Phil Rosenthal — on ‘Raymond’ Roots, ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ & Max & Helen’s

Summary

Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Episode: Phil Rosenthal — on ‘Raymond’ Roots, ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ & Max & Helen’s

Release Date: March 24, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Jesse Tyler Ferguson sits down with Phil Rosenthal—creator of Everybody Loves Raymond and star of Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil. Over a meal at Hole Box in South LA, they dive into Phil’s journey from sitcom trailblazer to culinary explorer, his family’s profound influence on his work, and the nostalgic, connective power of diners (including his buzzy new LA spot, Max & Helen’s). Their warm, humorous conversation is peppered with candid insights about show business, family, changing creative lanes, and the healing force of food and laughter.

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Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. The Magic of LA’s Food Scene

(03:23–04:45)

• Jesse and Phil open at Hole Box, an unassuming yet Michelin-starred eatery, celebrating LA's diverse culinary landscape.
• Phil says:

  “This is the best food city in America. We have the largest population of people outside their native homelands than anywhere in the world… Chinese, Thai, Ethiopian… they bring their cultures and cuisines with them.” (03:41–04:08)

2. Family Roots and Parental Influence

(04:25–07:32)

• Phil recounts his suburban New York upbringing, the significance of his parents, and his mother’s obsession with the Metropolitan Opera—so deep, he bought her an apartment across from Lincoln Center.
• On familial quirks:

  “My dad would say, are my eggs fluffy?... On his tombstone it says, ‘Are my eggs fluffy?’ and on the tombstone next to him, ‘I’m listening to the opera.’” (07:06–07:26)

3. The Art (and Struggle) of Success in TV

(08:28–13:22)

• Phil details the decade-long journey to Somebody Feed Phil, and how network hesitance almost killed the Raymond spinoff due to an “over 40” cast.
• On TV industry shifts:

  “They said the business changed during the nine years of Raymond. Everyone was over 40… they wouldn’t give us more than a pilot.” (10:07–10:20)
  “I was told by a network executive, you can quit as long as I have the cast. I don’t care if they read the phone book.” (12:29–12:45)

• On streaming’s effect on storytelling:

  “‘Make shows for second screeners’... shows you can watch while scrolling your phone. Dammit if that's not working.” (13:22–14:09)

4. Max & Helen’s: Diner as Love Letter

(17:37–20:19)

• Discussion of Phil’s tribute episode and new LA restaurant, Max & Helen’s, named after his parents.
• Nostalgia and community at the heart of his mission:

  “The whole point of a diner... is it creates a community. Literally creates the community of where you live. And this is disappearing from America… If we lose communities, we lose the country. So I’m going to fix everything with the diner.” (19:40–20:05)

5. Breaking into Writing: $70,000 and A Mother’s Disbelief

(21:22–24:46)

• Phil shares his big break—selling his first screenplay to HBO for $70,000 at age 26.
• “When she heard what I got for a screenplay… she goes, ‘You little shit. We’ve worked our whole lives to have that in the bank. And you get it overnight from writing a stupid thing.’” (24:09–24:43)

6. Storytelling, Family, and Connection

(28:16–30:53)

• Jesse points out how family and food are threads running through all of Phil’s work—from Raymond to his travel shows, to opening a family-centric diner.
• Phil responds:

  “For me, food is the great connector, and then laughs are the cement… This can happen without language, even, I found, without the common language.” (29:33–30:10)
  “People that want to build a wall, I always say, how about a table? That’s what we need. Need a bigger table. That’s where we come together… We all want the same things.” (30:11–30:51)

7. Creating Positivity in a Dark World

(31:26–33:01)

• They reflect on sharing joy and light through media amid troubling global news.
• “Everyone can offer that by doing what? By being a neighbor. By saying hi. By showing other people that most people are sweet and nice.” (32:29–32:47)
• On feedback from audiences seeking a “respite”:

  “Someone stopped me on the street and said, ‘thank you so much… it was nice to listen to something that wasn’t the news.’” (32:05–32:15)

8. Authenticity in TV & Writing

(34:10–35:23)

• Phil explains how the most personal stories become the most universal.
• “The more specific you write, the more universal it becomes… We relate to each other’s specificities because we all have specificities in our lives.” (35:11–35:23)

9. Legacy, Family, and the Next Generation

(36:47–38:12)

• Phil’s daughter and son-in-law help run Max & Helen’s; his books with his daughter encourage “just try it” bravery for kids and adults.
• On the joy of seeing his family involved:

  “To see her and Mason running this thing together, it’s like their first kid is this diner. It opened the week they got married… I was so thrilled for them that they found not only each other but a purposeful life together.” (37:14–38:12)

10. Industry Realities: Changing Lanes

(40:30–42:58)

• Both commiserate about being “pigeonholed” by previous successes and the uphill work of shifting creative lanes.
• “People see you, they put you in a lane… and it really, in order to change lanes… you have to be the one at the driver’s seat doing the actual moving.” (42:07–42:38)
• On perseverance:

