LAGuide
Where Phil Rosenthal Eats In LA
photo credit: Netflix
When Phil Rosenthal talks about his job, he says he's the luckiest guy you’ll ever meet. For seven seasons, the show-runner turned television host has traveled the world—turning his eating habit into a job for Somebody Feed Phil. He’s rarely alone on his food-inspired adventures, with friends (old and new) and family frequently joining him on the road. The gig makes total sense for Phil, because not only is he a big restaurant guy, but a family man, too.
Because of the show, Phil travels...a lot. So he’s always happy to touch back down in LA, where he’s now lived for 35 years. And when he's home, he prioritizes visiting the spots that remind him why LA has, he says, the best food scene in America. When he’s not globetrotting, going on tour, working on his soon-to-open diner with Nancy Silverton, or promoting the book he wrote with his daughter Lily, Phil Rosenthal likes to visit these 12 spots to feel at home in Los Angeles.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Matt Gendal
“During the pandemic, Sonoratown was our go-to order-in spot. It’s just completely satisfying and super delicious every time. I get the chivichanga tray. And those flour tortillas are the best ever. You could put my shoe in one of those tortillas, and I’d be happy. What more could you want?”
photo credit: Heather Hawke
“If I’m with my family and want to go somewhere that feels nostalgic, I go to Du-pars. It’s about one hundred years old—or at least it feels like it is. It’s also in the Original Farmers Market, which is my favorite thing in Los Angeles. It has a sense of history, it’s food-centric, and it’s old school. I went to Du-par’s for dinner the other night, and I got my favorite thing: a hot open-faced turkey sandwich with gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. I also love a diner breakfast. Their pancakes are world famous, and I like mine with their boysenberry syrup.”
photo credit: Brecht Van’t Hof
“I know it’s a bit of a chain, but I think Great White makes one of the best breakfast burritos in town. I’m walking distance from the Larchmont location and I think they do a great job. Get there a little early on weekends, though. If you go before 10am, you’ll be OK.”
“Chef Chad Colby is hardcore and his pastas are world-class. Antico Nuovo is an unpretentious place with just killer Italian food. I also feel like it’s still under the radar for most people. Dinner here feels classic and very comforting. I know Chef Colby a bit, so I usually say I’ll eat whatever he sends me. That’s my favorite way to eat. If I know the chef, trust the chef, or I’ve heard great things about the chef, I ask them to do whatever they want—I’m never disappointed.”
“Pound for pound, Republique may be the best overall restaurant in Los Angeles. Breakfast? Phenomenal. Lunch? Phenomenal. Dinner? Phenomenal, and completely different with high-end California-French cooking. I think they do the best restaurant burger in Los Angeles, which is in a different league than smash burgers. I also love the potato pancake for brunch with poached eggs, smoked salmon, and trout caviar on top. When I have lunch meetings or breakfast meetings, Republique is where I want to go.”
photo credit: Jakob Layman
“So N/naka is fancy schmancy, Chef’s Table stuff, right? Well, N/soto is chef Niki Nakayama’s more casual concept with everything from sushi to karaage and grilled skewers—I could go once a week, easily. I trust chef Nikki, so I’ll have whatever she sends me. I’ve never had a bad bite at N/soto.”
photo credit: Holly Liss
POWERED BY
“I don’t think you’ll find a better, more pure sushi spot in Los Angeles than Sushi Zo. It is not cheap, and it has only become more expensive as the years go by. They start you off with a couple of small plates, and then it’s a parade of sushi’s greatest hits. And I guarantee you’ll have some of these nigiri and say, ‘Oh, that’s the best of this cut of fish I’ve ever had.’”
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
“You don’t need me to tell you this, but Anajak Thai is incredible. I’ve done both the omakase and their Taco Tuesday, but every visit feels like an omakase because I ask the kitchen to bring me what they want. That being said, a meal at Anajak always has to end with their delicious southern Thai fried chicken.”
“I’m a fan of Nancy Silverton, so whatever she does, I’m inclined to love. I’ve known her for many years now. She spent a year working on Pizzeria Mozza’s dough before she let anyone taste it. I was one of the people she let taste her pizza the first day it was ready. It was the best pizza I’d ever had up until that point. I had just come back from Italy. My daughter Lily was a little girl, and she said, ‘No offense to Italy, but this is a little better.’ That’s now a quote outside the restaurant. I think that fennel sausage pizza is pretty special. It has a unique flavor I love, but they’re all great.”
photo credit: Jakob Layman
“Jitlada is old school and a true LA institution. Owner Jazz Singsanong is such a great character and the food has real fire and personality. It’s so good, even if some of the stuff is literally too hot for me to handle. Jitlada is so much fun with a bunch of people as the food starts making the rounds at the table, and the beer is flowing. Maybe it’s not the best place to take somebody who can’t do spicy food, but if you need them to tone it down, why go there?”
“Providence. Fancy schmancy. I think it’s the best seafood restaurant in California, if not the country. This is what fine dining is supposed to be, where every dish is a huge knockout. The service is beautiful, the room is beautiful, and the food is sublime. I take people here for very special occasions or if I want to blow them away with a high-end meal that never feels stuffy. Or at least it’s not stuffy like a four-star French dinner in New York. Everything here is just dialed in.”
“Providence’s casual branch is impeccable seafood for the rest of us. Connie and Ted’s has the best oysters in the city, and I love how super cold they are. If you just want a simple piece of grilled fish, it’s always going to be delicious and fantastic. Oh, and I love the Rhode Island clam chowder—the clear one. That’s by far my favorite of their three chowders.”
