Zachary Knighton, best known for his role as Dave Rose in the beloved ABC series Happy Endings, is getting a fresh start. Tomorrow, the actor returns in the brand-new sitcom Weird Loners, a Fox comedy that follows four people living in a Queens townhouse. Knighton plays Stosh Lewandowski, a womanizer who’s hit rock bottom after losing his job and apartment. “It was interesting to play a character that isn’t such a great person and has to rebuild his life,” he says. “Coming from Happy Endings, I wanted to make sure it was going to be a funny show, and I think I chose very well.” While the show takes place in New York City, Knighton calls Topanga Canyon home. Here, the local shares some of his favorite spots in Malibu.
On the set of Weird Loners
Best place to have a cocktail:
Café Habana. I love the mojito that they do there. It’s super fresh and delicious. Sometimes they’ll do a pomegranate one.
Best place to eat a steak:
I go to Vallarta Supermarket in the Valley and get their pre-marinated carne asada and cook it in the backyard of my house in Topanga Canyon.
Best outdoors spot:
Topanga actually has the largest state park that’s in a major metropolitan city in the U.S. Everyone’s house is nestled in the canyon of this amazing land. My girlfriend and I love to go hiking. There’s this place called Eagle Rock that’s really beautiful and is just around the corner of my house. There’s also the Manson family compound, the foundation of where the Manson family used to hang out. There’s a hike up to that place and it’s a really neat spot where you can see the ocean and the canyons.
Most under-the-radar place to shop:
It’s a store in Topanga called Hidden Treasures. It really is a store of the oddities. It has crazy mannequins from the ‘20s, flapper costumes and hula lamps. That’s kind of my favorite place to go if I’m searching for cool gifts or knickknacks. I bought this awesome wooden prop from an airplane that was probably built in the ‘30s.
The best people watching in Malibu:
Paradise Cove in Malibu. It’s a great place to go get clams and have an Old Fashioned. It’s a bizarre place that Malibu locals and tourist encounter.
Favorite place to relax alone:
I love El Matador State Beach. It’s a beautiful beach in Malibu and has really incredible rock formations.
Most underrated landmark in Malibu:
There’s a road called Old Topanga Canyon Road. It’s this old road that was built in the 1800s and has all these little farmhouses. There’s so much history there.
