‘Somebody Feed Phil’ Season 3 Serves Up More Heart and Humanity Than Any Other Netflix Food Show

There are a lot of great food shows on Netflix, but Somebody Feed Phil is specifically unique in its approach to culinary travelogues. Somebody Feed Phil follows Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, as he travels the globe in search of good food. Now back for a third season, Somebody Feed Phil not only gives us a compassionate view of cultures around the globe, but an appreciation for the people who make these dishes. And it’s all narrated by Rosenthal, whose self-deprecating wit is only undone by his faith in people.

Ever since Chef’s Table premiered to critical acclaim in 2015, Netflix has made a point to put an incredible amount of effort into its food programming. This includes exquisite docuseries like Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, bonkers cooking competitions like Nailed It!, and even David Chang’s brilliant Ugly Delicious. In many ways, though, Somebody Feed Phil most evokes the style of food docs made popular by the late, great Anthony Bourdain. Like Bourdain, Rosenthal lets us, the viewer tag along on his trips to culinary capitals across the world and here in the States. In each episode, we get friendly with the locals, learn about traditional dishes, and watch our host feast. While this has now become a popular format — that David Chang and company attempt to deconstruct in Ugly Delicious — Rosenthal arguably comes the closest to matching Bourdain’s spirit as a host, even if he peppers every conversation with a “take my wife” joke.

Phil Rosenthal is a comedy writer best known for co-creating Everyone Loves Raymond with star Ray Ramano. That’s worth noting if only because Rosenthal approaches everything with the same kind of humor that defined the show. He’s self-deprecating to a fault, fond of joking about getting a new wife (even though he’s been married to the same woman, Monica Horan, for 30 years), and always looking for the punchline. One thing he’s not? Mean. Even when confronted with strange customs or exotic dishes, Rosenthal makes himself the butt of the joke. It’s refreshing, lovely, and sets up what makes the show actually so gosh darn good: its heart.

In the Season 3 premiere of Somebody Feed Phil, Rosenthal travels to Marrakech, Morocco, a place he describes as fantasy land for him. He’s bowled over by the natural beauty, the size of the sardines, and the architecture, but it’s really his connection to the people he meets that stands out. Rosenthal finds himself making fast friends with everyone he crosses on his path, but the show takes its time cozying up to a hotel waiter named Mohammed. The kid is a kick, offering killer customer service and happily sharing videos of his sister beating a guy in a martial arts tournament. Phil has a natural affinity for Mohammed that can’t be faked, which is why what happens next is so magical.

Phil invites Mohammed to join him for a lamb feast at a popular restaurant and Mohammed reveals that the chef is his great-uncle, but they’ve never met. As soon as they do meet the chef, Phil encourages Mohammed to introduce himself. In subtitled Arabic, Mohammed explains he is the grandson of the chef’s deceased brother, and the chef is overcome, praising god and welcoming him to the restaurant. The meal, which looks incredible, becomes a place for family to reunite and friendships to be forged. It is the highest purpose food can serve: bringing long-lost loved ones together and bonding people from different cultures together.

Somebody Feel Phil might take a humorous approach to the food show, but its charms lie in its massive heart. It’s that humanity that makes the show so good and food so important to us all.

Watch Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix