I’ll Have What Phil’s Having – I’m not sure whether I talked about this before, but I happen to love shows about food. No, it’s not because I watch people eat food that, for most people, would sit outside any reasonable budget, or the travel aspect (a nice addition, but not really the ultimate point). Rather, for whatever reasons, food shows let you learn a lot about various cultures. Food’s a universal need, and something everyone has a stake in, if not in culinary terms. Everybody has favorite foods, and opinions about food, whether a molecular gastromonist or a traditionalist. And, what else does food encourage but conversation? I guess what I’m trying to say is, food is an important part of human existence, and shows about it tend to be interesting by default, even as a distant observer.
Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations used to provide that sort of “food traveler” fix, with enough doses of local culture and biting, sarcastic wit to last me a few hours of relaxation. Unfortunately, his latest show on CNN (why?) Part Unknown focuses less on the food aspect, and far more on social upheavel and problems. Hey, if you work for a news network, that’s bound to occur as part of your contract. Bourdain’s brand of humor just doesn’t match with the utterly devastated regions of the Congo, just for example, and sometimes I just need something lighthearted and meaningful, not just dour beyond all reason.
Enter Phil Rosenthal. You may, or may not, know Phil as the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond. Personal disclaimer: I, in no way, find Everybody Loves Raymond funny, at all. And yet, the guy who wrote many of the scripts for a comedy sitcom now wanders the world for a new PBS show called I’ll Have What Phil’s Having – it’s a strange idea, but it works! Phil (I figure the first name is easier to type than putting down his last name repeatedly) seems very, genuinely interested in what he’s looking at, and what he’s eating.
Sure, in a sense, the show’s extremely formulaic for this particular kind of documentary show – Phil visit a foreign country, eat a bunch of food, meet a bunch of new people, make friends, learn history, etc. But I think the host’s attitude adds a lot to the show that wouldn’t otherwise be there. In no way does Phil purport to be an expert on anything he’s eating, or anything he’s doing. He finds people who are, of course, whether close friends or new friends, but he simply seeks out new (and old) experiences wherever he is.
And he does it with such enthusiasm, and just genuine enjoyment. There’s nary a hint of cynicism in the entire show, almost good-natured in its entirety (apart from some delightful sarcasm and bits of humor). Maybe I just watched too much Anthony Bourdain, but watching an expert make the rounds in a foreign country often ends up in the land of “shop talk”, where people talk about things or eat things that no normal person would ever even consider. Phil, on the other hand, finds delightful things to eat and eats them, enjoying them immensely in the process. That contrast makes the whole show purely entertaining.
I suppose the only criticism that you can level the show, apart from expectations of no expert knowledge whatsoever, comes with the actual countries and locations chosen. I mean, seriously, I’ve seen Japan, Italy, and France repeatedly; Los Angeles is not far behind for food show density (for some reason?), so people like me have seen other people visit these locations a million times over. And, I suppose, if you like the more exotic food choices, you might find yourself left in the cold.
Regardless, I’ll Have What Phil’s Having is, simply put, light entertainment. And yet, I like it a whole lot precisely for that reason. It strives to be nothing more, and Phil’s genuine enthusiasm often carries the show single-handedly (as do his parents on Skype calls). It makes me feel good to watch something that feels like it came out of an era where things were more innocent, and less ironic all the time. Hey, I’d give it a shot if I were you; you might just enjoy it!
