Some fun between a career, family

Tammy Lynn Michaels, costar of the new NBC sitcom “Committed,” knows a thing or two about commitment away from the set too. On Sept. 20, 2003, Michaels and Grammy-winning singer Melissa Etheridge formalized a two-year-plus relationship with a ceremony in L.A., and the two have been sharing life in the Valley ever since with their two children (famously by way of Julie Cypher, Etheridge’s former partner, and rock legend David Crosby). Michaels, 30, says the show is keeping her too busy to do much career planning. But she had no problem figuring out how to fill a weekend for two.

Table with a view

On Friday night, we’d go out to Gladstone’s in Malibu, just in time to watch the sunset. I’d get a table by the window, and outside the tide would be going and the seagulls would be going. We’d probably order some fancy, fruity drink -- a Patron mango margarita with two straws. I’ll order the lobster with melted butter on the side. I’m from Indiana, so to me, all you need is melted butter in your life.

Melissa likes her barbecued chicken, and we would have the delicious and warm chocolate cake. It’s all about the warmth. After that, if this was a fantasy weekend, we’d get in the car and head for West Hollywood to a bar that was called Felt before it closed. That’s where we met. It’s basically a boy bar that welcomes girls. We’d have a drink, and if some fun people at the bar suggested a dance place, we’d go there. Otherwise it would be home for us.

We’d get up about 8:30 or 9 and feed the two cats and two dogs. Then we’d jump in the shower, throw on some sweats and take our Vespa motorcycles to Quality, a yummy diner on 3rd Street in Hollywood that has great biscuits and gravy.

The Vespas have trunks on the back, so after breakfast, we’d go shopping. We’d head to the Denim Doctor in Hollywood and then to Santa Monica and hit the Only Hearts lingerie store. Or maybe a store called Subtle Tones that has cashmere to die for. Then we’d go home and unload all our stuff and maybe order in dinner from a nice sushi place. Sushi Roku rocks. We’d order the spicy tuna hand roll and spicy tuna cut. We’d probably then rent a movie. We love to watch really good stand-up, so maybe we’d get a Chris Rock video.

Healthy pancakes

On Sunday morning, we’d get up and go to a tiny place in Brentwood called A Votre Sante, a really healthy restaurant on San Vicente that has eggs and pancakes that are so delicious. I’d get a stack of blueberry or banana, or maybe we’d get one of each and share.

After breakfast, we’d drive to Venice to a shop called Bountiful. Oh dear God, that store is an absolute piece of art -- incredible furnishings for the home. It’s a huge warehouse; we can spend hours. We got our bed there, and it’s got things like incredible soaps, incense and candelabras, all the way up to $50,000 church altars. Then we might swing by Theodore in Calabasas. I always find great deals there.

We’d get home just in time to take a walk through our neighborhood. That’s my favorite part of the weekend, when I get my wife all to myself.

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-- Mark Sachs