The seventh season of the popular Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil — where host Phil Rosenthal roams around countries and cities to explore their local culinary scenes — premieres tomorrow, Friday, March 1.
Every D.C. Restaurant Featured in Netflix’s Newest ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ Season
TV host Phil Rosenthal eats cupcakes, wood-fired pitas, half-smokes, and much more in an episode all about the nation’s capital
Tierney Plumb is an editor of Eater’s Northeast region, covering D.C., Boston, Philly, and New York.
Somebody Feed Phil’s fifth episode, which is entirely dedicated to D.C. dining, includes a strong showing of top restaurants, bakeries, and celebrity guests popping up to help the host eat. Featured spots that enjoyed ample TV time include essential Eater DC places like Indian stalwart Rasika, Laos pioneer Thip Khao, Korean hit Anju, and more.
Here is every dining and drinking establishment featured on Somebody Feed Phil’s D.C. episode, listed in order of appearance on the show, which was filmed in summer 2023.
Every D.C. Restaurant Featured in Netflix’s Newest ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ Season
TV host Phil Rosenthal eats cupcakes, wood-fired pitas, half-smokes, and much more in an episode all about the nation’s capital
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Tierney Plumb is an editor of Eater’s Northeast region, covering D.C., Boston, Philly, and New York.
The seventh season of the popular Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil — where host Phil Rosenthal roams around countries and cities to explore their local culinary scenes — premieres tomorrow, Friday, March 1.
Somebody Feed Phil’s fifth episode, which is entirely dedicated to D.C. dining, includes a strong showing of top restaurants, bakeries, and celebrity guests popping up to help the host eat. Featured spots that enjoyed ample TV time include essential Eater DC places like Indian stalwart Rasika, Laos pioneer Thip Khao, Korean hit Anju, and more.
Here is every dining and drinking establishment featured on Somebody Feed Phil’s D.C. episode, listed in order of appearance on the show, which was filmed in summer 2023.
Seasons
The episode opens up with an alfresco breakfast scene at the well-known power spot inside the Four Seasons hotel. Rosenthal reminds viewers of his comic wit out of the gate (he created CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, after all) by dressing as a waiter and spilling some coffee; “it’s my first day,” he jokes. Staff from his Netflix show, seated around a long table, orders steak and eggs, fluffy hot cakes, fruit bowls, and vibrant smoothies. “Today’s power breakfast is with the most powerful people in my world — the crew,” he says.
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YELLOW Georgetown
Rosenthal kicks off a Georgetown culinary tour with a stop at the acclaimed Levantine cafe from Michelin-starred chef Michael Rafidi. Joined by D.C.-based food and travel writer Nevin Martell, Rosenthal is immediately blown away by the labne-stuffed, za’atar-coated croissant (a Yellow best seller since day one) and coconut cold foam-topped dalgona drink. Wood-fired pita sandwiches are next, and Rosenthal compares the juicy, smoky lamb shoulder filling to “amazing barbecue.” Thinly sliced fried tots are also a game changer for Rosenthal. “Do we need to even go to other places today? Every bite of everything was amazing, even the coffee,” he says. “We’re going back there, right?”
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Stachowski Meats & Deli
Martell leads the way to Stachowski Meats & Deli, and upon walking in the door, Rosenthal says he’s “looking for the prince of protein” for the “best” pastrami sandwich around. There they find Jamie Stachowski behind the counter, who scribbles their order by hand (Martell assures the host that one sandwich is enough to split). While slicing the heavily smoked meat himself in the kitchen, Stachowski says the hefty handheld isn’t sized for TV and really is that big all the time. Rosenthal takes a huge bite, happily letting deli mustard and pastrami juices drip down his chin.
Courtesy of Netflix
Baked & Wired
Next up in Georgetown is a stop by this beloved bakery that’s been around since 2001. While Martell stocked up on sweets inside, Rosenthal mingles with a group of ladies out front and bonds over the fact one is from Brooklyn and he’s from Queens. Martell comes out with a lemon ginger cookie, the s’mores-like OMG bar, and of course, a cupcake. “I’m not a cupcake person, but these were so moist and delicious,” says Rosenthal.
Rasika
“Now it’s time to go to one of the best restaurants in D.C.,” proclaims Rosenthal via voice-over, shifting gears for a fine-dining meal with his big-shot media friends Jeffrey Goldberg (editor of the Atlantic Magazine) and CNN host Jake Tapper. Their feast at the essential Indian spot starts with crispy baby spinach, and Goldberg unscientifically notes that “120 percent of people who come here order this.” Over a conversation that naturally gets into Washington politics, the trio loads up the table with other top sellers like spicy jackfruit, dosa with Peruvian purple potatoes and coconut chutney, black cod and saffron rice, silver bowls of lamb and chicken curries that Rosenthal dubs a “personalized buffet,” and cardamom ice cream and black rice pudding for dessert. “The food is tremendous,” says Rosenthal.