  “That’s why it took 10 years after Raymond to get the travel show.” (42:49–42:58)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On food as a force for good:

  “If we share a meal… we’re already in a very good mood. Then if we share a laugh or even a smile, there’s an understanding. This can happen without language.”
  — Phil Rosenthal (29:33–30:10)

• On why diners matter:

  “If we lose communities, we lose the country. So I’m going to fix everything with the diner.”
  — Phil Rosenthal (19:57–20:05)

• On “overnight” writing success:

  “‘We’ve worked our whole lives to have that in the bank. And you get it overnight from writing a stupid thing.’”
  — Phil Rosenthal, relaying his mother’s reaction (24:09–24:43)

• On streaming’s effect on the art:

  “‘Make shows for second screeners’—what’s the first screen? Your phone... repeat what the show is about over and over so you can look away and come back. Dammit if that’s not working.”
  — Phil Rosenthal (13:19–14:09)

• On changing lanes in Hollywood:

  “People see you, they put you in a lane… in order to change lanes… you have to be the one at the driver’s seat doing the actual moving. No one’s going to move the car into the other lane.”
  — Jesse Tyler Ferguson (42:07–42:38)

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Standout Segments & Timestamps

• Phil on LA’s food culture & immigrant influence: (03:41–04:17)
• Opera-obsessed mom and the fluffy eggs saga: (05:50–07:26)
• TV industry’s age bias and “Raymond” history: (09:51–10:29, 12:29–12:45)
• The launch of Max & Helen’s and why diners matter: (17:37–20:19)
• Phil’s HBO script sale, his mother’s reaction: (21:22–24:46)
• Food, laughter, and breaking boundaries: (29:33–30:51)
• Encouragement on creative resilience: (42:07–42:58)

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Episode Tone and Takeaways

Candid, warm, and infectiously positive, this episode serves up equal parts showbiz insight, family reminiscence, and food celebration. Phil Rosenthal’s humility and humor anchor the conversation, with plenty of affectionate ribbing and philosophical musings about what makes communities—and creative fulfillment—flourish. Anyone seeking a little light in a dark world will find it here, along with practical encouragement to build bigger tables, break creative molds, and just try it—no matter your age.

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For more: visit Phil’s Max & Helen’s diner in LA, or check out his family’s children’s books, “Just Try It” and the upcoming sequel, for a dose of generational wisdom and culinary courage.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

What I love about staying at a home on Airbnb is that feeling of walking into a place that already gets what you need. The thoughtful touches, the little comforts, the sense that someone really prepared for you to be there. I'm about to experience that again on a trip up to wine country with my family in Napa. I booked this beautiful home with all these views over the hills of Napa. But what I really love about the place is that it has this big kitchen so we can have family breakfasts and meals there. And it has enough space for the entire family to spread out. And it just reminded me how much those little details make a place feel special. You walk in and there's fresh coffee on the counter, there's a note with the WI FI password, and the font's big enough that you don't need a magnifying glass to read it. You know, those thoughtful little touches that really make a difference. And it made me think about hosting my own home on Airbnb when I'm away. But the idea of getting my place guest ready with all those thoughtful little touches is a bit, I don't know, overwhelming. That's where Airbnb co host network comes in. You can hire a local co host to help with all those behind the scenes things that make a stay run smoothly. Guest communication, handling check ins, and even design and styling to make your place feel lived in and cozy. So if you have a place that you've been thinking about hosting, I don't know, a guest room, a studio for the garage, even your whole home while you're away, a co host can help you actually pull it off without adding more to your plate. So if your New Year's resolution is to earn a little extra money or, or finally make use of that space, start the easy way with Airbnb's co host network Predator Badlands.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney. Here you're not the predator, you're the prey. Prey. Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. Critics are saying it's epic, stunning and breathtaking.

[Commercial Announcer]

Many have come here.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

None have survived.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney. Rated PG 13.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Hey, it's Jesse today on the show. You know him as the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond and his own show on Netflix called Somebody Feed Phil. It's Phil Rosenthal.

[Phil Rosenthal]

When she heard what I got for a screenplay which seems to come out of nowhere to her, uh huh, she goes, you little shit. We've worked our whole lives to have that in the bank. And you get it overnight from writing a stupid thing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This is. Dinner's on Me. And I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

So today I'm in South LA near USC at Whole Box, which is Phil's recommendation. He chose this restaurant. I am so excited to try this. It's in a nondescript food hall called Mercado La Paloma, which is just proof that some of the best places in LA are in some of the most surprising places. They are known for their ceviches, their aguachiles, their tacos. I've been wanting to try this place for quite some time, so I'm so thrilled that Phil suggested we come here. All right, let's get to the conversation.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I forget, are you in the neighborhood?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

No, not. I used to be in Los Feliz. Now I live in Encino.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, so this is a schlep for you. Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

But it was fine.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I love coming to the areas that I don't get to come to a lot.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You get to explore the city.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, we're.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We'll talk about this.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

We're deep downtown.

