When Rockland native Phil Rosenthal does his show at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester Nov. 7, it will be the 30th stop on his Fall 2025 tour which started in August in Monterey, CA.
With each show, Rosenthal, the showrunner and executive producer of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and host of “Of Somebody Feed Phil,” has a different moderator who asks questions before diving into an audience Q & A. With his Westchester show — his only stop in the New York suburbs aside from an earlier performance Nov. 5 in Huntington — the moderator is actress, author, and food blogger Alissa Salvatore.
As longtime followers of his career — he’s a graduate of Clarkstown North High School! — we had our own questions for the New York Times best-selling author and soon-to-be restaurant owner (he’s opening Max and Helen’s in Los Angeles, named after his parents, longtime New City residents). He also has a new cookbook, “Phil’s Favorites,” in stores Nov. 4.
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Q & A with ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ host Phil Rosenthal
The Journal News/lohud: What are most people curious about?
Phil Rosenthal: How I’m not 300 pounds. That’s the No. 1 question. I won’t tell you the secret, though; you’ll have to find out at the show.
The Journal News/lohud: What’s a question that’s surprised you or caught you off guard?
Phil Rosenthal: I love when little kids ask me questions. I remember last year in New York when I was at The Beacon, a little kid, about 6-years-old, waited maybe 20 minutes at the microphone and then said ‘What’s your favorite color?’ I said blue, he said thank you, and sat down.
The Journal News/lohud: What are other typical questions you get?
Phil Rosenthal: People want to know about my family, how I met Monica or what it’s like traveling with my family. I’m also frequently asked what my favorite place is or how the show got started.
When you come to the show, you see about seven minutes of highlight reels, then I come out with a moderator and he or she — it’s always someone different — asks me questions for about 40 minutes — I never know what they’ll ask — and the rest is Q & A with the audience.
Again, the kids are the showstoppers. For some reason, little kids love my show; maybe it’s because they see I’m a big little kid. But one of my favorite questions also came from someone young who asked, also after waiting a while, ‘Are you going to eat something?’
The Journal News/lohud: Speaking of food, is there a dish you’ve tried on the show that you still think about?
Phil Rosenthal: Oh my god, yes. Sometimes they come to me in my dreams and sometimes it’s something simple like the burger I had in Dubai of all places. This Syrian guy had been to America and then went back to Dubai and wanted to do the ideal version of the American cheeseburger so he got the best possible beef, artisanal tops and sauces, bread and cheese. You bite into it and it’s heaven.
The Journal News/lohud: When the cameras are off, what’s your perfect meal?
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Phil Rosenthal: A hot dog in my house — that’s honestly, when I’m left on my own, what I’ll eat. I’ll also make a tuna sandwich, a peanut butter and jelly, a bowl of yogurt with some fruit and cereal. Why? Because I’m not a chef but that’s why my cookbooks are phenomenal because they’re not me. They’re my collection of the favorite things that I eat from great chefs.
The Journal News/lohud: What’s the best piece of advice you ever received from your parents?
Phil Rosenthal: It might be advice I didn’t take — and that was: ‘You should have something to fall back on if you’re going into a career in the arts,’ which is sound advice. But I didn’t listen.
The Journal News/lohud: How do you hope “Somebody Feed Phil” inspires future generations?
Phil Rosenthal: All I want is for them to travel; the whole show is to designed to make you travel. I think the world would be better if we all could experience a little bit of other people’s experiences and I’m using food and my stupid sense of humor to get you that message.
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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Phil Rosenthal appearing at Capitol Theatre Nov. 7 in Port Chester NY