“I think about that night a lot,” I told Phil Rosenthal, recalling a surreal moment in Las Vegas when a stranger offered us a ride and, mid-journey, stared at Rosenthal in the rearview mirror. “You look like that guy, Phil,” the man said. Then: “You saved my life.” He was talking about Somebody Feed Phil.
Moments like that still catch Rosenthal off guard. The creator of Everybody Loves Raymond and host/creator of the long-running Netflix travel-food series may have set out to entertain, but over eight seasons, his show has become something far more unexpected: a source of solace. Shot in cities as varied as Tbilisi, Guatemala City, San Sebastián, and Boston, the new season continues to blend food, travel, and humor into a kind of edible therapy—equal parts comfort and discovery.
Global Stops, Local Stories
Season 8 opens wide, spanning continents and cuisines—Amsterdam, Tbilisi, Manila, San Sebastián, Sydney, Boston, Las Vegas, and beyond. But as ever, the meals are just the medium. The heart is in the people.
Tbilisi, in the country of Georgia, struck Rosenthal with its ancient culinary lineage. “It’s where wine was invented 7,000 years ago,” he said. “The vineyards are a world UNESCO heritage site. Unbelievable. I picked grapes with old ladies who kicked my ass in the grape picking department.”
That mix of history and humor pulses throughout the season. In Guatemala, he was floored by the vibrancy of volcanic soil. “All the food that grows in the soil there is amazing. Guatemala has 37 volcanoes... In recent years, the young people are discovering or rediscovering what natives have taken for granted—which is all the heirloom corn varieties. They all not only looked like that, they all taste different. I had five of them.”
And then there’s San Sebastián. Rosenthal calls San Sebastián the “Kyoto of this year”—a poetic nod to its culinary prestige and emotional resonance on the season. Rosenthal visited Etxebarri, one of the world’s most renowned restaurants, and came away breathless. “Every single dish of every single diner’s meal, every single course, every dish cooked by one guy over open fire cooking. I dream about going back.”
Even in Las Vegas—so often a caricature of itself—Rosenthal found depth. “Like Orlando, it’s an immigrant town... Some of the places we go off-strip are unbelievable. Some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, Chinese food, and Indian food.”