[Phil Rosenthal]

This is the best food city in America.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I think so.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. We have the largest population of people outside their native homelands than anywhere in the world. So the most Chinese people outside of China is here? Yeah, the most Thai, the most Ethiopian, the most. It's crazy.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We have more of them, so they bring their cultures and their cuisines with them.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Like this guy. It's so 100% authentic to where he's from in Mexico.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And authenticity, I think, is a word that's overused because it doesn't necessarily mean great.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But this guy's great.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Where did you grow up?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right outside of New York.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

In Rockland county, which is a half an hour north.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right, right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And then I went to school at Hofstra on Long island, studied theater, moved into the city, Washington Heights. I lived because the rents were cheaper. I'm older than you, so they. I spent, let's see, in 19. In the 1980s, you could get an apartment in Washington Heights, Manhattan. A train 15 minutes to Midtown.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

$300 for a one bedroom that you would split with somebody else. And now you can afford to be an actor in New York. Right.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I know those times have changed.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yep.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I don't know how people do it. I don't know how people live in New York. I don't know how people live in Los Angeles.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Weren't your parents living in New York?

[Phil Rosenthal]

I was Born in Queens.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Then we moved to Riverdale in the Bronx, which was nice until I was nine, and then got a little house, thousand square foot house in New City, New York, in Rock Crew, Canada.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right, right, right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And that's where I lived till I went to college.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Wow.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And it was great.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Suburban life.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And in episodes of, you know, somebody feed Phil, you do the. When your parents were still with us, like, you would do these wonderful little tags with them, and it looked like they were in an apartment in New York City.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's right.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I moved them.

[Phil Rosenthal]

My mother, her great love was the opera. Yes. And she. I mean, she was a Placido Domingo groupie. She loved him so much. She loved Joan Sutherland. She loved just the whole lifestyle of the Metropolitan Opera.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So I bought them an apartment across the street.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, they lived across from the Met. Oh, that's incredible.

[Phil Rosenthal]

For the last seven years of her life, she went every single day to the Met. She volunteered at the Met, which entitled her to go to every single rehearsal. And so it was pre heavy.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, my God. She must have loved that.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Loved it. Met Placido was just. It's probably the proudest thing I've ever done with my money.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yes, yes. Cause, I mean, I know you've told stories. I was saying, I was listening to an episode of your. The podcast that you did with Ted Danson on his. On his show that he has, and you were talking about your mom being so obsessed with the opera, and, like, if when she was listening to the live broadcast of the opera, you could not. You could not speak to her.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You could have a broken leg. And if you.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Mom, I broke my leg. I'm listening to the opera.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And my dad would say, are my eggs fluffy? That was what he said, are my eggs fluffy? That's all he cared about. More than his wife, more than his children, more than life itself. Very soft scrambled eggs.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Are my eggs fluffy? Max, I'm listening to the opera. Why do you have to bother me? I've been making eggs for 60 years. You don't think I know how you like your eggs? I'm just asking.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

On his tombstone it says, are my eggs fluffy? And on the tombstone next to him it says, I'm listening to the opera.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

So great. So great.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

How are you?

[Phil Rosenthal]

But this is. Hey, my friend.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Thank you for having us.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

So nice to see you again. It's so nice to meet you.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Nice meeting you. Thrilled to be here.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Thank you. Thank you. We're excited to have you guys. What are we doing today?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Whatever you want us to do.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's a question for you. Yeah.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Yes. Yeah, perfect. Anything and everything.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Anything and everything. We're gonna.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

We're gonna do the. The complete, whole Bosch experience. We're gonna start with some raw items, some ceviches, tostadas, and then we'll work our way to maybe some tacos.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I'm so excited.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

So excited.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

All right, so it sounds like you guys don't need these.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

No, but just. Do you want something to drink?

[Phil Rosenthal]

I'm good with water. What do you like?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, water's great for me.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

You also have a really good sparkling lemonade.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, I'll take a sparkling lemonade.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I'll try that underwater sparkling lemonade. Lemonade.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I'll do the exact same thing.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, we need both. We'll be back in a bit.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Thank you.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Michelin star restaurant in a food hall downtown. And then. This is great.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Come on.

[Phil Rosenthal]

There's a line here. One of the reasons I wanted to do this with you here is because I knew we could cut the line if we did a podcast.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's right. That's right. Listen, I'm no dummy.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's why I do the show.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

There are certain hacks in the world, and we found them.

[Phil Rosenthal]

How do I get into the best places in the world? What if I put them on television?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's right. That's right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You walk in the camera.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Sort of a long way to go to cut the line. But listen, it's worth.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It took me 10 years to get that show, by the way.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Did it really?

[Phil Rosenthal]

That was after Raymond. 10 years.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Somebody feed Phil started on as a PBS show.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right, Exactly.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Okay.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Nobody else.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And so that was 10 years after.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes, Raymond.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

No one wanted it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And tell me about.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, that's a big lemonade.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's a Mason jar of lemonade.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's a. Wow.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Thank you so much.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Let's taste it. We were just talking about how it took me 10 years to get somebody feet filled, but I tried to make another sitcom after Raymond. They didn't want it. I thought that was my purpose in life. Raymond was on nine years. I thought. I guess I was put here to make sitcoms nobody wanted. Not even the spin off of Raymond, they didn't want.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

What was your spin off going to be? What did you pitch Robert?

