Ready? OK! Let’s go get grub
To say Carrie Preston steals the top 10 movie “Duplicity” from costars Julia Roberts and Clive Owen might be a bit of a stretch -- but then again maybe not. Critics have singled her out for acclaim, and she admits it’s taken her aback.
“It’s been pretty overwhelming, because I only have a couple of scenes in the film,” says the actress, who’s married to “Lost’s” Michael Emerson. “I knew it was a good role for me, but I’ve felt that way many times and ended up having the scenes cut.”
Preston returns to the HBO series “True Blood” in June (a DVD set of the first season arrives in stores next month). And her film “That Evening Sun” just won the audience award at SXSW. Want more? “Ready? OK!,” a movie she produced and stars in with hubby Michael, came out on DVD this week.
Whew! Take a weekend off, Carrie. . . .
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Reunited in L.A.
Michael and I spend a lot of time apart because he’s in Hawaii with “Lost” and I’m in L.A., so on a special Friday night dinner together, we’d go to Sona on La Cienega. It’s very elegant. We went there for our 10th wedding anniversary and it was the best meal I’ve ever had. There are several courses and they have great wine pairings. But next time, we’re going to split the pairings because they were very generous. The food was gorgeous, the presentation was stellar and the atmosphere was very quiet and discreet.
After that, we might meet friends for drinks at the Saint Felix. It has an upbeat energy, but it’s not crazy like some of the places on Santa Monica. And we like to walk around the neighborhood, because it reminds us of New York. And you can certainly see some interesting people on Santa Monica Boulevard. It’s fun.
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Grabbing some grub
On Saturday morning, we’d have brunch at Grub in Hollywood. It’s in a house, so it’s really homey, and they have great outdoor seating. And instead of bringing you bread when you sit down, you get dried kids’ cereal, like Lucky Charms. It’s really cute and fun. And the food is great, omelets and egg scrambles, generous portions and really delicious.
Then we’d head to Malibu to hike for a few hours in Point Mugu State Park, come home, take a nap and later get cleaned up for dinner at Palate in Glendale. Wonderfully sophisticated small plates, sort of Mediterranean and very nuanced, and an amazing selection of cheese. One of the dining rooms has a communal feel to it, and the other is more white-tablecloth elegance.
After that, we’d head for downtown L.A., which we love, and stop off at the HMS Bounty -- red-leather booths and fascinating people. It’s across the street from where the Ambassador used to be. We also like the Biltmore lobby bar. We just stare at the decorative ceiling and the cool ambience.
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Spoon-feeding
On Sunday, we might go to the Silver Spoon in West Hollywood. Old-school L.A., hipsters sit outside and neighbors of the past 50 years on the inside. I’d get the scramble with spinach, ground beef and potatoes. It’s like your average greasy spoon, but one level up. After that, since we just got a little house in West Hollywood in January, we’d probably go shopping at the flea market at Melrose and Fairfax. Then we’d go to Shanghai Tien on La Brea, which has a Chinese Modern twist on old Asian antiques. Right up from there is Designers Views, which is a huge place that’s like a labyrinth inside. Mosaic tables, Buddhas, all this stuff. And we also like this place called Furthur in Silver Lake -- more amazing mosaic tables and inlaid furniture.
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Taste of the good life
In the evening, we’d go to Taste on Melrose for their Sunday Good Neighbor Night prix fixe dinner. It’s upscale American comfort food, but they’ll throw in samosas or an Italian dish. Then we’d see if our theater friends like Kate Rigg are doing something at Akbar; Slanty Eyed Mama is her band. The Echo Theater Company and Circle X Theatre Company are favorites.
Then we’ll meet friends from the show at our current fave local dive, the White Horse Inn on Western. Funky, and the bartender has clearly been there a long time. They serve hot dogs. There are red lights. What else do you need?
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