it was mackerel and yes or was it sardine i think it was sorry yeah and she was like it's never gonna work and he was like trust me and everyone loved it that's right that's the and i think the program is so brilliant because yes yes, anyone can go to that place. Absolutely. However, you do have the more elevated dining experiences as well. Once a show, we like to show a splurge because I believe that's what a lot of people do on their vacation. They set aside one night for the splurge, right?

Yeah. I mean, you have the greatest job in the world. Oh, yeah. I'm so jealous of you. Yeah, we are. You should be. I slightly resent you, but you're really nice, so... But the whole point is, you can do it.

I tell kids, this is what your money's for. After rent and food, save your money so that you can travel. And when I was 23, I had my first trip to Europe. I got a courier flight. I maybe had $200 to spend. A courier flight. People used $200 to spend a career flight people do that what is that you carried something over and you got a free ticket yeah can you take this to England and it needed to be looked after it's a little more formal

than that this was a company called DHL which is now a giant company but before they were a giant company they would send their stuff as a passengers as excess baggage yeah you would find out where you were going that week you get a free flight let's say to zurich you get luggage tags you never touch their stuff you have luggage tags and then you hand it off to the dhl guy at the end of the so when was your first trip i think landed in frankfurt got right on a train and went to paris met friends and then took an overnight train to florence and in that cabin with us in third class was a couple named dania and dario and they worked in the family bakery in florence and they we stayed

up all night with a cheap bottle of wine and talking and i had the time of my life they drew pictures in my journal of where i should go in florence they drew the duomo as if i was going to miss it as if anyone could miss it when they walk into the center of florence but they also gave me the address to the family bakery. So of course, the very first thing I did, because I love these two, he spoke no English, she spoke a little, but we had so much fun. All night. Yes. I love that. That I, that I, by the way, that train ride from Paris to Florence, you go through the Alps. Oh, wow. And so the picture windows are just, you eat breakfast watching, watching the Alps go by I mean I recommend I'm

when you're 23 and you come from New York City you you have no conception of what the world is and how beautiful it is outside and I get to Florence first stop that bakery and the father who owns the bakery he loved that I came from America. This was 1983. He says, America, John Wayne. John Wayne. Thumbs up, right? And he starts feeding me everything from the bakery. Then he tells his neighbors, the lady from next door at the trattoria, she comes with a bowl of pasta.

Because why? Because an American boy is here. I mean, I couldn't believe that I was treated like a prince. They set up a table. They brought me chocolate. They brought me dessert. They brought me all this amazing food. I was treated like a king. They set up a table. They brought me chocolate. They brought me dessert. They brought me all this amazing food. I was treated like a king.

And I was nobody. I was just a kid. How do you not fall in love with travel after that? Right? Donnie and Dario are my friends for 40 years. That's so wonderful. And it kind of feels like it was written in the stars for you, this whole, your career and how it's ended up.

Have you had any bad meals? Yes, of course. And that you haven't been able to put in the show? People say, it looks like you like everything. I say, yeah, I like everything I put in the show. Yeah, exactly. Right, okay. Right?

Yeah. So the things that I'm not crazy about, first of all, I'm not there to critique. I'm not there to ruin someone's business. No. I don't want to say this is bad, but first of all, it's just one stupid guy's opinion. Mm-hmm. You might love it. So who am I to say this is bad but first of all it's just one stupid guy's opinion you might love it so who am i to say this is bad there are occasions when i taste something that is terrible to me and my brother will keep it in because it's funny right he thinks it's hilarious anytime i suffer in any way so if i eat something like like there was this thing

and i know it's a delicacy and i would never want to insult a culture or offend anyone. But? But there's something in Chile called puree. Do you know what this is? Puree is a sea creature. And the chef who had given me fantastic food, he's one of the best chefs in South America. He cuts open this diseased looking coral and pulls out the beating heart

of this thing. It's an orange glop. And because he'd given me all this great food before, Yeah, come to mama. I put it right in my mouth. I'm not very smart because I couldn't even describe