[Phil Rosenthal]

So Robert and my wife Monica, they were established on the show. And not only that, but her family was established on the show. Fred Willard, Georgia Engel, Chris Elliott, they were in 30 episodes of the show. They were proven.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You know why they said they Wouldn't give us more than a pilot. Everyone was over 40. Wow. They said the business changed during the nine years of Raymond.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

But you were a hit from the beginning, Raymond.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, you weren't. No, we were on Fridays at 9:30. There wasn't a hit in that slot since Gomer Pile.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Really? When did Raymond become a hit then?

[Phil Rosenthal]

It's slow. Very slow. Like we were in the 80s, in the top 100 of shows when we started. The advantage of that was no one expected us to do well in that time slot. Now they had something crap out on Monday nights. And the head of the network said, well, I'm gonna give you six opportunities on Monday nights after our hit show, but if you don't perform there, you could go home.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

What was your lead in? Do you remember the Cosby Show?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Of the.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Of the.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Of CBS after the Cosby Show?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right, right, right, right, right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And then we went up not only from where we were on Friday, but up from his show. And then we got really nervous that first week because we thought, oh, well, they sampled us now we'll go down next week. And then we went up.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And that's when we knew. Oh, and then we were there.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You found the right place.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Year three, they moved us to the Murphy Brown slot, which was 9 o'. Clock. And we were nervous again because we were opposite Ally McBeal and Monday Night Football. And in three months, Raymond was beating both of them. Wow. Crazy it.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Did you feel a lot of pressure? Because there is a. When your show becomes so big and we felt this with Modern Family that you become the building block that they have other things on. Exactly. And so these other shows are looking to you to, like, do well so that they can do well off of your audience.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, I didn't care about that. I only cared that we were good to be good.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That we just want. All you can do is the best you can. Right. So I. That's all we were focused on. And we cared very much about it. We stopped looking at the numbers so much because we felt a little secure as you must have. How many years? Eleven.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I don't know how I know.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We stopped after nine because we wanted to stop. Did. Did you guys stop at this?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

We, I think we wanted to stop at 10 and the network wooed us to do another season.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But you had. You said that has to be that.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That was it. Yeah, yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Because you run out of ideas.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You do, and you start to recycle.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You don't want to do that. Yeah. But, you know, I Was told by a network executive, you can quit as long as I have the cast. I don't care if they read the phone book.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, wow. Like you're. You're disposable.

[Phil Rosenthal]

The writer is disposable.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

But you stayed on the show the entire nine years, right?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, yeah, but that. But I. I said that that has to be it. And they went around my back. They talked to Ray to see if he would stay, but thank God he felt the same way.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, I mean, it would have been. I mean, the soul of the show would have been lost. It's astonishing that they think that it wouldn't have been.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Sadly, there are shows, we all know what they are, where the writing didn't seem to matter.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Or it doesn't seem to matter.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You know, there are certain shows that are on right now that have been. Been designed as wallpaper. I heard a note from a major streamer to a showrunner. She told me this make shows for second screeners, meaning what's the first screen in your life?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Your phone. And some people, something that they could watch while they're scrolling.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes. So as long as there might be beautiful girl, fashion, foreign location, maybe whatever it is, make it so the story doesn't need to be followed. Maybe repeat what the show is about over and over during the show so that you can look away and come back and damn it if that's not working.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I mean, that's really depressing. Depressing.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Especially if you studied theater in school.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yes, yes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Phil talks about the simplistic nostalgic beauty of his family owned wrestling, Max and Helens. And he reveals how much he made from his very first screenplay in 1987. Okay, be right back.

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[Phil Rosenthal]

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, hello.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

So our first bite today.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, my God. Good.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

This is so hilarious. Because the one thing I'm always nervous to eat is uni.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

I thought so. That's why we started.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You knew it.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Because it's a dish that really represents what we're trying to do here. Just take beautiful local ingredients and do the least to them possible. Just to bring them kind of into the realm of Mexico, but still really highlighting the sea urchin and the beautiful Baja California based scallops.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Fantastic.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Hope you guys enjoy it. I'll bring you some spoons so you can eat it.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, don't you dare eat that uni with a fork.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Spoons.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You'll want to get every drop. All right. Look at this with the salt. Oh, my God. Look. Come on.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I mean, uni is. I'm going to be honest, it's the one that I'm like, I don't know.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You're going to know.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Mmm. That's great. That is very good.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So life is good.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Don't only have to spoon it completely. You can't eat it with tostadas. This is something that I really love that we make here. They're called tostada raspadas. Made from scratch, from hand pressed, freshly made masa. They're thinned out and then dehydrated. It's a whole thing. Traditional tostada making technique from Jalisco.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Sounds like me on a Monday night. He thinned out. This is spectacular.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Gilberto. This is.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Mmm.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I mean, if you were in a four star restaurant and you got this, you'd be very happy.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Look at where we are.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I know. That's la.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You must be so happy doing your show and like being able to travel the world and, and have incredible meals. I mean, I love doing this podcast for the very same reason. I get to meet and, and have conversations with incredible people that I admire and then also also shared an unbelievable meal with them. Showcase these great restaurants.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It's a great Scam.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

