Television series
Somebody Feed Phil
Phil Rosenthal, the guy who created Everybody Loves Raymond, spends his golden years eating his way around the world and being embarrassingly delighted about it. It's travel television with the cynicism surgically removed: he FaceTimes his parents, cries at street food, hugs strangers. Gorgeous footage, zero pretension, the culinary equivalent of a warm hug from someone who genuinely can't believe how lucky he is.
If you liked this
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown2013
The genre's towering achievement — Bourdain used food as a door into politics, grief, and history, making every episode feel like it mattered far beyond the plate.
But Melancholy runs underneath even the joyful episodes, and knowing how his story ends colours the whole watch.

Ugly Delicious2018
David Chang argues about tacos, pizza, and fried chicken with chefs and friends around a table, turning food history into genuinely gripping debate. Smart, funny, occasionally combative.
But More opinionated and less cuddly than Phil's show — this one wants to argue with you, not hug you.

Chef's Table2015
Gorgeous, almost reverent portraits of chefs at the absolute top of their craft, shot like art films. If Phil makes you hungry, this makes you want to weep at a plating.
But Slower and more solemn — no jokes, no wandering the street, just intense close-ups of obsession.

The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Trip2011
Phil spent decades as a sitcom writer before he became a host, and The Trip is essentially the sitcom version of his format — same impulse toward food-and-friendship comedy, just fictionalised and considerably more barbed.
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon drive around eating at gorgeous restaurants while needling each other with impressions and ego — a food travelogue disguised as a comedy about male friendship.
But It's scripted-improvised fiction, not documentary, and the humour is dry, competitive, and occasionally cruel rather than cuddly.

More like this (7)
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations2005
Rougher, hungrier, and funnier than Parts Unknown — this is Bourdain before the polish, bluffing his way through countries with a backpack and a grudge against tourist traps.
But Early seasons show their age technically, and the tone is spikier and less warm than Phil's.

The Mind of a Chef2012
Each season follows one chef's obsessions and influences in loving, geeky detail — part travelogue, part masterclass, narrated by Bourdain himself.
But Heavier on technique and chef-world insider talk than pure travel joy; less accessible if you just want vibes.

Down to Earth with Zac Efron2020no page yet
An earnest, slightly goofy actor travels the world chasing sustainable food and lifestyle ideas with real curiosity and none of Phil's polish but plenty of his warmth.
But Leans more into wellness and sustainability lecturing than pure culinary delight — occasionally feels like homework.
Taco Chronicles2019no page yet
A loving, almost mythic deep dive into Mexico's regional taco traditions, told with reverence for the vendors and history behind each style.
But Narrower focus than Phil's globe-trotting format, and subtitles if you're not watching dubbed.
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted2019no page yet
Ramsay drops the kitchen tantrums to forage, fish, and hunt his way through remote food cultures — surprisingly humble and genuinely adventurous.
But More survivalist and physically extreme than Phil's stroll-and-snack approach; less about sitting down with strangers.
Floyd on France1987no page yet
Floyd basically invented the wandering-chef-with-personality template Phil now perfects; watching him is seeing the ancestor of Somebody Feed Phil, boozier and scrappier, decades before Instagram made food travel a genre.
British chef Keith Floyd wanders around with a wine glass and a film crew decades before this was a genre, cooking on location and charming (or annoying) everyone he meets.
But Cheap 1980s production values, dated attitudes, and a host who's often visibly tipsy — this is the format in its rough, unpolished infancy.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi2011
Where Phil chases joy from the eater's side of the table, Jiro shows the maker's side — same reverence for transcendent food, filtered through obsessive discipline instead of giddy tourism.
A quiet, meditative documentary about an 85-year-old sushi master's lifelong pursuit of perfection — austere, beautiful, and almost devotional in its patience.
But There's no travel, no jokes, and barely any dialogue for long stretches — it's the emotional opposite of Phil's chatty enthusiasm.

People
Cast
Writing
- Phil RosenthalCreator
Recommended by
Chef's Table, Salt Fat Acid Heat, Ugly Delicious, The Trip, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Old Enough!, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, The Mind of a Chef, The Detour with David Chang