MY DAY OFF

Jeanne Tripplehorn Hits Up Los Angeles' Knitting Shops on Her Day Off

The ‘Terminal List’ and ‘Gilded Age’ actress also loves an afternoon cocktail at El Compadre.

By Esther Zuckerman and Jeanne Tripplehorn

Published on 9/1/2022 at 11:05 AM

Jeanne Tripplehorn | Photo by Ryan Pfluger

From Basic Instinct to Big Love, Jeanne Tripplehorn has consistently been one of the most thrilling actresses in film and television. These days, fresh off a stint on HBO's The Gilded Age, she stars in the Amazon Prime thriller The Terminal List. When she's not working, she's an avid knitter who enjoys a bagel in the morning, a margarita in the afternoon, and ramen at night—with some stops at a beloved bookstore and a no-frills arcade along the way. Her ideal day off might also include a drive or a sojourn to the mall.

My husband and son found Courage Bagels during COVID. I'm sure they heard about it on Instagram or whatnot. They will go pick up the bagels and bring them home. They're so good. I think I had some last weekend, and honestly I didn't even make it to the condiment part. They just brought home a big thing and it had all the seeds on it.

The Beverly Center is one of my happy places. Mostly, I have to tell you, I only really go when I miss home. I'm from Tulsa, Oklahoma—the Midwest, the land of the malls. So it's this odd place that, when I get homesick, I'll just walk around the mall, and people think I'm crazy. It just makes me feel at home, and they've had this whole new face-lift. And so it's great in there, and it's really kind of quiet now. People don't go to the malls anymore. It's weird. But then within that, my Breakfast at Tiffany's is looking in the window at Apple. When my son was born, I would put him in the stroller and we would just cruise around the Beverly Center.

Run It Thru The Garden Bagel | Photo by Stan Lee for Thrillist | Photo by Stan Lee for Thrillist

Courage Bagels | Photo by Stan Lee for Thrillist

Run It Thru The Garden Bagel | Photo by Stan Lee for Thrillist

"It's just happy, and they want to help and they love people. And they're fully stocked."

I've always knitted here and there, but everything went into overdrive during COVID. Usually I have a project. I've got other girlfriends who knit, so they have their favorite spots and one of them is Wollhaus. We spent a lovely afternoon there in Pasadena. I'm closest to The Little Knittery. It's sort of a little feminist landmark because the owner is the woman who designed the pink pussy hats. I just did The Terminal List, and one of the people that worked in the wardrobe department told me about The Knitting Tree. Knitters are the greatest people.

I went into Blue Rooster Art Supplies, and when you go into these places, it's so helpful to have people who are friendly. I was doing this online course. The guy who started it is an artist himself. The vibe is great. For sewing, I go to International Silk and Woolens. I love their notions department in the back, where you get buttons. I just recently went to one of those chains where they have a million stores across the country. I was looking for some fabric, and I was just lost and nobody was there to help me. It was just like, "I have to go back to International." It's just happy, and they want to help and they love people. And they're fully stocked.

The Little Knittery | Photo by Stan Lee for Thrillist

"You get into these great conversations with their employees because they're so passionate about what they're reading and they want to help you."

I've been going to El Compadre for decades. It's where you go. It's right up there with all the classic LA restaurants. I love an old-school Mexican restaurant with the red leather booths, and it's really dark. I think they might have an outdoor patio—not interested. I always go for a booth. They know my name. I went yesterday afternoon. There's nothing better. It's kind of like going into the movies in the afternoon. It's actually my favorite time to go. I've gone there after big events in my life, and it's just like, "Meet me at El Compadre." I went around 2:30 yesterday. It was sweltering hot. You walk in, and it's cool and it's dark. I got a drink with a flame on it, the house margarita. Like, how can you not be happy after that? And then I walked out, it was like, "Ms. Tripplehorn, see you later, come back."

I've been going to Book Soup since I moved here in the '90s. They have great book recommendations. Their staff is so helpful. I never go in and leave with less than 10 books. At one point my family just said, "You have to stop," because books were starting to pile up. You get into these great conversations with their employees because they're so passionate about what they're reading and they want to help you.

Vegetable Ramen at Ken's Ramen | Photo by Stan Lee for Thrillist

"There's no frills. You go in, you get your cup of coins, and you go to town. My favorite, I'll just tell you, I love Defender."

I come from Oklahoma, so it's a driving culture. I do road trips. I love to drive. In Joan Didion's Play It as It Lays, she would cruise the highways, and you don't cruise the highways anymore. You're just going to sit in traffic. So I do Mulholland Drive and the canyons and Sunset Boulevard. I would just kind of go on this loop. I would stop in at the Laurel Canyon Country Store going down Laurel Canyon. That's where I taught my son to drive.

The Family Arcade—I am going to give them a shout-out because it's the greatest secret. We, as a family, will go to Family Arcade, and I'm so glad they survived COVID. It's straight-up video games. It's no-nonsense. There's no frills. You go in, you get your cup of coins, and you go to town. My favorite, I'll just tell you, I love Defender.

I'm pretty plant-based these days, so I'm not into the beefy and the chicken-y ramens. It's a gift to be able to make a good veggie ramen, and it's seamless at Ken's Ramen. It's as good as the broths using animal. It's so good. It's always full usually later at night, but it's hands down the best ramen.