But the episode I watched before meeting up with you, because I hadn't seen it yet, was your tribute episode to your parents, Max and Helen. And it is. I mean, we got to talk about that. I'm literally wearing a hat with their name on it. Because you have opened a restaurant here in LA that I got to go to a few days ago with one of my other guests on my podcast, Ted Danson, mutual friend of ours. And I, first of all, congratulations. The place is doing so well.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Thanks.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I mean, there are people lining up starting at like 7:30 in the morning,

[Phil Rosenthal]

beyond my wildest expectations.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Were your, were your parents good cooks?

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

No.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Terrible.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

So where did all this nostalgia.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Only fluffy eggs that my dad liked, which seemed to be enough. And she made a good matzo ball soup. Everything else.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, yes. And you had Daniel Ballud come out and taste her matzo ball soup.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's it.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And he gave it a stamp of approval and then added some of his own ingredients to dill.

[Phil Rosenthal]

My mother was delighted because she loves dill and she understood that Daniel Ballou was there giving her a little dill oil that came from his kitchen.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And your dad was saying, would you like.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And he goes, that describes them perfectly. In fact, our hot sauce at the diner is Max and Helen's. Not for me. Hot sauce.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's hilarious.

[Phil Rosenthal]

The only spice we had in the kitchen was Sol.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I mean, it is pretty remarkable that now they have a diner named after them that happens to be currently, at this very moment, what I consider the hottest restaurant in Los Angeles.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I think so.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I think it feels like that. Like on the weekends it can be eight hour wait, which is stupid.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

It's, it's.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I wouldn't wait, but people do. I mean, it's nice in that you can come up, leave your name, and they'll call you when it's ready.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, people are waiting.

[Phil Rosenthal]

40 seats inside, another 40 outside.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And the walls are covered with photos of your parents.

[Phil Rosenthal]

My parents. And what the neighborhood looked like a hundred years ago.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Because the whole point of a diner, the reason besides that comfort food that we love, is it creates a community. Literally creates the community of where you live. And this is disappearing from America.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So I feel like if we lose communities, we lose the country. So I'm going to fix everything with the diner.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You're off to a good start.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Well, it's, I'd be very happy if anybody wants to open a diner in their neighborhood.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Because it seems to work. People crave first, especially today, a little bit of comfort.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Just a little niceness and the feeling that we're not alone. Oh, boy, oh, boy.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

So there's a very strong culture of concha, as we call it in Mexico, which just refers to any type of, you know, bivalve things in shells. This one is a little combination of two different regions. The strongest culture for bivalves is in Baja California. But the style of sauce, this is a cocktail sauce that we're using for this one is 100 inspired on my hometown of. Of Merida. This is a Yucatan style cocktail sauce there they make it with ketchup, hot sauce and orange soda. Our version is kind of a play on that. And it's a homemade sweet and sour tomato sauce, fresh squeezed orange juice and housemade chili Costen sauce. East coast surf clam.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

But with. When you started off, I mean, you sold your first script to hbo, right? But that was not made. That show was not made. What was that show?

[Phil Rosenthal]

It was a movie.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

It was a movie.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I rode with a friend of mine from high school.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

How old were you?

[Phil Rosenthal]

26. Okay. Because I was acting until then. And then when it's 27, two things happened. My friend came over to my house with a word processor. He had already established himself a little bit as a writer in la, but he didn't like working on other people's stuff. He said, want to write my own thing? You're funny. Let's write a screenplay. I don't know anything about a screenplay. How to write it. He goes, you're funny. Don't worry, I know the structure.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So we write a screenplay about a suburban detective, and we set it in New City, New York, where we both grew up and went to high school. We write it for Alan Arkin, who's our favorite actor at the time, in 1987, and at the same time write the screenplay. I had $200 in the bank. I'm not exaggerating.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We sold that screenplay to HBO in 1987 for $70,000. This was like $70 million. Yes.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Hello.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hello.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Sorry to interrupt. All right, our next course is up. This is again, one of our tostada ras padas with a Baja California bluefin tuna ceviche.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Very traditional.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Tomato, onions, cilantro, lime juice. There's a little avocado and cucumber puree underneath and a salsa de chile. So it's going to have a little bit of a kick to it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Can I pick it up and bite it?

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Absolutely. That is the best approach.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Wow.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Come on.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Have you always Eaten with this much joy?

