Somebody Feed Phil: 5 Ingredients That Make Phil Rosenthal's Netflix Travel Show A Delicious Treat

Tucked away inside the thousands of TV shows available in Netflix's library, like a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant that doesn't advertise but thrives on word of mouth, sits an absolute gem of a travel show.

Somebody Feed Phil, returning for Season 8 this Wednesday on the streamer, follows comedy writer and Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal as he travels the world making friends and trying exotic new cuisines. Travel shows are a dime a dozen, of course, and Somebody Feed Phil does hit a lot of the familiar notes we know so well from the genre. But there's something exceptional about it, too: a special sauce, if you will, that makes it one of the most consistently satisfying and uplifting shows anywhere on television.

With Somebody Feed Phil serving up a new season that takes him everywhere from Amsterdam to Guatemala to Las Vegas, we thought we'd take a closer look at the five ingredients that make the show such a joy to watch. If you're already a fan, you may be able to guess what's on the menu. And if you haven't watched yet? You're in for a treat. Plus, join us in the comments below for a buffet of your favorite Somebody Feed Phil memories.

The success of any travel show hinges on its host, and luckily, Somebody Feed Phil has an excellent one in Phil Rosenthal. Goofy and enthusiastic, Phil brings an everyman approach to his travels: He's not a food expert, but he's a food lover, diving into strange local delicacies with an infectious curiosity. (His wide-eyed stares and delighted yelps when sinking his teeth into a new dish are a staple of the show by now.) He's also a veteran sitcom writer, so he knows how to tell a joke, and Phil never fails to crack up strangers on the street who don't even speak his language. Food and laughter are two international languages, and Phil speaks both fluently.

Somebody Feed Phil's cinematography is top-notch, with gorgeous shots of delicious food being prepared and served that could double as glossy magazine spreads. (Try to get through an episode without drooling.) Phil's adventurous palate leads to some amazing discoveries as well, with him trying everything from feijoada stew in Rio de Janeiro to deep-fried hot dogs in Chicago. He doesn't always love what he tries, to be honest, but along the way, he's introduced us to dozens of far-flung foods that we'd love to sample. 

Through seven seasons so far, Phil has traveled the world and back, heading to more than 40 cities around the globe and exposing us to cultures we'd never be able to see at home. At least once per season, Phil's travels have shown us a beautiful international location that goes straight onto our travel bucket list, from Bangkok to Madrid to Kyoto. And it's heartwarming to see Phil instantly make friends with people from another land and find ways to connect with them despite their many differences. Travel is an unparalleled education, and Somebody Feed Phil is certainly an education in the myriad ways humanity can thrive.

Phil might travel solo, but he's not really alone: His brother Richard is the showrunner and travels with him, and the two have a hilarious sibling rivalry that pops up in just about every episode. Phil also checks in with famous friends on his travels, with cameos from Patton Oswalt, Tracy Morgan and NBA legend Dwight Howard.

His most reliable travel companions, though, were his parents Helen and Max, who Phil checked in with every episode via laptop video for an endearingly awkward chat. Helen and Max passed away in recent years, and the show paid tribute to them in a lovely Season 6 episode, and since then, Phil's friends like Ray Romano and Ted Danson have joined him on video to keep the tradition alive. It's that kind of heart that places Somebody Feed Phil a cut above the rest of the travel show pack.

A lot of Netflix shows have us reaching for the "Skip Intro" button... but we wouldn't dare touch it when the Somebody Feed Phil theme song comes on. A boisterous tune from the band Lake Street Dive that lays out Phil's mission in hummable form, the theme song is a perfect introduction to the show and a fantastic warm-up for all the fun ahead. We love it almost as much as we love the show that follows it.

Are you a frequent flier with Somebody Feed Phil? Let us know what you love about the show in a comment below.