My Favorite Weekend: Lauren Holly
A little wine, a little oatmeal and a huge water fight
By Mark Sachs / Lauren Holly
She was a daughter on "All My Children," a savvy siren in "Dumb and Dumber" and had a yearning for Mel Gibson in "What Women Want." But four years ago, Lauren Holly left the L.A.-N.Y. grind and moved to suburban Chicago with investment banker-husband Francis Greco and their three small boys.
Photo by: Micah Smith, Winston West
"After wrapping up a long Friday at work,
I'd go straight to the Valencia Wine Co.,
which is a fantastic wine bar and shop."
- Lauren Holly
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Then CBS called, offering a choice role on the hit series "NCIS." So Holly and Hollywood reunited, or more precisely, Valencia, where the clan now lives.
A bit of Europe
After wrapping up a long Friday at work, I'd go straight to the Valencia Wine Co., which is a fantastic wine bar and shop. It's a great place to go with cast mates, and directors like it too. We'll get a big plate of salami, roasted peppers and assorted cheeses and a nice bottle of wine. The bottles range in price from about $10 to $2,000. We sit outside and it's just great. Sometimes they have live music, and you feel like you're in Paris or Vienna. And the nice thing is I can just walk home from there.
Laid back
On Saturday morning, I scoop up the family and take them to a breakfast place I like in Hollywood called Toast. They have comfy couches and great big goblets of excellent coffee and lattes, and they don't seem to mind if kids are a little messy. I order good old-fashioned oatmeal, with brown sugar and raisins and cream.
I'll take the kids to Tom's Toys in Beverly Hills, which is great because it has everything without that big corporate feel. And they're nice about letting the kids play with the toys.
After that on my ideal weekend, the kids would magically disappear for a while, and I'd go to a really nice lunch with my husband at the Ivy on Robertson. It would be fun to just drink gimlets and talk, although I do like the meatloaf there, and the Key lime pie. After lunch, we'd go to Shutters in Santa Monica and get a massage in a cabana on the beach. Nice and breezy, still a little private, with a glass of champagne. Then we'd go off on kayaks at sunset for a ride around Marina del Rey, where it's nice and calm and not too strenuous. At night, the kids would be back with us at the hotel room, and we'd all be in our matching hotel robes and order dinner from the kids' menu - mac and cheese and PB&Js all around, and then we'd all crash out.
The great outdoors
On Sunday morning, we'll hop in the car and head over to our friends' house in Agoura Hills. We'd have breakfast outside and enjoy the view.
Then we'll go to Oak Canyon Park, which has rolling green lawns, a playground and a great trail for exploring. There's also this particular water fountain that always ends up being the center of the huge water fight. We always leave with the kids wet and naked in the back seat.
Later, we might go to Malibu Country Mart, where there is a park where the kids play while I shop. There's also an Italian restaurant, Tra Di Noi, where you can order from a window and eat outside or go in for a fancier experience. I'd also go horseback riding at Will Rogers State Park. Then we'd come home, order in pizza and that would be it.
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My Favorite Weekend: Lauren Holly
"After wrapping up a long Friday at work, I'd go straight to the Valencia Wine Co., which is a fantastic wine bar and shop."
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