Although actor and comedian Joel McHale has lived in Los Angeles for almost a quarter of a century, he is quick to point out that Sunday rest here is a rarity. “I don't think I've had a quiet Sunday in Los Angeles since February,” he said during an interview in mid-December. “I was gone probably eight months a year. [for work]and I'm always flying from one place to another.” (His comedy “Animal Control,” which began airing its third season on Fox on Thursday, was filmed primarily in and around Vancouver, British Columbia.)
In Sunday Funday, the people of Los Angeles tell us step by step their ideal Sunday in the city. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
McHale poses this as a way of emphasizing that the ideal Sunday itinerary he is about to outline relies heavily on the ideal part; It's an ambitious list of potential things to do and places to eat across the South that could easily fill a month of Sundays, and none that he's actually orchestrated. Given his busy schedule, you probably won't see him in Los Angeles (or Studio City, where he currently lives with his wife, Sarah, and their two sons, Isaac and Eddie) anytime soon. But you can find him fighting bugs (and co-workers) every week in “Animal Control” (which he also executive produces), presenting the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films' annual Saturn Awards on February 2. and eventually (though not immediately) reprising the role of Jeff Winger in the film version of “Community.” (Yes, it's going to happen,” McHale said. “We have the money and Peacock wants it, but we haven't started filming.”)
For the record:
3:27 pm January 6, 2025A previous version of this story said the Saturn Awards will take place on February 5. They will take place on February 2.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
10am: Play some tennis.
If this is really my ideal On Sunday I would get up and hopefully play tennis with my wife, son and friend Bill Hanson for a couple of hours. Tennis is the latest form of sport, a competitive sport, that I can play where I can move a lot and not collide with a person. I used to play in soccer and basketball leagues and [play] baseball and all that, and then I kept seeing all my friends break their knees and break their faces, and I was like, “I can't do it anymore.”
Noon: Look for food at the farmers market.
Then I would ride an electric bike to the Studio City Farmers Market – I have this super73 Riding a bicycle with shopping bags on either side, I bought fresh pasta, pickles, meat, fish, tomatoes and really good ice cream. That's very vague, but I don't know the names of the specific vendors.
1:00 p.m.: Cast a wide net for lunch
For lunch maybe we would head near USC to la paloma market to a place called Holboxthat just got a Michelin star. It's just amazing [with] wonderful fresh fish. In that same market [ I’d get the] tacos in komalwhich has some really cool tortillas.
Before that, we could go to Bakery on trial in Atwater Village, which I think has some of the best croissants in the entire country. EITHER Sainta cafe in Moorpark [Street] in studio city [for] a cut “Cut” doesn’t make any sense; coffee names are [generally] everything mixed up now, [and] most of them are in Italian. [But the word] Cortado is Spanish, and in Italy, the Cortado is called Cuarto, but here no one calls it Cuarto. And then the British started calling everything… flat white, and then the Australians started calling their cappuccinos “Gibraltars.” It's all very Paul Rudd. [in that scene from “Role Models.”]
Maybe I'd buy a pie at Curtis Stone's. cake room in Beverly Hills because I do “Crime Scene Kitchen” with Curtis, and his cakes are… amazing. Their rabbit cake is one of the best things. It's so fucking good. [Even though Pie Room is usually closed on Sundays] He would open it for me so my Sunday would be perfect!
Or let's say I'm going too far; There is a taco place in Muscoy called Goat and Machito Tacos El Lagunero. It's in the Inland Empire, so you have to exit on the 210. [Freeway]. They roast a goat every weekend, have pictures to prove it, and always publish them. They say: “The goat is ON!” and it's great.
3 pm Run through the river.
I like to run through it Los Angeles River, and there are certain sections between Laurel Canyon [Boulevard] and cold water [Canyon Avenue] where there is actually a beautiful trail. Sure, you might have to fight a couple of people, but whatever, it's Los Angeles and it's great!
4 pm Visit lost and found
You could visit a store called Lost and found in cassava [Street] If I'm going to get something for my wife. They always have weird and wonderful things that she would like. I think that was the first place I smelled burning palo santo and thought, “I'm going to buy it!” The last thing I bought there was actually a backpack for myself, like I was on campus all the time, right?
5 pm Log some parent leave hours
[Isaac,] My 16-year-old son just got his driver's license, so we will be driving everywhere; My right foot will be stomping on the [floor of the car] As I sit there, he always says, “Calm down, Dad, calm down. Everything will be fine.” He has much better reflexes than me.
6 pm: Relax at a wine bar.
After my son drove me around, we would return home and he would probably do some homework and maybe I would go to a wine bar with my friend Geoff Johns, the creator of [the] “Star Girl” [TV series] It was on. my favorite is Agustin Wine Bar on Ventura Boulevard. They burned down about a year and a half ago and are now almost ready to reopen. They're lovely people and they do something really cool: they open something like a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from 1976 and [offer it] by the glass, so you can buy these crazy glasses without having to buy them whole [bottle].
7:30 pm Dinner at n/naka or head straight to Baroo
[Dinner might be at] n/nakawhich is one of our favorite Japanese places. we know [chef] Niki, who founded the place with his wife, when he had a small place on Melrose and La Brea. [avenues]. Or the Mina Park restaurant, baroo. She's great and has quite the character, and talks as much as I do, which is saying a lot.
9 p.m.: Savor “Shadows”
My 16 year old son may want to play tennis again, so he will either play tennis with him late at night or watch [FX Network’s] “What we do in the shadows” with my 19 year old son. We are very sad that the show is over. We talk about it, we analyze it, [discuss it] like a good whiskey. It is simply a masterpiece.
11:00 p.m.: another court date
We could go to the tennis court again, or shoot some basketball.
1am: Some early morning horror
I guess that's how my Sunday is starts; My 16-year-old son will come home from hanging out with friends and we'll start watching a horror movie. The last one we saw was called “Stop in motion.”
4: I am: “The Blade” before going to sleep
I will sleep for six to seven hours, depending on my red wine consumption. [and end my night by] scrolling through Instagram, watching some more TV (I recently watched “Anatomy of lies” which is a documentary about a “Grey's Anatomy” writer and it's crazy, or listen to an audiobook. I'm listening again “The Sword Itself” by Joe Abercrombie. He is a genius. And with Audible you can set it to turn off. [after awhile] so you can fall asleep.