how powerful and terrible. And he says, it's like a punch in the face, isn't it? And I said, yes yes it is thank you i learned later because people wrote to me on instagram that flavor that you can't describe that animal that sea creature is very rich in iodine and what iodine so of course you're only supposed to have a tiny bit and you're supposed to douse it in lime and chilies and salt and all these other

things to mask it i don't know i don't know if he maybe it was such a delicacy i guess it is but in very small quantities i also was stupid enough to do the same thing with a thousand year old egg in hong kong i put i popped that in my mouth a thousand year old it's not really a thousand it just tastes that way the first thing you taste is very, very rotten egg. And the next thing you taste is ammonia. And I couldn't understand the appeal of this thing. Well, you're supposed to take a sliver of it and put it into the hot pot with 50 other ingredients. So it just has a touch of funkiness. Did they do that for you? No, they didn't. You ate it. So it's a hot pot restaurant. All these things are sitting on the table. Oh.

And I thought we're supposed to taste them like appetizers. Oh, shit. So this one Chinese lady, she said, I'm not touching that. And she's Chinese from Hong Kong. Didn't that give you like a bit of a... Well, it's my job to taste. So I said, if you try it, I'll try it. And she was so tentative about she put it on a half

half of what looks like half a hardboiled egg except the white is a brownish orange and the yolk is a bluish green okay and it looks radioactive and she had half of it on her spoon and she wasn't gonna eat it and i just took it and I said here I'll do it and I put the whole thing in my mouth because I'm hilarious. Do you ever get stomach upset? Yeah sure. It made you feel bad? But the only time I ever got sick was in San Francisco

of going all over the world going to Bangkok street markets and Vietnam. What would you have eaten? You know I don't know because I ate so many things that day. And I think I didn't want to say where I got food poisoning in the show. I left it in my experience because that can happen. So I cut the place that I think I got it from.

Listen, that's not fun. You've had it. Where do you stand on oysters? Love. Love. Love. I couldn't even put one in my mouth. I'd rather die. Really? An oyster. Oh no.

Mum, I've had some absolute... Jessie, you used to not like them and you've let me down now. Yeah, because my taste buds have matured, Mum. You've gone to the other side. Jesus. You know, I believe that your taste buds change over time. And it's something you didn't like years ago. You might like now.

Yeah, I used to not like watermelon. And now? I love it. Oh, that's great. I used to not like beets. And now? What child likes beet? Yeah.

Right? And now I like them. Phil. Yes? I'm really enjoying having you here. And I feel like I need to go on a trip with you or just come to L.A. and hang out with you. That'd be nice. Because I really, I trust you. Thank you trip with you or just come to LA and hang out. That'd be nice. Because that, I really, I trust you.

Thank you. Did you ever meet Anthony Bourdain? I did. I had dinner with him once. How was that experience? I'll tell you, I was, I was, he's one of my idols. He's a superhero to me. He obviously reinvented an entire genre.

And my show is, you know how I sold my show? I read what you said i said i'm exactly like anthony bourdain if he was afraid of everything and so my show is merely a take on the kind of show that he pioneered but when i met him and got to have dinner he was so much warmer than his on-screen persona yeah he's very cool. Right? He looks like a cool French film star. Right, he does. Where did you eat? We ate at a place in Greenwich Village, I believe,

with the notorious Mario Vitalik at the time. Yes. Oh, okay. Yes. That was my introduction to him. Did he order well? Did you let him order? Did you order? What happened? That's a good question. Is the food that memorable, or more just the fact that he was just a rock star and really lovely? When you're with a hero like that, I think the food was secondary.

I don't even remember. I know it was an American restaurant. I think there was steak involved. I honestly don't remember the food. Are you a big steak eater? I love it. I honestly don't remember the food. Are you a big steak eater? I love it. I love everything. If I were to order or buy steak, what would you recommend to buy?