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, because I didn't. I had this joy in me. I gave. But I was not in my parents house in an environment where that love was allowed to flourish.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Okay. Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So it wasn't until I left the house that I had food with what we now call flavor.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Well, it sounds like your parents didn't have very good cooking in the house either.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So the cuisine was cheap.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right, right, right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

They did their best to get by with two screaming maniacs.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

This is so fantastic.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

$70,000.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I went from eating tuna fish for dinner out of a can every night to eating whatever I wanted.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So now I'm a writer.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And something I heard you talk about with Ted on his podcast that I found fascinating was your mom was sort of furious by the fact that you're being paid this amount of money for writing jokes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

When she heard what I got for a screenplay which seemed to come out of nowhere to her. Uhhuh. All of a sudden she goes, do you know we've worked our whole lives to have that in the bank? It wasn't like, oh, I'm so happy for you. Like, my dad, he was like the American dream.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right, right, right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

He was dancing on the roof.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Her attitude was that, you little. We've worked our whole lives to have that in the bank. And you get it overnight from writing a stupid thing.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

What can I say?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I mean, let's say, no, don't give it to me, because it doesn't feel right. Right, right, right. You should pay teachers more.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I mean, which is what we all think, but.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I mean, it's. It's. You know, that's not the.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We live in a capitalistic country.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

They pay you for what people want.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right. Did she ever change her opinion about that? With the success that you. Yes, You.

[Phil Rosenthal]

She. She liked Raymond. She appreciated Raymond.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

She didn't understand the food shop, really. When are you gonna write? I said, mom, I am kind of writing.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I am.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It is. Even though it's not written, there's writing involved. All the voiceover, the way the show is put together, editing is writing.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yep.

[Phil Rosenthal]

What we choose to say, even right here, is writing. It's just improvised writing.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Couldn't understand it. When are you gonna write something again?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

This is.

[Phil Rosenthal]

This. You're. My travel and food show now is the equivalent of Larry David Curb. You enthusiast. You saw Seinfeld. The guy behind Seinfeld is now on the show. And you're getting the true essence of that guy.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah,

[Phil Rosenthal]

same here. Except I could Call my show. Why Kirby? Enthusiastic? Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now, let's take a quick break, but don't go away. When we return, Phil speaks on his mission to bring people together through food and why that's more important now than ever. And we commiserate with each other on the trials and tribulations of changing lanes in Hollywood. Okay, be right back.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

So good, so good, so good.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Phil Rosenthal]

How did I not know rack has Adidas?

[Commercial Announcer]

Why do we rack for the hottest deals? Just so many good brands. Join the Nordic Club to unlock exclusive discounts. Shop new arrivals first and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite Rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack. This Easter, skip the ordinary and whip up something golden with melty, creamy Velveeta cheese. From scalloped potatoes to rich Mac and cheese, Velveeta turns every bite into a crowd pleasing celebration, bringing the extra to the ordinary, transforming simple sides into lip smacking satisfying moments. So go on, make it melt, make it craveable, make it indulgent. Velveeta, respect the drip. Visit velveeta.com easter for some recipe inspiration. New Maybelline Serum lipstick. Maybe it's not just lipstick. It's lush color with endless possibilities. It's serum infused with a hyaluronic acid and oil blend for eight hour, plumping moisture in tone enhancing shades. It's more than the shade, it's who's wearing it. You. New Maybelline Serum lipstick. Maybe it's Maybelline.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You know, I was thinking about your whole, your career has been really about embracing family and you're doing it right now with the restaurant Max and Helen's, literally named after your parents.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And it's a place to gather. It's a place for families to come together. It's rooted in nostalgia. Everybody Loves Raymond, obviously, a huge hit family sitcom. And now what you're doing with with your travel show, which I think is so interesting, it's about going to places and discovering other families, other family structures and celebrating the way they eat. And for someone who I think I've read that you were pretty much a homebody as a kid.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You know, you're traveling to all these incredible places in the world now,

[Phil Rosenthal]

but

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I love that this sort of theme of family and coming together and really Around a table is something that has really resonated through your entire career. I mean, have you ever, like, stepped back and kind of acknowledged that that is a common thread in your storytelling?

[Phil Rosenthal]

It is. It's the thing I love most about life and people.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And for me, food is the great connector, and then laughs are the cement. If we share a meal, let's say we don't know each other, and this is the most time we've spent together. Right. If the food comes and it's great like this, we're already in a very good mood. But then if we share a laugh or even a smile, there's an understanding. And this can happen without language, even, I found, without the common language. But this is the common language and the glint in the eye and the smile and the laugh over a face. Even now we're friends and we'll lead again. That's what makes the world go round.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And I always thought the people that want to build a wall, I always say, how about a table? That's what we need. Need a bigger table. Because that. That's where we all truly come together. And it's such a cliche, but we're all the same. Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's what I find. The differences are really superficial underneath it. Oh, you love your kids. Oh, how novel.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right, right, right, right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We all want the same things. We want to be happy and healthy. We want our kids to be happy and healthy and have a better life than we had. We want clean food, air, and water, and we want to live in peace.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's why what's happening in our country feels unnatural. Because it is.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It's not human.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, Agreed.

