He has 3 boys, so sports is a running theme

ON NBC’s hit series “Heroes,” Greg Grunberg plays a cop on the beat who doesn’t just read the bad guys their rights, he can read their thoughts. The married father of three boys is on the beat in real life too, as drummer for Band From TV, a charity group that features, among others, Hugh Laurie (“House”), James Denton (“Desperate Housewives”) and Bob Guiney (“The Bachelor”).

First, there’s bowling

Well, Friday night for us is going to the Pizza Cookery in Woodland Hills. This is an absolute staple in the West Valley. I went to the one in Encino when I was a kid, and now I’m taking my own kids. An old-time pizza restaurant with sawdust on the floor and high booths, and you can watch the guys make the pizza through the glass. You’ve got to get the meat lover’s with the thick crust, and the salad that serves about 25.

After that, we’re off to AMF Bowl on Ventura Boulevard, a classic old-school bowling alley. We love using the bumpers. The way we play, there’s a minimum of three bumps required before you hit the pins.

Soccer and then painting

We wake up on Saturday morning and it’s major cuddle time with the kids. I’m the chef in the house, so I’ll make my version of Hugo’s [a Sherman Oaks restaurant] chilaquiles. Then there’s a farmers market in Calabasas that we love for the kettle corn and fresh flowers. And there’s inevitably a soccer game to go to. Afterward, we’ll stop by Dan’s Super Subs in Woodland Hills. I’ll get the large tuna with everything and then add pepperoncinis .

I love doing art projects with my kids, so we’ll stop at the Salvation Army and I’ll buy the largest, ugliest framed painting they have. We’ll bring it home and prime-paint the entire thing, frame and all, and then the boys will Jackson Pollock the whole thing. I’ll go over the frame with glossy black paint, and by the time we’re done, it’s this giant, crazy-cool painting. We sign them, and we’ve got a couple hanging in the house.

In the evening, it’s date night, Grunny-style. The kids stay home, and Elizabeth and I will go out to a tiny hole-in-the-wall French place called Brandywine. It’s basically located under a billboard, but it’s fantastic. I’d go with the lamb chops and then let them dictate the rest of your dining experience. It’s got tiny booths with curtains you can close for privacy. Then we’d head to Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, where they feature our favorite artist, Eric Joyner. He paints robots with doughnuts.

Finishing with football

On Sunday, the boys start at the front door and race down the driveway to see who gets the Sunday paper. We have hammocks in the backyard, so we’ll spend some time just reading and relaxing. Then we’ll go out to breakfast at Label’s Table in Woodland Hills. We’ll order cinnamon French toast and a Leo’s scramble from Pam, an actress-waitress who is just great. We’ll go there just for her.

Then we’re off for band rehearsal, and the whole family goes. Sometimes it’s at our house. We’ve got a CD/DVD coming out called “Hoggin’ All the Covers.”

My wife might do a little shopping at the Commons in Calabasas, a shop called Siany, for women’s accessories and handbags. If we can squeeze in a hike we’ll go to Castle Peak, at Vanowen and Valley Circle. The kids will stop halfway with Elizabeth, but I’ll try to get to the top. You can see everything from up there. You’re on top of the world.

Later on, we’ll finish off the day by ordering in food from Yang Chow and watch “Sunday Night Football.”