Oh, the most flavorful cut might be ribeye. Yeah, I love ribeye. Yeah, I love ribeye too. But I love, have you ever been to Peter Luger's in New York? No. Lots of people have talked about it. In fact, I think maybe Ian Schrager talked about that. Yeah? I hear it's amazing. That's, they bring porterhouse for two

or three or four or six people. It's, it's magnificent. That's it. We put that in the show too. I brought Massimo Bottura and Nancy Silverton there. Oh, nice. In the show. Yeah, that was fantastic. Massimo went crazy. Massimo turned me on to something that I didn't even know I should order there, and it's their lamb chops. Oh, I love lamb chops. They're the best I've ever. Okay, that's the next stop in New York. It is a good stop.

So. Brooklyn. Have we talked about the places that you adore in Los Angeles to eat, or the regular places that you'll go? I love Mozza. We just mentioned that. I love Bevel, bestia. I love Pizzana.

I love Republic. Have you just mentioned that. I love Bevel, Bestia. I love Pizzana. I love Republique. Have you been there yet? No. It might be the best overall restaurant because you can get the best breakfast, the best lunch, the best dinner. There's a diner in Maine. Have you been to Maine? No. Gorgeous part of the world.

Yeah. New England. Is that where you get your lobsters? Your clam chowders. That's where you get your lobsters. But there's a diner that was an old railroad car from 100 years ago. And the

conductor of the train loved the dining car so much that when the train went out of commission, he bought the dining car, put it in a vacant lot, and he had the chef from the train keep the same exact menu that was on the train. Oh, how funny. And it's basic American staples like eggs, bacon, omelets, French toast,

pancakes, tuna sandwich, hamburger. Yeah. Okay. The basics. And when he died, a couple of chefs from the Gramercy Tavern in New York, fancy restaurant, they came, they bought the dining car, they kept the menu and elevated everything just through the best ingredients. Like the egg you just gave me, that yolk like that.

Yeah. Imagine that in an American dining car menu, right? Yeah. To get that with just your bacon and eggs, it's unbelievable to have that. That's one of my favorite restaurants I've ever been to in my life. I would like to know your last supper we got massive bull soup in there good i think it would be this childhood favorite so my childhood favorites are hot dogs hot dogs where from like oh i have i have a butcher

that i found it's called european sausage kitchen it's on o on Olympic Boulevard. And it's like going to, my family came from Germany. And so when they settled in New York, they found a German butcher that was just like when they were kids. To the sausages. And some of the meats are very unappealing, especially to children. I'm talking about large slices of bologna with blotches of fat in it. That's what we used to eat, Wurst. We called it vorscht but it wasn't called that um it's like puce colored yes that color it's it's almost like

we call it vorscht okay but that's just a bit liverwurst yeah but this is kosher salami okay yeah it's very bright pink okay no i think okay that they're talking like mortadella something it's something like mortadella but But mortadella is the beautiful version Of what I'm talking about And you know tongue My dad's favourite Me too I've come to like it too

With a good like an American mustard in there Tongue sandwich delicious It is delicious And it's the stuff of delis right If you just forget it's tongue Well that's most of the world's food culture. I can do a pressed tongue, you know. Yes?

I've made it, yeah. It's really weird because what you... I think I don't want to see it. You have to curl it around into like a basin. Yeah. And you put a weight on top to press it. But the thing is, you have to take off all that, the bits. The taste buds.

The taste buds. It's revolting. I think take off all that, the bits. The taste buds. The taste buds. It's revolting. I think you're losing viewers by the second. But I found a butcher in LA that makes turkey franks. Homemade. So there's none of the guilt of the beef or pork. And God knows what's in there. This is, you know, turkey's a very clean meat

and it has a natural casing. So it has a snap, which is the most important thing in a hot dog. And these are my favorite hot dogs actually. And not just because they're healthier than regular hot dogs, because they taste fantastic. Right.

And what sort of bun do you have? And that's what I make for myself on the nights when I'm not going out or I'm just home by myself. So you have a hot dog. Monica's working or something. I love it. Would that be your comfort food? Absolutely.

I think once a week I have this when I'm home. Really. I love it. Put sauerkraut on it. Mustard. A beautiful potato bun. Yeah. I was going to ask you about your bun, whether you like a brioche bun.