[Phil Rosenthal]

This is human.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. And it was also why. I mean, you know, I. I find watching you on television with. With somebody feed Phil so refreshing. It feels, you know, it's so interesting. I was on. Because I'm on Instagram.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And the world is a very dark place right now, and there's a lot of really awful things happening. And I hesitate sometimes to go onto my Instagram. And first, because I'm gonna see things that I just. That are gonna, you know, depress me. But also putting stuff out that doesn't seem to be, like, in a direction response to what's happening in the world feels, I don't know, somewhat harmful. I've learned that it's not. I mean, I was actually on my way to Max and Helen's to meet up with Ted the other day, and someone stopped me on the street and said, thank you so much. I just listened to an episode of your podcast in the car, and it was just making me smile. And it was nice to hear. It was nice to listen to something that wasn't the news. And I thought, okay, this is exactly what.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's your purpose.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And it's okay. It's okay for me to, like, go into my social media and be like, there's a new episode of Dinners on me. Like, it's okay. Even though there are horrible things happening as well. Like, I can offer this. Maybe this is something. A respite for you.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But everyone can offer that by. By doing what? By being a neighbor.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

By saying hi.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

By showing other people that most people are sweet and nice. Yeah. Project what you want to see back.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Everyone has that power.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Agreed. Agreed. But it just. It must feel very good to be putting out such positivity. It feels really good to do it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Makes me feel better.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And I'm thrilled if it makes someone else feel better. And Gilberto here is doing the exact same thing. Yeah. Oh, hello.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Hello.

[Phil Rosenthal]

There we go.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

So this is, as requested, one of our aguachiles. This is our blue prawn aguachile. So the tail is just marinated in this spicy herbaceous lime, cilantro, and serrano pepper marinade. And then the heads of the prawns are. Have been deep fried, and they're completely edible. Little avocado can eat the head and microsilon choice garnish.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, I heard.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Thank you. Oh, I heard. Oh, I'm. I'm paying attention. Thank you. This is going to be spicy. Can you handle what? Hey, good shot.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I must have won something.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Good shot.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

What did I win?

[Phil Rosenthal]

You win another shrimp.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's not that spicy. I do have to wipe the sauce and the agua chili off my face. It's not too spicy at all.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, it's great.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Talk to me about casting your parents in the show. I mean, because you really did cast your parents on the show. I mean, those performances are iconic and genius and award worthy as they have been.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I didn't know Peter Boyle was available. I was looking at whoever was available, and then the president of CBS said, what about Peter Boyle? I said he would do a sitcom.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And then Doris Roberts, she came in red. I think we saw 100 women for that part. They all read with this through the month scene from the pilot where Ray gets his parents fruit of the month and they react terribly because it's too much fruit in the house. Yeah. This happened to me. Happened to me that scene is almost verbatim from my life. I could see that I learned a valuable lesson right then and there. The more specific you write, the more universal it becomes.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Not the opposite. We think we're going to be vague and that will. More people will relate. No, we relate to each other's specificities because we all have specificities in our lives.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I'm sure your writer's room was also full of people coming in and like just writing their home life on. That's what happened with Modern Family.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, I could tell. I mean, why? Because it was great in specific. Exactly.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Dick Van Dyke Show, Carl Reiner. I never forget this. He would say to the writers, what happened at your house this week? That's how we write the show.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, that's it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. If you worked for me, your job was to go home, get in a fight with your wife, come back in and tell me about it. That's right.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's right. And how was it working with your wife on set? Fantastic.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It was great.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Was there ever any hesitation to include her in that?

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, I didn't. I wasn't going to suggest her. It was in the first season. We needed a date for Brett Garrett.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Okay.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Steve Scroban, one of the writers, said, how about Monica? Monica was already an actress, but I was going to impose my wife on the show.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But he said it. The other guy said, she seems perfect. I'm like, we try her, we try her. I don't want to be that guy. Forces his wife on the. On the show. And then she was fantastic and the audience loved her. And then it just slowly grew until she was a regular on the show in the land couple seasons. It was really sweet. And we. We love sharing this together. Yeah, it was nice. And I love having her on. Somebody feed Phil as much as possible. I love having my kids on. Yeah, the travel show too.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, like, I mean, to fast forward a little bit. I mean, to speak about, you know, it's such a family affair. You know Max and Helen's.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

You have your daughter working there, Lily Love story. Your son in law is the chef.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So again, this seems like nepotism too.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

But listen, if. If he's great,

[Phil Rosenthal]

you have to be undeniable.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But to see her and Mason running this thing together, it's like their first kid is this diner. It opened the week they got married.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

No way.

[Phil Rosenthal]

They were working the diner.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

They were newlyweds.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. October.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, my God.

