In “Steak House: The People, The Places, The Recipes,” comedian, director and author Eric Wareheim takes us on a captivating cross-country road trip, spotlighting the enduring charm of American steak houses, including L.A.’s iconic Musso & Frank and Taylor’s Steak House.
“It’s about nostalgia,” says Wareheim, who is probably best known as the co-creator of the TV series “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” “The people and atmosphere are what make you feel so good.”
But more than red booth restaurants and Steak Diane lift Wareheim’s spirits.
“Gardening has changed me into this new version of myself,” he says. “For me, it’s about peace and a deeper journey. Planting has tweaked something in my brain so that I can see things differently.”
A self-proclaimed “nursery hunter,” Wareheim has traversed California in his truck, connecting with growers along the way. His latest venture, the plant studio Serpentine, showcases his love of plants and gardening. “We’ve created an oasis in a huge parking lot in Boyle Heights, and it looks like a botanical garden in Australia,” he says. “It’s pretty extreme. I worked for six months to get two enormous bottle trees here.”
Not surprisingly, a perfect Sunday for Wareheim involves shopping for plants and perusing rock yards and quarries, though he won’t divulge exactly where. “You’re building life every day,” he says of gardening.
And although he’s been known to hit Taco Bell when he’s on the road (“My order is always the same: a bean burrito with onions and sour cream and Doritos Locos Tacos”), when he’s in L.A., he prefers the shrimp aguachile at Loreto in Elysian Valley (a.k.a. Frogtown) or a birria-stuffed burrito from Burritos La Palma in Boyle Heights.
Here is what his ideal Sunday in L.A. would look like.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
5 a.m.: Enjoy coffee and sunrise in the garden
On a perfect Sunday, I would wake up at 5 a.m., make myself some La Colombe coffee, and wander through my garden, which could be my grand masterpiece. I’ve 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’m at peace. No one is calling me, and I turn off my phone. As part of my morning routine, I listen to Nala Sinephro’s album “Space 1.8” 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’s 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’re like ‘What?’
9 a.m.: Nursery hopping in Pasadena
After I wake up, have coffee and walk around my garden, I feel inspired, so I go to Blvd Nursery in Pasadena. Sometimes I don’t even shop. Simply walking through a nursery is a beautiful thing. It’s on the way to Lincoln Avenue Nursery, the OG of nurseries in Pasadena. But Blvd has more artistic, sculptural specimens. It’s a good bang-bang to hit both. When I first started, I shopped at the Tropics 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. The journey is a huge part of it.
11 a.m.: Hungry for a hoagie
After that, I would get hungry for a hoagie. Lately, I’ve been hitting Delco Rose Hoagies in Highland Park. It’s the most legit Philadelphia hoagie — I’m from Philly — and it brings me joy. They use really good products, and you don’t feel gross afterwards. Josh Agran, the owner, is great. I order the Classic Italian with prosciutto, ham, salami and provolone. There’s like three different styles, but when it comes to pizza and hoagies, I’m very simple. Right now, my whole life is about harnessing these feelings of joy. That’s what I tried to do with my book “Steak House.”
Noon: Hit Serpentine, snack along Taco Row
After that, I usually go to my studio Serpentine in Boyle Heights. 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’t want to sell them. I have a crew of six gardening teams, and we collaborate on some epic things like the landscaping at Loreto restaurant in Frogtown, another place I like to go on the weekends. My studio is near Taco Row, and when friends are in town, I take them to Tacos y Birria La Unica as their consomé is very special. Mariscos Jalisco is the love of my life. And Los Originales Tacos Arabes is a really interesting mix of Middle Eastern and Mexican food combined.
2 p.m.: Stroll through Chinatown and shop for cookbooks
I love independent bookstores like Now Serving, which is devoted entirely to cookbooks. Skylight Books in Los Feliz is great too, but Chinatown 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.
6 p.m.: Sichuan-Vietnamese dinner in Alhambra
Because my weekends often take me east to nurseries, rock yards and quarries, I usually end up at Boston Lobster, my favorite place to eat dinner in Alhambra. It’s 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’s 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’s also crispy shrimp, which is a stir-fried shrimp dish with sweet chili sauce. I’m a wine guy, so we’d pair it with a German Riesling. I’d probably bring my own wine and bring stems along. I try not to be as freakish as I used to be — I used to bring a cooler with me. But drinking wine from nice glasses is like pairing plants with the right vessel.
8 p.m.: Relax with a martini in the hot tub
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’ve been staying in because I’ve been busy with my book. It’s a simple but gorgeous way to end my day.
The post How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Eric Wareheim appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
