Wherever “Smash” star Megan Hilty goes, the phrase “blond bombshell” tends to follow. The Upper West Sider — who’s taking time off from Broadway’s “Noises Off” to sing love songs this Valentine’s weekend with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra — tells BARBARA HOFFMAN where she and hubby Brian Gallagher find romance.
“With the baby [Viola, 16 months], our times together are fewer and farther between, so we have standing day-dates where we don’t have anything planned — we just go for walks by ourselves. We like to go to Levain Bakery, get one chocolate chip cookie each [below] and walk around Central Park. There’s a pond up in the 90s where we like to walk around with our Jack Russell terrier, Harley.
“We love the store Olde Good Things on the Upper West Side. They refurbish antique furniture, and we love picking out things for our home. Before Brian, everything I had was cheap and disposable. I always thought I’d have to pick up quickly and move. So shopping for furniture together means a lot.
“We met in a bar in Midtown called Lillie’s, on West 49th Street, and we always spend our anniversary there — we rented out the bar for our wedding reception. I think it’s run by a couple of Irishmen, and it feels really homey, the décor’s European and inviting and the food’s really great. We also like Yerba Buena, in the West Village, where everything’s organic, and the drinks are amazing. We were drinking sangria at brunch there when we decided to move in together!
“Probably the most romantic date we go on is to Bemelmans Bar, at the Carlyle Hotel. They always have live music on Sunday nights — our friends Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso do shows there. It’s a really sexy, old-timey New York place. We were there the night before I went into labor. The baby came a little early, and we blame it on Bemelmans!”