[Phil Rosenthal]

The day after they got married, we had the going away Brunch at the unopened as of yet diner for all the people. We laid out all the food on the thing.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

On the counter. And they all. This was spectacular. Spectacular to see the people enjoying that food so much and to see them doing it, Executing it.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Bringing it out. I got as emotional as I did the day before at their wedding. I was so thrilled for them that they found not only each other but a purposeful life together. Yeah. I could cry thinking about it because it's just a love. And when you come in the diner, that love story is playing out in real time. So sweet.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And now you. I mean you and Lily.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Have written a book together.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. We have to start. Second book coming.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

This is your second one?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, it's. The first book was called Just try it. And it was about a dad who ate everything and his little girl wouldn't eat anything. And it's actually helped kids and parents especially get their kids to try stuff.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I have a five and a half and a three year old right now.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You need this.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yes, I've read this. So I read the second one.

[Phil Rosenthal]

The second one is about going to grandma's house someplace new.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Grandpa house. House. Yes, yes, yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But I need to get series of books coming.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Just try it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Such an important message for kids. We're saying it every. Every morning.

[Phil Rosenthal]

By the way, how many grown ups won't try a new bite of food? I don't eat raw fish. I don't eat this. I don't eat that.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And it extends to not trying a new idea. Can you.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, it says. Okay, we are done.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

I noticed lime juice ceviches completely changing. These are smoked kompachi taco. Now this taco is also a really great representation of what we like to do. Inspired on a Mexican smoked marlin taco from northern Mexico. But we use kampachi, which is a much more sustainable fish. And we specifically only use the heads and the collars for this one. For us. Us, It's a really great way of utilizing all of the fish, especially the underutilized parts. Smoke the heads.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Applewood smoke.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

You pick the meat, you stew it with chiles and aromatics. And then that is the guisado that goes inside the blue corn tortilla along with some locally made Oaxaca cheese and a peanut salsa matcha.

[Phil Rosenthal]

This is going to smoke your head. This is one of the great dishes in this city.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Is it?

[Phil Rosenthal]

I just want to continue hearing this.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I'm so excited.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I'm picking it up.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Okay, I'll pick mine up. Oh, my God. That's so good. Right? Where. Where are you in your filming? Are you about to do another season with.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It may not be on Netflix.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

It might not be on Netflix.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, I don't. We never know if we're getting picked up, really. From one season to the next, even though we've been there a long time. New people come in.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

They want different things or they don't care about the past. You've seen this.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Studio executives want their name on a thing.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Their creations.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

But have you. Have you. Is it an. Is it a season that's been filmed or have you started filming it yet?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Okay.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Still waiting. You're waiting to see what happens.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Even when you think you've made it.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

My God.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You're always at the mercy. Uhhuh. Of show business. I always say I love everything about show business except the business. Business. Yeah. The business is what gets in the way of making the show of show business. Yeah. It's true. But we have to put up with it.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And when you're doing it, when you're creating it, it's so joyful.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. Yeah. The hardest part anybody will tell you about making a movie is raising the money.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Raising the money. I know. Yeah. I'm in that. That place right now is something I'm working on.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Years.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But you have back for Capot.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

For Capote. Yeah. I mean, we're doing it for like, a dollar, but, like.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

I'm definitely not making money on this project. But it's. It's a. It's a labor of love. And also, you know, I mean, you made your money. Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And you. You'll now you should love.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. You'll understand this. I mean, once you do something.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And I think this is true for really anyone. Once you accomplish something in life, whether it's you're a great surgeon or a great chef or a great writer or actor, and you do something. Well, people see you. They put you in a lane.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And they see you only as that thing. And it really. In order to change lanes. And you personally. I got to put the blinker on. So you got to decide you want to change the lanes, but then you have to be the one at the driver's seat doing the actual movie of. No one's going to move the car into the other lane.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You're describing my whole journey.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And so that's where. That's where I'm at with this place. Like, I. No one would see me doing this part. And So I have to be the one to show people I can do it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Exactly.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

And then we'll see what happens from there.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It's going to be successful because you are going to make it, so. But yes. That's why it took 10 years after Raymond to get the travel show.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Changing lanes.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. One last thing.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You need a little churro.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

I know those look like churros. Churros. But they're actually scallops that are.

[Phil Rosenthal]

What? No, I'm just kidding. They're regular.

[Restaurant Staff/Host]

Regular churros. Chocolate sauce, cinnamon sugar.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Thank you so much.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Oh, thank you so much for doing this with me. Thanks for bringing me here. This is incredible.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I've loved you for a long time and now here we are.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Here we are. It's just the beginning.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Thank you for doing this. I'm not the last.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Churros, everybody.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Churros.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, yeah. This is for you and your kids. I don't know how they feel about going someplace new, but that's for them.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

They love Grandma's house.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Great. Look. And that's me and my daughter on the back. So sweet. Oh, look, look.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

So sweet.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Hole Box in South Lake. Next week on Dinners On Me. You know her as a dance judge on World of Dance, from films like Step up and as Firefighter Bailey on the ABC series the Rookie. It's Jenna Dewan. We talk about her journey from backup dancer to number one on the call sheet and the pressure to pick a lane. Plus navigating a public breakup and finding love again. And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners On Me. Plus, as a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, you'll also be able to listen completely ad free. Just click try free at the top of the Dinners on Me show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today. Dinners on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.

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