I like a potato bun. I've never to ask you about your bun whether you like a brioche bun I like a potato bun I've never heard of a potato bun they're very they're very soft and very and they almost melt are they made with potato flour I think they are yeah there's a famous company called Martin's right they make buns for burgers and hot dogs so you're not worried about your five a day of vegetables and fruit I drink? I drink a green juice in the morning. Like, you know what the athletic greens are?

No. They're sponsored by them. Is that true? We have been, yeah. Hey, athletic greens, you could sponsor my podcast too, you know. I like you.

You're welcome, Phil. Yes. We love athletic greens. I have it every morning. I'm not even kidding and I'm not getting paid to say this. I'm used to the taste now. I think it tastes a I'm not even kidding And I'm not getting paid to say this I'm used to the taste now

I think it tastes a little like a pineapple Me too Yes But when you forget about the spirulina Is it a powder? Do you bite it as a powder? Yeah, it's a powder And you shake it up in their little bottle

What are you doing now? Okay, so listen It's your birthday Uh-oh I'm going to move this away Did I eat enough? I love this enough. Look, I finished a lot.

This is Honey & Co. where you should absolutely go and eat next time you're here. Israeli. Israeli. They are a couple. Sarit. Sarit and Itamar.

They're a couple and they have a beautiful restaurant and they have a deli. Anyway, they're fantastic. Because you're in London for your birthday, this is just like what every person has when they're in the office or if you've run out of time to make a cake.

It's a Colin the Caterpillar. Where's the candle? I will get the candle and we will sing happy birthday in one second. I'm very familiar with this because I just did Chris Evans' show. Don't say he just gave you a Colin the Caterpillar. Fuck off. Today. Today.

Oh my God. Right before I came here. That is hysterical. And also how unoriginal of me. No, it was my first meeting with Colin. Do you want to take him home? No, because I'm not living here. But I got to get a picture.

I didn't get a picture there. But this is Colin the Caterpillar. The lady there said, you want to take either the head or the tail calling the caterpillar the lady there said you want to take either the head or the tail of the caterpillar because that's where the chocolate is most concentrated that's where my grandchildren fight to get the head or the thing okay i've got a p for phil oh aren't you sweet look at that are we going to sing happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday dear Phil happy birthday to you make a wish did you make a wish he's wishing he never sees a column again wait come here one second. What are you going for? Bend over. Oh, you're so sweet.

I love you. Thank you. Would you like a smidge of the babka then? Yes. Take Colin away. I missed her smidge. Her children would be so thrilled. Phil, you're so polite at declining food.

It's really amazing. It's an art that you've obviously learned how to do because I want the kids to have it Maybe take out the Timmy might help help yourself. Thank you. Um, and you do not have to eat all of it. Here I go How is it come on? I love okay. So here's the thing Because most pop because I've had in my life Are dry. No, this is not dry. You've been to Israel?

Yes, I have. When you get the ruggles there... This is the best babka. It's moist like this and gooey and chocolatey. Oh my god, Jesse. It's so fantastic, right? It's so yeasty. This is...

I'm eating this whole thing. This is delicious. I mean, I'm thrilled, but you know, I just... Well, you've got to go to their restaurant. It's the most delicious food. I'm not eating this whole thing. I want to eat this whole thing. So we've got... I want to know a really nostalgic taste of your childhood

or somewhere that can transport you back to somewhere. Because Mom wasn't a world-class chef. That's so sweet. We used to beg to go to McDonald's. We used to beg for fast food. I would come home after school. Let's say it was 3 o'clock, 3.30. My mother wouldn't get home until 5.30, 6 o'clock.

So I had a couple of hours to eat cookies and donuts. First of all, I loved it, but it was also a bit of self-preservation because I knew dinner was going to be not very easy to eat. Is that why your program is called Somebody Feed Phil? You know, psychologically, that might be why, but I just thought it was a funny title as if it denotes a character that needs to be taken care of. Also, the theme tune is beautiful. It's the best.

It's the best. You know Lake Street Dive? Do you know the band? No. Oh, well, you're a singer. You have to know this band. I just love it. Her voice.

