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A few years ago, Jaleel White got really into game shows. <\/p>\n
The actor, most widely known for his role as the nerdy, suspenders-pulling neighbor Steve Urkel on \u201cFamily Matters,\u201d began appearing as a celebrity guest on shows like \u201c25 Words or Less<\/a>,\u201d Anthony Anderson\u2019s \u201cTo Tell the Truth<\/a>\u201d and \u201cPictionary<\/a>\u201d with Jerry O\u2019Connell. <\/p>\n \u201cI just enjoyed winning the money for the people,\u201d White says. \u201cIt\u2019s strangely equally gratifying.\u201d <\/p>\n In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.<\/p>\n Soon, his longtime producer friend asked if he wanted to host a game show. He did. \u201cFlip Side\u201d<\/a> is a survey-based competition in which two teamstry to determine how the majority of a crowd voted on various this-or-that questions for a chance to win $10,000. Its second season aired earlier this month.<\/p>\n White says that, in a way, hosting the show feels similar to being on a sitcom.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I did sitcom, I really felt the audience,\u201d White says. \u201cI really felt where the audience wanted to go emotionally in our storytelling, and I would play with it. I would consciously hear them and be like, \u2018Milk that or dial that down.\u2018\u201d He adds that he thrives off that \u201csymbiotic\u201d interaction, which is similar to engaging with contestants. <\/p>\n White is also developing a TV show based on his memoir, \u201cGrowing Up Urkel<\/a>,\u201d which was released last year. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n 9:30 a.m.: Sleep in<\/b>,<\/b> then head to church<\/b> Noon: Time for pancakes<\/b> 2 p.m.: Experience a game or a show at Cosm<\/b> 5 p.m. Play footgolf <\/b> <\/a> <\/p>\n
While the Pasadena native\u2019s Sundays during the NFL season are typically dedicated to Chargers games, he takes us along on his ideal day in L.A., which involves eating fluffy pancakes after church, checking out a show or game at the immersive venue Cosm and playing footgolf. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
If I\u2019m not shooting \u201cFlip Side,\u201d so man, I might not get up before 9:30 a.m. I typically stay up late. I\u2019m just a late-night person by nature. My mom said that she would stay up late a lot while she was pregnant with me, eating Mexican food, so I think biologically that turned me into a night owl, and I really appreciate great Mexican food [laughs]. If I\u2019m on my game, I like to go to Oasis<\/b><\/a> church on Wilshire. Shout to Pastor Julian. I think he\u2019s one of the most underrated spiritual voices in the city, and he\u2019s a pastor who wears Js, so that\u2019s just kind of cool in itself to get the word like that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
If you want to have the best pancakes in the city after you go to church, [go to] Redbird<\/b><\/a>, which is near downtown L.A. Their pancakes are crazy with the char on the edges. Not everybody makes them like that. I also like Takagi Coffee<\/b><\/a> on West Third Street. It\u2019s a Japanese cafe and they have souffl\u00e9 pancakes. Those are my two favorite pancake spots to hit after church. We get screwed in the cost of living in L.A., but the cultural exchange that we experience daily is so taken for granted. In L.A., I just gave you an all-American spot and a Japanese coffeehouse after leaving a very diverse church.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
I rarely get to the movies these days and I feel terrible. I want to try to be like Kevin Bacon and encourage people to go to the movies and experience communal entertainment again. But one of my favorite places is Cosm<\/b><\/a> in Inglewood. They are revolutionizing the sports bar business model. You can catch Cirque du Soleil<\/a> with your family. You can catch a game. It\u2019s just a big screen. It\u2019s an experience that actually puts you on the field, so you feel like you\u2019re actually at the game. Sometimes they get wild and they start shooting T-shirts with the T-shirt gun into the stadium seats.<\/p>\n
But if you\u2019re on a budget, a really fun thing to do actually is to play footgolf. One of the best footgolf courses is at Rancho Park<\/b><\/a>. It\u2019s literally golf with your feet, a soccer ball and an oversized hole. We\u2019ll go out there, smoke some purple, grab some snacks and just be out there like kids, betting on each hole [laughs]. That\u2019s the adult way of doing it, but you can also do it with the kids. You can hit up a good taco truck beforehand. I think Mariscos Jalisco<\/b><\/a> is my favorite taco truck. They make a crunchy shrimp taco that is just ridiculous. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n