Robin Williams' Favorite Comfort Food Was An American Classic

Before he ever had an imaginary food fight with the lost boys in "Hook"or pulled off one of '90s cinema's most chaotic restaurant scenes in "Mrs. Doutbfire," Robin Williams had a quieter relationship with food — offscreen, at the dinner table. While he wasn't much of a cook himself (in fact, he was famously hands-off in the kitchen), Williams still had strong opinions about what landed on his plate. According to John Mathies, his former personal chef, one dish in particular stood out: A pot roast so beloved it made its way into the "Star Palate: Celebrity Cookbook for a Cure", published in support of cancer research.

The inclusion wasn't just a favor or a formality — it was a nod to something personal. Identified as one of Williams' favorites, the dish reflected a side of him that didn't always make it into the spotlight. His public persona was big, fast, and often frantic, but this was different. He gravitated toward something slow-cooked and familiar, the kind of dinner that lingers in the air and sticks to your ribs. It was classic American comfort food, plain and simple.

Williams' favorite pot roast starts the way comfort food should — by filling the whole kitchen. A chunk of chuck roast, browned until the edges catch, then dropped into a pot with soft onions, tomato paste, garlic, and big cuts of carrot and celery. And just like with Ina Garten's pot roast, add a little booze: red wine. Everything simmers for hours in the oven while the vegetables cave in and the gravy thickens, like the whole thing's trying to collapse into a hug. The result isn't dainty, but it's deeply right. It's the kind of dish that holds the room still.

And somehow, that same grounding presence showed up in Williams' work — just in louder, stranger ways. In "Hook," he turned an imaginary feast into a full-color food fight, the table overflowing with surreal dishes that didn't need to be real to feel joyful. In "Mrs. Doubtfire," his double life nearly unraveled over a dinner gone sideways — complete with food allergies, bathroom switches, and lipstick on fire. In "Toys," he monologued through cafeteria trays and ranted about artificial sugar. Robin Williams acted with food brilliantly, turning meals into something chaotic, emotional, and real.

So no, he didn't cook. But the dish that followed him off set says everything: hearty, comforting, unfussy. The type of food that could hold a little chaos — and still taste just like home.