Courtesy of Netflix
Also featured in
Ben’s Chili Bowl
Rosenthal breaks his half-smoke seal with a long-awaited taste of D.C.’s 65-year-old institution Ben’s Chili Bowl, where he meets Ben’s widow and longtime owner Virginia Ali. Rosenthal brings along his son, who’s ironically named Ben. Rosenthal applauds the 90-year-old legend for helping “feed the Civil Rights movement,” and Ali points to the seat where Martin Luther King Jr. sat while planning the March on Washington in 1963. After devouring the half-smoke with everything, the father-son duo finish off a Big Ben’s Burger — and find out it’s the historic restaurant’s rising best seller as of late.
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Bread Furst
Rosenthal invites another celeb to be his dining companion in D.C. This time, it’s stand-up comedian and Broadway star Alex Edelman, who joins Rosenthal at award-winning Bread Furst in upper Van Ness. The smells of the neighborhood bakery instantly impress, and “boy their stuff is good,” reports Rosenthal via voice-over. He’s talking about the French pastries like thinly layered buttered croissants and canelé they tried. For something hot off the menu, the messy egg lives up to its name, as the fall-apart sandwich doesn’t exactly make its consumers look camera-ready. “We should have asked for a hose,” he quips.
Mozzeria
Over on H Street, Rosenthal brings his son Ben to the certified Neapolitan pizzeria near Gallaudet University that’s entirely run by deaf or hard-of-hearing people. Turns out, Ben’s been to its original San Francisco food truck before and now is a repeat customer. Mozzeria CEO Richard Horrell is on site to guide them through the menu via a sign language interpreter. They go with popular appetizers like its fried mozzarella “bar” plated on pomodoro and gluten-free meatballs while toasting cocktails. For pies, they try two: the Italian sausage with roasted fennel and fichi varieties — which Ronsenthal compares to a salad on a pizza. He also finds out a fun tidbit: Christin White, the former female pastry chef in the Obama White House, now leads Mozzeria’s kitchen in D.C.
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Anju
After visiting a D.C. middle school to see No Kid Hungry’s important work in action, the host links up with a big fellow supporter of the nonprofit: Top Chef star Kwame Onwuachi, who’s making an anticipated return to D.C.’s dining scene this spring. They snag a seat at Dupont’s essential Korean eatery — one of Onwuachi’s D.C. faves run by his chef friends Danny Lee and Angel Barreto. Lee presents a parade of sharable banchan and points out highlights like its 30-day aged kimchi. As one would, they also get Anju’s must-try Korean fried chicken and dumplings; Onwuachi reveals that Lee’s mom (of Mandu fame) taught him how to roll them. Finally, Lee convinces all that chasing Jameson Irish whiskey shots with kimchi brine is a delicious idea.
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Courtesy of Netflix
Thip Khao
Heading up to Columbia Heights to visit D.C.’s destination Laos restaurant, Rosenthal meets up with his married (and of course, more famous) friends: model/actress Maya Wertheimer and Israel’s former Israeli consul general to New York Asaf Zamir. Chef Seng Luangrath arrives to the table with her childhood favorite: naem khao (crispy coconut rice salad with lettuce wraps). She suggests using sticky rice as the utensil to grab the crispy sesame jerky starter — a tip endorsed by Zamir, who’s been to the Southeast Asian country before. Luangrath explains the kua mee (wok-tossed rice noodles with fish sauce caramel) is akin to pad Thai. They also dig into the riced-cured sour pork belly, which demonstrates her fine fermenting skills.
Call Your Mother Deli
The episode takes an emotional turn when Rosenthal films inside his hotel room while enjoying a to-go order from D.C.’s legendary bagel brand Call Your Mother. He Zooms in prolific sitcom writer and dear friend Norman Lear, who ended up passing away a few months later at age 101 on December 5, 2023. Greeting Lear with a “mazel tov,” Rosenthal says “we may not know much but we know about this,” pointing to his bagel and lox in hand. On a serious note, he asks Lear whether he’s optimistic about the state of the U.S., to which he responds: “There’s never been a more concerning time.” In true Lear style, he ends the call by telling a joke. The episode closes out “in memory of Norman.”
Maketto
The last stop is Maketto, H Street’s standby for Cambodian-Taiwanese cuisine, where Rosenthal unites quite the across-the-aisle combo: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.). The need for more bipartisanship is a big topic at the table, and Buttigieg says, “the best things happen when people get together and talk.” What they agree on at that moment in time is that chef Erik Bruner-Yang’s fried chicken and short rib dishes are a hit.
