Phil Rosenthal Interview Part 1 11/10/15

November 11, 2015

Phil's show "I'll Have What Phil's Having" is just like Anthony Bourdain's show if Anthony Bourdain were afraid of everything.

TranscriptCONAN: THIS IS A PASSION OF YOURS, THIS PROJECT, AND TO EXPLAIN IT EASILY -- I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S SHOW. HE TRAVELS AROUND ALL OVER THE WORLD AND EATS EXOTIC FOOD AND HAS ADVENTURES. IS YOUR SHOW LIKE A COMEDIC VERSION OF THAT? PHIL: I WOULD SAY I'M EXACTLY LIKE ANTHONY BOURDAIN IF HE WAS AFRAID OF EVERYTHING. CONAN: SO YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT THE OCTOPUS EYE THE WAY ANTHONY BOURDAIN DOES? PHIL: NO AND I'M NOT GOING TO BEIRUT TO GET SHOT AT AND NOT EATING THE ANIMAL THAT MAKES US GO, EW. I'M THE NICE JEWISH BOY VERSION. CONAN: DID YOU GROW UP EATING WELL AS A CHILD? PHIL: I CAN'T SAY THAT. WAS YOUR MOM A GREAT COOK? CONAN: WHY PUT THIS ON ME? WE WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR MOM. PHIL: I KNOW WE ARE. CONAN: MY MOTHER WAS A VERY GOOD COOK OF IRISH FOOD. PHIL: MY MOM WAS A VERY GOOD COOK OF GERMAN IMMIGRANT FOOD. CONAN: WAS YOUR MOM A GOOD COOK? PHIL: SHE'S GREAT, MY MOM. CONAN: I ASKED WHAT KIND OF COOK. PHIL: SHE ONCE MADE, FOR PASSOVER, THIS IS MY PEOPLE, NOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT. CONAN: I GOT CONFUSED FOR A SECOND. PHIL: OK. SHE ONCE MADE MATZO LASAGNA. INSTEAD OF SHEETS OF PASTA, SHEETS OF MATZO. IT WAS A CARDBOARD SOUFFLE. CONAN: LET'S JUST SAY MAYBE COOKING WASN'T HER FORTE. PHIL: LET'S SAY THAT BUT GREAT AT MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS. CONAN: DOES YOUR MOM MIND YOU TALKING ABOUT HER THAT WAY WHEN YOU'RE ON TELEVISION? PHIL: SHE HAS A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR. [LAUGHTER] CONAN: AND I'M SURE YOU'RE A VERY NICE SON IN MANY OTHER WAYS. PHIL: I AM! IF YOU WATCH THE SHOW, MY PARENTS ARE IN THE SHOW AND THEY STEAL THE THING. THEY'RE FANTASTIC. CONAN: PARENTS ON "EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND" WAS BASED ON YOUR PARENTS. PHIL: LOOSELY BASED ON THEM. CONAN: YOU WENT TO ITALY, TO SPAIN, YOU WENT TO HONG KONG. YOU ATE WHAT'S CALLED A 100-YEAR-OLD EGG. PHIL: IT'S NOT REALLY 100 YEARS OLD. IT JUST TASTES THAT WAY. CONAN: WE'LL LOOK AT THE SEGMENT FIRST AND THEN TALK ABOUT IT. PHIL: OK. I HAVE TO RELIVE IT. >> LADIES FIRST. DO YOU PUT SAUCE OR ANYTHING ON IT? >> YOU EAT IT LIKE THAT. >> AND THE WHITE IS BROWN. >> WHAT? I'VE NEVER HAD ONE. >> I'VE NEVER HAD ONE, EITHER. >> I'LL TRY IT. >> IF DO YOU IT, I WILL DO IT. >> I GOT TO MAN UP. >> THE WHOLE THING? >> YEAH, SEE. >> IT JUST HAD A WEIRD AFTER TASTE. [APPLAUSE] PHIL: RIGHT AFTER THAT, THE LADY TO MY LEFT, SHE SAID, MAYBE WE SHOULD GOOGLE IT. I SAY, NOW WE GOOGLE IT, AFTER? CONAN: WHAT IS IT, THEN? IT'S NOT 100 YEARS OLD. THAT LOOKS NASTY. PHIL: IT'S PRESERVED IN LIME AND ASH AND BURIED UNDERGROUND UNTIL IT TAKES ON THAT GREEN YOLK AND BROWN WHITE. CONAN: SO IT ROTS? YOU ATE A ROTTEN EGG. PHIL: THE FIRST THING YOU TASTE IS VERY, VERY, ROTTEN EGG. THIS IS SUPPLANTED BY AN OVERPOWERING WAVE OF AMMONIA. [LAUGHTER] CONAN: WHAT WINE PAIRS WELL WITH THAT? ANDY: CLOROX. PHIL: I STARTED TO CALL IT CAT PEE. CONAN: IT SOUNDS AWFUL. PHIL: IT IS. NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE GREAT BUT I'M NOT OUT TO FIND THE GROSSEST THING. I'M OUT TO GET YOU TO TRAVEL. I WANT YOU TO TRAVEL AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE BEST STUFF BUT NOT EVERYTHING WE PUT IN OUR MOUTHS WILL BE FANTASTIC.

Phil Rosenthal

Phil Rosenthal Interview Part 2 11/10/15Wed, 11 Nov 2015