Rico Rodriguez plays the lovable Manny Delgado on the hit sitcom Modern Family — and like most kids, he loves the simple foods in life.
Milk, olive garden bread sticks, and quesadillas. Read more about his eating habits below!
What’s your favorite restaurant in Los Angeles?
“I like two places: my first one would have to be Outback Steakhouse, I eat there with my dad every time he leaves – it├óΓé¼Γäós our tradition. (Editor’s note: Rico lives in Los Angeles, while his father works in Texas.) And the second would have to be Olive Garden. Got to love the breadsticks!”
What’s the one thing you cannot go a day without eating or drinking?
“My favorite drink: milk. I would not be Rico without milk. I drink three cups, maybe four. I like the regular 2 percent milk, and every now and then, I get the Nestl├â┬⌐ powdered chocolate milk for special occasions.”
What is your signature dish to cook?
“Grilled chicken with Mrs. Dash seasoning and microwavable rice. I made it for the whole family. We were going to the Pantages [Theatre], and we didn├óΓé¼Γäót want to go out to eat. My mom showed me how to cut it and put it on the frying pan, and everything went well. No one got hurt in the making of this meal!”
Is there a chef that you would love to take cooking lessons from?
“Definitely two – Guy Fieri and Rachael Ray. They are really awesome. I├óΓé¼Γäóve met Rachael Ray. I have not met Guy – I├óΓé¼Γäóm hoping to meet him soon.”
Favorite meal on the “Modern Family” set?
A chicken and cheese quesadilla with steamed broccoli on the side. When they come take my order they ask, ‘Same thing?’ and I say, ‘Yup! The Rico special!’├óΓé¼┬¥
Who is someone you haven’t met but would most like to have dinner with?
“Tobey Maguire from Spiderman or the whole Star Wars cast – the new ones and the old ones – and we├óΓé¼Γäód talk about how the movies were made.”
What do you think is Manny’s favorite dish? (We’d guess something fancy like foie gras…)
“Well, Manny looks at the name and if the name sounds fancy, he├óΓé¼Γäóll probably have it. One dish would have to be arroz con pollo, and then he├óΓé¼Γäóll probably have to find fettucine alfredo. He├óΓé¼Γäóll say, ‘Sounds fancy enough!'”
What are your favorite foods and drinks around the holidays?
“Hot cocoa and hot chocolate when it├óΓé¼Γäós really cold. [Sings] ‘When the weather outside is frightful├óΓé¼┬ª’ And for a dish, a nice honey-baked turkey is really nice to have.”
[Image via Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com.]