HOW TO HAVE THE BEST SUNDAY IN L.A., ACCORDING TO ERIC WAREHEIM

THERE WILL BE NURSERY HOPPING, HOAGIES AND A SPICY SICHUAN-VIETNAMESE DINNER IN ALHAMBRA

- LISA BOONE

Illustrations by LINDSEY MADE THIS; photograph by MARCUS NILSSON

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 Grill 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.