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In \u201cSteak House: The People, The Places, The Recipes,\u201d<\/a> comedian, director and author Eric Wareheim<\/a> takes us on a captivating cross-country road trip, spotlighting the enduring charm of American steak houses, including L.A.\u2019s iconic Musso & Frank<\/a> and Taylor\u2019s Steak House<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about nostalgia,\u201d says Wareheim, who is probably best known as the co-creator of the TV series \u201cTim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!\u201d <\/a>\u201cThe people and atmosphere are what make you feel so good.\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 But more than red booth restaurants<\/a> and Steak Diane lift Wareheim\u2019s spirits.<\/p>\n \u201cGardening has changed me<\/a> into this new version of myself,\u201d he says. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s about peace and a deeper journey. Planting has tweaked something in my brain so that I can see things differently.\u201d<\/p>\n A self-proclaimed \u201cnursery hunter,\u201d Wareheim has traversed California in his truck, connecting with growers along the way. His latest venture, the plant studio Serpentine<\/a>, showcases his love of plants and gardening. \u201cWe\u2019ve created an oasis in a huge parking lot in Boyle Heights, and it looks like a botanical garden in Australia,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty extreme. I worked for six months to get two enormous bottle trees here.\u201d<\/p>\n Not surprisingly, a perfect Sunday for Wareheim involves shopping for plants<\/a> and perusing rock yards and quarries, though he won\u2019t divulge exactly where. \u201cYou\u2019re building life every day,\u201d he says of gardening.<\/a> <\/p>\n And although he\u2019s been known to hit Taco Bell when he\u2019s on the road (\u201cMy order is always the same: a bean burrito with onions and sour cream and Doritos Locos Tacos\u201d), when he\u2019s in L.A., he prefers the shrimp aguachile<\/a> at Loreto<\/b><\/a> in Elysian Valley<\/a> (a.k.a. Frogtown) or a birria-stuffed burrito from Burritos La Palma<\/b><\/a> in Boyle Heights<\/a>. <\/p>\n Here is what his ideal Sunday in L.A. would look like.<\/p>\n This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.<\/p>\n 5 a.m.: Enjoy coffee and sunrise in the garden<\/b><\/p>\n On a perfect Sunday, I would wake up at 5 a.m., make myself some La Colombe coffee<\/a>, and wander through my garden, which could be my grand masterpiece. I\u2019ve really gotten into watching the sunrise lately. Sunrise and sunset are so important to me because they are such reflective times. From 5 to 7 a.m. is the only time I\u2019m at peace. No one is calling me, and I turn off my phone. As part of my morning routine, I listen to Nala Sinephro\u2019s<\/a> album \u201cSpace 1.8\u201d every day. I highly recommend it. That and gardening together have changed me into a new version of myself, which happens every five years. It\u2019s now about a deeper journey through art and design. Because I wake up so early, I often ask people if we can meet at 7 a.m. and they\u2019re like \u2018What?\u2019<\/p>\n 9 a.m.: Nursery hopping in Pasadena <\/b><\/p>\n After I wake up, have coffee and walk around my garden, I feel inspired, so I go to Blvd Nursery<\/b><\/a> in Pasadena. Sometimes I don\u2019t even shop. Simply walking through a nursery is a beautiful thing. It\u2019s on the way to Lincoln Avenue Nursery<\/b><\/a>, the OG of nurseries in Pasadena. But Blvd has more artistic, sculptural specimens. It\u2019s a good bang-bang to hit both. When I first started, I shopped at the Tropics<\/b><\/a> in West Hollywood. I would have to save up all year to get one pot. But it inspired me. Once you pay those prices, you need to dig deeper. Part of the fun for me is finding these things. I love connecting with the people who grow the plants<\/a>. The journey is a huge part of it.<\/p>\n 11 a.m.: Hungry for a hoagie<\/b><\/p>\n After that, I would get hungry for a hoagie. Lately, I\u2019ve been hitting Delco Rose Hoagies<\/b><\/a> in Highland Park<\/a>. It\u2019s the most legit Philadelphia hoagie \u2014 I\u2019m from Philly \u2014 and it brings me joy. They use really good products, and you don\u2019t feel gross afterwards. Josh Agran, the owner, is great. I order the Classic Italian with prosciutto, ham, salami and provolone. There\u2019s like three different styles, but when it comes to pizza and hoagies, I\u2019m very simple. Right now, my whole life is about harnessing these feelings of joy. That\u2019s what I tried to do with my book \u201cSteak House.\u201d<\/p>\n Noon: Hit Serpentine, snack along Taco Row <\/b><\/p>\n After that, I usually go to my studio Serpentine<\/b><\/a> in Boyle Heights<\/a>. We are taking appointments now and are very excited. Some of my plants are ones that we have grown here; others are like art, and I don\u2019t want to sell them. I have a crew of six gardening teams, and we collaborate on some epic things like the landscaping at Loreto<\/b><\/a> restaurant in Frogtown<\/a>, another place I like to go on the weekends. My studio is near Taco Row<\/b><\/a>, and when friends are in town, I take them to Tacos y Birria La Unica<\/b><\/a> as their consom\u00e9 is very special. Mariscos Jalisco<\/b><\/a> is the love of my life. And Los Originales Tacos Arabes<\/b><\/a> is a really interesting mix of Middle Eastern and Mexican food combined.<\/p>\n 2 p.m.: Stroll through Chinatown and shop for cookbooks<\/b><\/p>\n I love independent bookstores<\/a> like Now Serving<\/b><\/a>, which is devoted entirely to cookbooks. Skylight Books <\/b><\/a>in Los Feliz<\/a> is great too, but Chinatown<\/b><\/a> is one of my favorite places to walk around. I went and signed my books at Now Serving. You can pick up an autographed copy there now.<\/p>\n 6 p.m.: Sichuan-Vietnamese dinner in Alhambra<\/b><\/p>\n Because my weekends often take me east to nurseries, rock yards and quarries, I usually end up at Boston Lobster<\/b><\/a>, my favorite place to eat dinner in Alhambra. It\u2019s a particular kind of Sichuan-Vietnamese combination that, to me, may be the best thing ever. They do all the classics like beef with Chinese broccoli and Kung Pao shrimp, which have red Sichuan chiles that will make your mouth numb. It\u2019s casual and not fancy but delicious; the quality of food is unbelievable. I order French-style beef cubes, which are chunks of meat seasoned with spices like allspice and other ingredients you would find in French food with a Vietnamese influence. There\u2019s also crispy shrimp, which is a stir-fried shrimp dish with sweet chili sauce. I\u2019m a wine guy,<\/a> so we\u2019d pair it with a German Riesling. I\u2019d probably bring my own wine and bring stems along. I try not to be as freakish as I used to be \u2014 I used to bring a cooler with me. But drinking wine from nice glasses is like pairing plants with the right vessel.<\/p>\n 8 p.m.: Relax with a martini in the hot tub<\/b><\/p>\n I always end the night the same way: I get in the hot tub and pour myself a martini. I have two cats and I enjoy hanging out with them. After that, I would go out or stay in. Lately, I\u2019ve been staying in because I\u2019ve been busy with my book. It\u2019s a simple but gorgeous way to end my day.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n
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