Christopher Closeup
Can a taste of homemade gelato in Tuscany produce a transcendent moment of beauty?
It did for Phil Rosenthal, the comedy writer and creator of “Everybody Love’s Raymond,” in his new PBS food/travel series “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having.”
While Phil admits that he’s not a religious man, he actually tears up a little because of how good this gelato tastes. He kisses the woman who made it on the cheek and refers to her talent as a gift from God to the world.
Yes, God can even make Himself present through gelato. It’s a sweet moment that encapsulates the best of this show, which finds Rosenthal traveling to Tokyo, Paris, Italy, Hong Kong, Barcelona and back to his adopted hometown of Los Angeles in order to explore their local cultures through food and people.
Two things in particular stand out about “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having.” First, Rosenthal is a charming, humble, and witty host to whom the audience can relate. He’s not the educated chef teaching you how to cook, but rather an everyman who simply enjoys eating tasty food and discovering new dishes. He’s someone who squirms when asked to eat something out of the ordinary like eel bones or ants in Japan (and the audience squirms along with him), but someone who savors every bite of homemade pasta in Italy.
Phil’s infectious enthusiasm comes into play when he makes chocolate egg creams for a Japanese family with whom he’s dining. Their reaction isn’t unanimously positive since egg creams aren’t known in Japan, but everyone is won over by Rosenthal’s joy at being able to share this taste of his American youth with his hosts.
Second, there’s the social and familial aspect of the show. In addition to Phil checking in with with his parents via online video calls in every episode, there are also several sequences in which he is seen eating with other families (and sometimes his own wife and kids) during his travels as a bonding experience. While the old expression from Father Patrick Peyton – “The family that prays together stays together” – is true, you can expand it to include the family that eats together as well. The family meal brings people together and builds relationships between those who are related by blood and even those who are not.
For instance, the series best sequence so far was when Phil reconnected with old friends in Italy who he hadn’t seen in 27 years. His wife Monica (“Everybody Love’s Raymond’s” Amy) tracked down the address of their pizzeria/bakery and brought Phil and the couple’s kids there as a surprise. The emotion of the reunion overwhelms Rosenthal and he gets a little misty. Yes, Phil is a softie and, as a viewer, I love him for it. Once again, food is the shared experience that leads to friendship and lasting memories.
There are four more episodes of “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having” to come. And while I will admit that I would have passed on the eel bones, I’m definitely on board for the rest of his travels that reinforce the old belief that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach – or at least through an entertainingly engaging show about food and friendship.
(“I’ll Have What Phil’s Having” airs on Monday nights on PBS. Check your local listings for times and stations. Photo property of PBS)
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