Installment #30 in Monolisticle's Ongoing Campaign Against the "Internet of Endless Listicles."
Phil lives in his own world. Phil’s world. And it’s a fun, cool world to be in.
In Phil’s world, people laugh. A lot. And people eat. A lot. It’s a world of incessant curiosity and wonder and appetite, jokes and witticisms, Stan Laurel-ish facial expressions, and sometimes awkward dancing.
What else do you need to be entertained?
Every episode is Phil eating his way through a different city somewhere in the world (Rio, Marrakesh, Bangkok, New Orleans, etc). And every episode ends with a short video-call with Phil’s mom and dad, or his wife Monica Horan (one of my favorite actresses). His dad, Max, tells a short joke (the apple didn’t fall far from this comedy tree). They laugh. We laugh. Everybody laughs.
Phil Rosenthal (the Phil in Somebody Feed Phil and the creator and executive producer of the hilarious sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond) is one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever seen. If you like him, you'll like this show. If you like him and you also like food and travel, you'll love this show.
You know that wonderful feeling of connection you get when you travel somewhere new and meet complete strangers whom you end up bonding with over a shared love of food and laughter? That’s what Somebody Feed Phil does for me. It captures that feeling. And it’s a feeling I miss as my travel adventures have gone on temporary hiatus.
I also like to laugh. And to be around people who like to laugh. And I like to hear about great food in great restaurants that I may someday eat at. I like to see the beautiful architecture and learn cool new things (who knew, for instance, that Lisbon is known for its intricate mosaic sidewalks? I didn’t). And like Phil, I love to get to know the down-to-earth people who make those cities unique. This show celebrates all those things.
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But one of the things I love most about this food show is that Phil has absolutely zero credentials in the culinary world. He’s just a guy who loves food. Perfect. You don’t need a James Beard award or Michelin star to love good food, or to seek it out. Or apparently, to film a super-entertaining show about it.
On the other hand, the people Phil meets up with in every city he goes to actually do know a ton about food. And they take him to their favorite places to eat. And he eats with them. And he makes them laugh. “What I’ve learned," he says, is that “food is what connects us, and laughs are the cement.” Yes. What he said.
We all need those shows that are escapes from the normal everyday stuff. And while we love shows with dramatic storylines, sometimes it’s nice to just watch something that simply makes us feel good. And where the most tense moment is deciding what to order at a restaurant where everything on the menu is amazing.
By the way, Phil is never not hungry. Or he just loves good food so much he can’t stop eating. Or both.
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