Taye Diggs is tired of getting dressed up and leaving the house for a date.
“Lately, because I’m old and tired, I like to order in,” Diggs, 54, says of his ideal first date for his My Life in Food feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “I don’t have the energy to get dressed up and go out. If I can bring someone over and order food in and watch TV or watch a movie, that’s where my head is now.”
The actor adds: “Which is really great about Chili’s because I had no idea that me and myself would have such a great time just grabbing up.”
Diggs is referring to I’ll Be Home for National Margarita Day, a Chili’s television event on Lifetime costarring Maria Menuounos that premiered on February 19.
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“I just had a ball playing this role opposite Maria,” Diggs told Us of the campaign, which is a comedic Chili’s-themed take on classic Lifetime holiday movie archetypes. “Romantic comedies are my favorite when it comes to what I do. It was something that I loved and that I can’t wait to do again.”
And of course, the Chili’s food sweetened the deal: “Me and my son brought a bunch of grub back to the crib and we tore it up. … The fact that he loved all the Chili’s food that we got and didn’t interrupt our time together was huge for me,” he added.
Keep scrolling for more fun food stories from Diggs:
What snack are you obsessed with?
I like chips. I like things with cheese and dips. Fried mozzarella is always great. If it’s in the evening, an adult beverage is always nice, whether it’s a margarita or something like that. I’m not that fancy. I like something that’s pretty easy, but that settles the rumblings of the stomach.
What would be your last meal on Earth?
Fried mozzarella. There’s just something about cheese that just kind of warms you up. Fried mozzarella and a margarita with some really good company.
Growing up, was there a special dinner that your parents would make you for special occasions that you absolutely loved?
There was always some kind of a chicken. Chicken Sunday, chicken salad, that’s what I remember. We had a big family, so there was always lots of chicken for the holiday meals.
[My mom and dad] would compete. They both had different strengths. My mom would do the every day [meals], and on special occasions, my dad would get in there and that would always be a little something extra. Things would be a little bit more spicy.
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What do you like to order on a first date?
Lately, because I’m older and tired, I like to order in. I don’t have the energy to get dressed up and go out. If I can bring someone over and order food in and watch TV or watch a movie, that’s where my head is now.
Would you say you’re a good cook?
Absolutely not. But I would like to. I wish I did because it would give me great pride to be able to say that I cooked for my son. But I’m gonna try to figure that out. I enjoy ordering in, but I would like to learn. In this next year, I would like to be able to cook my kid a really good meal.
Is there a comfort food you love to eat when no one is watching?
I [recently] woke up in the middle of the night and was just tearing up this cheesecake. I was not proud of that, but there you go.
With reporting by Mike Vulpo
