‘The O.C.’: Her stamping ground

Everyone knows Orange County is the sin ‘n’ surf capital of the world -- or at least everyone who tunes in regularly to Fox’s “The O.C.,” which opens its third season at 8 tonight. Yet for series star Melinda Clarke, being born and bred in Dana Point offered her quite a different perspective. Her father, longtime “Days of Our Lives” actor John Clarke, moved the family south mainly to escape the smog. But in the process they all learned to love the area.

Although Melinda makes her home in Sherman Oaks now with husband Ernie Mirich and 5-year-old daughter Catherine Grace, the family rented a place in Laguna Beach in July, in part to reconnect with Clarke’s O.C. roots. “My character, Julie Cooper, would have gone in for some of the same indulgences I did,” Clarke said, “but she would have done it in high heels, makeup and a lot of bling.”

Tasting menu

My husband and I sometimes like to have a date night on weekends, so on Friday we’d go to my new favorite place for dinner, a French restaurant on 3rd Street in L.A. called Ortolan. My friend Jeri Ryan, who is a guest star on our show, owns it. We’d probably have the nine-course tasting menu, which is a great way to try a lot of what they do best. It’s not just fine-dining there, it’s art.

After that, I was never much into the nightclub scene, but I can be talked into going dancing. And I still think that the Sky Bar at the Mondrian has the best view around, and the Spider Club and the pool area at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel are great too.

But more than anything, I like bringing friends back home to our house for conversation and another glass of wine.

A slice of sand

On Saturday I’d like to be at the small cottage we rented this summer. It’s right off the main beach in Laguna, and we could walk to the Cottage restaurant in the morning for pancakes. I try to be strict about my diet, but sometimes you have to indulge. Afterward I’d pack a bag for us and stay at the beach all day. I’m not one of those wimps who won’t go in the water; I like getting out there.

Then if we need lunch, there’s Johnny Rockets or the Zinc Cafe, and there are shops for taffy and Haagen-Dazs. It feels like the beach there hasn’t changed since I was a kid, and my daughter always makes a friend there. At night we’d go to Pageant of the Masters. It’s an absolutely unique piece of theater, and it seems as if each year it has gotten better.

Pampering herself

On Sunday, if we’re back home, we try to be good parents and get to church, but we usually spend so much time in the morning over breakfast and reading the newspaper that we end up going to the 5 p.m. Mass.

My husband likes to take our daughter to CityWalk at Universal City, but I think places like that and amusement parks should only be done after September and before June, and even then only during the week because of the crowds.

If it was up to me, I’d spend the day at the Montage resort back in Laguna. I brought some girlfriends down there with me for my birthday and we stayed out by the pool, had massages and the whole bit. They also have an amazing restaurant there called the Studio, with chef James Boyce. If I had a choice of going to the Caribbean or the Montage, I’d pick the Montage.

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-- Mark Sachs