When it comes to knowing his way around Los Angeles, actor Martin Starr is an expert. Born in Santa Monica, Starr says his family moved around the region often. ”I lived in the Valley, Hollywood, Hancock Park, and ended up in Santa Monica again when I was 15,” Starr says.
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.
Today, the actor known for his role in the HBO comedy “Silicon Valley” and films like “Knocked Up” and the “Spider-Man” franchise, lives in Miracle Mile. His latest television role is on Paramount+’s crime drama “Tulsa King,” where he plays Bodhi, a weed store owner who has become a trusted member of a mobster’s (Sylvester Stallone) crew. The show’s third season finale airs Nov. 23.
“What I love most about L.A. is the people and the friends I’ve made over the years,” Starr says. “Aside from that, L.A. has some of the best food in the world. There’s plenty of fancy, Michelin-star restaurants, but there are so many delicious, moderately-priced places in L.A., and those are my favorites.”
Starr, a foodie who co-founded the candy company Sweet Stash with musicians Ezra and Adeev Potash (The Potash Twins), says his ideal Sunday includes a walk on the beach, eating enchiladas and playing video games or reading at home.
9:30 a.m.: Sleep in, then hydrate
I’m a lazy weekend guy. I often have to wake up early for work so it’s nice to take a little time for myself on a Sunday. After we wake up, my wife (Alex Gehring, bassist of the band Ringo Deathstarr) makes coffee for herself. I start the day with a glass of water or a matcha, then we’ll probably roll to a restaurant for breakfast.
10:30 a.m.: Get some really good pancakes
One of my favorite breakfast places is John O’Groats on West Pico. They don’t just do a side of fruit. They do cantaloupe, specifically, and I’ve grown to love it. I wouldn’t have chosen cantaloupe as the fruit to go to in my morning, but it turns out cantaloupe is pretty darn good. They make their own biscuits, which are delicious. They have a variety of really good pancakes. They do a seven-grain granola pancake that I really like.
If we don’t go there, we’d go to another great breakfast spot called Met Her at a Bar. That place is really tasty. The guy who opened it met his wife at a bar. They’ve got great French toast, and they do a Thai-style fried chicken and waffles. I just love the fresh-squeezed orange juice in both places.
Noon: Take a walk with Betty White
After breakfast, we’d go on a walk with our dog and have a lazy stroll around the neighborhood. Our dog is an all-white pit bull and her name is Betty White. We’d walk up through Hancock Park. There are some really pretty houses there, and it’s nice to just walk around. I grew up in that neighborhood for a bit too. I went to Third Street [Elementary] School so I’m pretty familiar with the area.
1 p.m.: Devour enchiladas by the beach
Then we’d go down to the beach. It’s a bit of a drive, but one of my favorite restaurants is there because I spent so much of my time as a youth in Santa Monica and Venice. It’s called Cha Cha Chicken, and is by far, my favorite restaurant in L.A. It’s in Santa Monica, one block east from the water, where Pico dead ends into the beach. I’d order the jerk chicken enchiladas, which comes with a side of rice and beans, mixed together. There’s a little chopped salad that comes on the side, too, and I love the dressing. The enchiladas have a sweet and spicy combo of sauces on top that are so good. And then I get the spicy Cuban fries. I always ask for them extra crispy, and they put a little spicy salt on top. I went there so much as a kid that I became friends with the owner, Ricky Prado. He inherited the place from his parents and took over. He and I took a trip once to Florida, where he met my dad, as I’ve met his whole family because they all worked at the restaurant.
2:30 p.m.: Stroll on Santa Monica State Beach
Next, we’d go for a walk on the beach to enjoy the beauty and fresh ocean air. There’s a little road that veers off from Cha Cha Chicken, and the Marvin Braude Bike Trail is right there. The Santa Monica Pier is north of there, and going south is the shopping area of Venice Beach. You can see sidewalk shows and all the fun performers when you go.
4:30 p.m.: Post-traffic puzzles and video games
The traffic to get back home would probably be an hour. There, Alex would probably do some crossword puzzles while I read or play video games for a bit. We’d put on some jazz music in the background. Or maybe we’d just go hang out on the porch and enjoy the day. We’re lounge folk. So when we have the opportunity, we just enjoy reading and crossword puzzles. It’s a simple life. We brought the Midwest to Los Angeles. All I need is a rocking chair.
6 p.m.: Happy Hour calls
After that, we might hit Happy Hour at Uchi West Hollywood. My wife is from Austin and her favorite restaurant opened up a place in L.A., so we go there every once in a while for a nice meal. It’s Japanese, but focused on sushi. If you sit at the bar, you can get happy hour all night.
7:30 p.m.: Keep the happy hour going into dinner
We’d eat some of our favorite food. My wife loves a particular sake and I love Mitsu Mitsu, which has ritual zero proof gin, rosemary and yuzu honey. Our favorite dish is called hama chill. It’s got little slices of Mandarin orange over yellowtail fish, with a little bit of Thai chill on top, and sits in a ponzu sauce. My wife loves edamame and I don’t. But this place has the best edamame so I can’t help but enjoy it. Some of them are a bit crisp, and there’s lemon juice and salt on it. It is so tasty. They course things out so you can really take your time and enjoy everything.
9 p.m.: Dessert on and off screen
We’d probably come back home, have a little dessert and watch either “The Great British Baking Show” or “Below Deck,” a drama-packed look inside the world of private yachting. You also get a good view of the interesting people who rent these yachts, and whether they’re good tippers or not.
11 p.m.: Go to bed, after a laugh
We’d go to bed but probably stay up for an hour just talking and laughing before we actually fall asleep. That would be a perfect Sunday.