You've never heard of Rachel Price? No, I'm so sorry, Rachel. That's okay. You please go on iTunes or Spotify today, everyone listening, and look up Lake Street Dive. Because it's not just my theme song, which I think is the best song in the world. Yeah. They are phenomenal. They met in music school and they formed a pop group.

But Rachel can sing literally anything. She's a favorite of Stephen Colbert's on all the time. She does jazz albums with somebody else. Rachel Price, everybody. Okay. Back to cookies and donuts. Cookies and donuts. You knew you weren't going to get a good meal from your mom.

So that's a nostalgic thing. Do you have the brand Entenmann's here? No, I've seen it. Baked goods in a box. Every Jewish home has a box of Entenmann's on the top of the refrigerator. And I used to covet their chocolate-covered donuts. Yeah. Absolutely delicious.

So that's a memory. You know, I'm saying all the things. This would not only is it the meal that you're talking about, but it would be the last meal. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, fried chicken. Where's your favorite fried chicken? I think the best I ever had was at Dookie Chase's in New Orleans. People talk about Willie Mays, that's very good. But my favorite is Dookie Chase's because it's not as much batter.

It's quite fast food-y that last supper. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, fried chicken. Pudding? I mean, dessert? I love anything chocolate. I love anything chocolate. And drink of choice? We'll let you have the head if you want.

What's your drink of choice? I love tequila. Any type? Have you had a drink yet for your birthday? I haven't, but I'm good. Are you sure? Jesse's got great tequila. I have so much work to do after this. I don't want to be...

What tequila have you got, Jess? I've got into it. I talked about them before in the last season, but there's a South London, which absolutely should not make sense, that a South London bunch are doing a really nice tequila. No kidding. They suggest it with tonic and a slice of grapefruit,

and I really like that. So it's like a gin and tonic. What's the name of the tequila? El Rayo. Never heard of it. Have you heard of Tepozon? No. So I learned about this,

that a lot of the tequilas that we love, the flavors are added. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, there's additives in it. And it happens in wine as well. They just don't tell you about it because if it's less than a certain amount, they don't have to. Oh, really? And so almost everything we like is fake. Isn't that terrible to learn?

It's not fake. But there is a website where you can go on and see which tequilas are additive free and so i look for those now yeah tepozan can i just ask you when you came in you said don't put milk in tea because it ruins the no it kills the polyphenols i learned this in hong kong why do you want polyphenols in these are the these are the nutritive and and medicinal properties of tea. That's why it's like one of the world's healthiest drinks is tea. But when you

add milk, it destroys that. However, if you like it with milk, you should have it that way because it makes your life better. Is there any other way to get these poly thingy moxies? Probably a supplement. Okay. And do we need them? What do they do for you? I have no idea. Does it make you look young forever you don't need it okay thanks phil and gaga yeah me and gaga yeah

listen enjoy your dinners out in in los angeles there is a small even to greece yet no i'm dying to go you've got to do that that's our favorite come meet me there oh yeah let's talk about yes you investing in are you allowed to talk about it or not i'll talk about it i which ones are you invested in many many i i'm in over 25 restaurants i mean i can't even keep track i'm not very bright uh but that's like the most stressful industry do you feel kind of a responsibility because you've enjoyed so many good meals that you felt like i was doing this before the show oh wow okay listen i'm very lucky raymond was successful i have some extra money to share and my wife and i have a foundation where we support the arts the arts in schools music theater dance the visual arts everything and for me what you just did is one of the arts right thanks mate it's true

and why should our sense of taste be regarded as anything less than our sense of sight or hearing right yeah i mean i nothing brings me more joy than food right music and food but when i travel yes i love going to the museums. Yes, I love the culture on the streets. I love the street art. I love everything. I love everything about what I do. But the food is you are literally taking in the culture and the spirit of the people, right?

