After years of circling the globe in search of the world’s best bites, Phil Rosenthal is bringing his culinary curiosity home to Los Angeles. The 65-year-old television producer, best known for creating the beloved sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and hosting the Netflix hit Somebody Feed Phil, is preparing to open a diner called Max and Helen’s right in the heart of Larchmont, a historic Los Angeles neighborhood. The much-anticipated eatery is set to open its doors later this October, according to reporting from multiple sources including AP News and Variety.
But this isn’t just another celebrity-backed restaurant launch. For Rosenthal, Max and Helen’s is a deeply personal project—a tribute to his late parents, Max and Helen, who not only inspired characters on Everybody Loves Raymond but also became beloved regulars on his Netflix travels. “This is a hundred-year-old neighborhood,” Rosenthal told AP News. “I want it to look like we found a hundred-year-old diner and it’s been here for a hundred years.” It’s a nod to the past, with an eye on the future—a place that aims to anchor the community in a fast-changing city.
The menu is a celebration of comfort food, with a few sentimental surprises thrown in. Diners can expect powdered donut holes, sourdough waffles slathered in maple butter, and, perhaps most importantly, fluffy scrambled eggs—a dish that held a special place in his father’s heart. “My dad loved fluffy eggs so much on his tombstone, it says, ‘Are my eggs fluffy?’” Rosenthal shared, his voice tinged with both laughter and a touch of emotion. “The lesson for me is, if you can find a simple joy in your life, maybe you’ll be happy every day.”
Rosenthal admits he’s feeling the absence of his father acutely as the diner nears its grand opening. “I’m getting a little emotional that he can’t be here for this perfect rendition of the thing he loved the most,” he reflected, according to AP News. It’s a sentiment that’s likely to resonate with anyone who’s ever tried to honor a loved one through food or tradition.
To ensure the food matches the emotional stakes, Rosenthal has enlisted some heavy hitters from the culinary world. Acclaimed chef Nancy Silverton, a James Beard Award winner and a legend in the Los Angeles dining scene, will serve as executive chef. The kitchen will be run by Mason Royal, Rosenthal’s soon-to-be son-in-law. It’s a family affair in more ways than one, with the hope that the warmth of Rosenthal’s own clan will infuse every aspect of the diner’s experience.
But why a diner, and why now? For Rosenthal, the answer is simple yet profound. “Diners are disappearing from America,” he said. “These become centers of communities… If the center of the community disappears, maybe you lose the sense of community and then maybe you lose the country. So I’m gonna fix everything with my diner.” It’s a big ambition, but one that’s grounded in a genuine belief in the power of shared meals and familiar faces. The idea is to create a place where neighbors linger over coffee, families gather for weekend breakfasts, and newcomers feel instantly at home.
Rosenthal’s career has always been about finding the universal in the everyday. Everybody Loves Raymond, which ran for nine years on CBS, owed much of its enduring appeal to its focus on the timeless quirks of family life. “You don’t put in Bill Clinton jokes in the ‘90s,” Rosenthal explained. “You do the things that seem to be everlasting.” That same spirit of simplicity and universality is baked into every aspect of Max and Helen’s—from the menu to the décor to the community-first ethos.
After the success of Everybody Loves Raymond, Rosenthal struggled to find a follow-up project that felt right. Then inspiration struck, leading to the creation of Somebody Feed Phil. He pitched the show in a single, self-deprecating line: “I’m exactly like Anthony Bourdain if he was afraid of everything.” The series, which blends travel, food, and Rosenthal’s signature humor, quickly found a devoted audience. “Ray [Romano] came out on stage with me and couldn’t believe the size of the crowd,” Rosenthal recalled, referencing the sold-out events he’s hosted for fans of the show. The warmth and curiosity that made the show a hit are now being funneled into his new venture in Larchmont.
Rosenthal’s production company, Lucky Bastards, seems an apt moniker for someone who’s managed to turn his passions into not just one, but several successful careers. Even at 65, he shows no interest in slowing down. “I could. That’s not fun,” he quipped when asked about retirement. “If you think you’ve got something to say or a point to make, or feel like your work is impacting on one guy or one little kid even, who wants to stop?” It’s a perspective that’s sure to inspire anyone contemplating their own next chapter.
Max and Helen’s is more than a restaurant; it’s a love letter to family, to tradition, and to the simple joys that make life worth savoring. In a city known for its relentless reinvention, Rosenthal is betting that people are still hungry for comfort, connection, and a little bit of nostalgia. And if the fluffy eggs are as good as his father remembered, he just might be right.
As the opening date draws near, anticipation is building not just among fans of Rosenthal’s television work but also among longtime residents of Larchmont. The hope is that Max and Helen’s will become a new-old fixture—a place that feels like it’s always been there, even as it writes a fresh chapter in the neighborhood’s history. Rosenthal’s wager is simple: that a good meal, shared with others, can still bring people together. And in a world that sometimes feels too busy for such things, that’s a mission worth rooting for.
For Rosenthal, the journey from television sets to diner booths is a natural progression—a way to keep telling stories, one plate at a time. As he puts it, “If you can find a simple joy in your life, maybe you’ll be happy every day.” With Max and Helen’s, he’s inviting the rest of Los Angeles—and maybe the world—to pull up a chair and see if he’s right.