And the love that goes into that. And I think when it's great, it affects all the senses. I always tell this story about, it affects all the senses. I always tell this story about, and I bet you can relate to this. You have a bottle of wine in Italy over dinner, and you and your husband, let's say,

this is the best wine we ever had. Can you believe how great this wine is, right? Let's buy a case, and we'll take it home. We'll have it at home. And you take it home, and you're saving it for a special occasion, and now you pop open that bottle of wine and you pour it.

And here we go. We're back to it. It's okay. Yeah, I know. Because why? Everything that you're feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, the air, the temperature, what you're looking at, who you're with, affects literally your taste. Right? So you can have it as a souvenir, but it will never be as good or as beautiful

as the time you had it when you were there. That's why you have to go. That's why you have to travel. There is nothing better than some rosé wine at Agnonda's eating grilled fish. When are you filming the next season? I don't know if there is a next season. What do you mean?

We don't know everything. You need to go to Greece. Of course I do. But I'm going know everything. You need to go to Greece. Of course I do. But I'm going to go. You need to go to India. The good thing is I can go on my own if they cancel my show. That's true. That's true.

And so can you, everybody. You can all go. That's what life is for. Listen, people who don't travel, I'm talking to you. Let's say you were given a house as a gift, a whole house. Would you stay in one room of the house okay we want to see all the rooms right so this we have this gift it's called the world go check it out it's true while you're still here phil thank you so much for being on our podcast i

love you guys i love you now we're friends and now uh i i think at the very least i owe you a meal that is absolutely absolutely calling you up we're with you on that thank you for being here i loved meeting you guys that was the best part as good as all the food was the best part was meeting you thank you phil thank you I feel healed. I feel hugged. I feel hugged. I feel, oh, that was a really good dose of Phil Rosenthal. He's a kind warm man he's very very lovely and i love the fact that kind sweet people

can be on television and be very successful very positive positive generous but quite honest you know um also has the best tips he's like my dream husband my dream person to go out with sure that you'd like his last meal though no that was hot dogs it was a bit disappointing but I do want to go to that place now which place the place he talked about the turkey frankfurter place oh where you can get them and a potato bun I'd like to throw and does anybody in London do a potato roll or a turkey frankfurter you can buy turkey sausages I wonder if there's anyone doing turkey frankfurters because frankfurters are slightly cooked aren't they before you eat them they are

a good little nifty thing i think you can get kosher turkey frankfurters okay great i'll go to kosher kingdom this weekend okay great thanks um phil has not only done chris evans who pipped me to the post with the column The Caterpillar, which I'm very gutted about. Did you think you were a little original, darling? I just thought... He didn't have a P on his, though. He set me up, though, Phil.

Because he went, what is this? And then he fucking knew what it was. He'd had it two hours earlier in the bloody radio. But he's not eaten any. He didn't actually eat any. He's very good at not eating. His willpower is unbelievable. I couldn't...

He's very slim, Jess, is unbelievable i couldn't he's very slim jess for someone with a food program i wouldn't be i'd eat everything i'd be like pavarotti but me too but he is someone who's eating about five meals a day so he started off at breakfast he'd gone for the cheese toasty which he probably had one mouthful. But you know what? I think we all need to try that cheese toastie now. It sounded like caramelised leeks mixed. I'm not quite sure that you get cheese that oozes right through the bread when you melt it. I think you've got to trust Phil. Okay, we'll trust Phil.

Better trust Phil. Somebody feed Phil. Better cool Saul. You're getting all your juice mixed up. So what's the other Raymond? Everybody loves Raymond. Oh, everyone loves the cheese toasty. Everyone loves Phil.

Everyone loves Phil. Because Phil really doesn't eat anything and his lovely agent is gluten intolerant celiac, I have enough fry up for... We can have it tomorrow. Really? Do you think you can really eat a fry up? Yeah, fine. Just really do you think just sweet it up yeah fine just microwave it i have a lot of beans do you think little chef made everything fresh it's all time

to think they did no are you wrong um please send in your recipes i'm really i mean i did a fry up today i'm running out of ideas please send them to hello at table manners podcast.com um we will do one on this series we may even do two yeah thanks for listening and we'll see you next week we won't see anyone we'll be talking to you next week it's just a bloody sign okay darling Bye.