eatchicago wrote:Well, now that we're discussing sightings that we'd like to have instead of ones that we've actually had: I'd love to have a free dinner at Alinea with John Lennon and Stanley Kubrick. Oh, and John Lennon should have a miniature Audrey Hepburn growing out of his stomach like a quatto. It would be also helpful if Audrey referred to me as "Quaid" and repeatedly asked me to "release my mind".

And then you'd all go to Venusville together for a crazy night on the town. The Last Resort Club will make you wish you had three hands!

Steve Martin, eating an ice cream sundae alone, at Dr. Jazz in Evanston.

(That was a real one, not a fantasy one.)

I live a few houses down from one of the biggest chefs here in Chicago. About a month ago his fence door was opened to his backyard and he was entertaining a group of people. It was some type of bbq that smelled so awesome (this is not a clue at all) and I saw him walking out to the front of his house as my dog stream lined it into his yard and I had to pull her back. He came up and pet her for a little bit while asking questions about her. Seemed like a real cool guy.

When I lived in NY, I ran into Trey Anastasio at this chinese place around the corner from where I lived, I actually saw him there twice, so I assumed he had a house or lived in a hotel somewhat close by. I also sat a few tables next to Batali and a huge group of family type people at his Otto restaurant. That was cool and he had his orange clogs on.

A table away from Jeffrey Steingarten at ABC Kitchen in New York in July. Remarkably, he seemed to get more food than we did.

-Will

Congressman Mark Kirk, eating dinner at Tapas Barcelona in Evanston, this past weekend.
I said hi-
he was very gracious...

I saw Daniel Drewett today at Burrito Beach.

irisarbor wrote:Congressman Mark Kirk, eating dinner at Tapas Barcelona in Evanston, this past weekend.
I said hi-
he was very gracious...

Of course he was! He has his re-election campaign to think of. Do you think he would be less than gracious to a potential supporter?
Sign me A Politics Cynic

geno55 wrote:A few years back in Champaign, a friend and I were at Steak & Shake when we spotted Roger Ebert at a table behind us, dining with a fair number of actors and actresses, the only one we were able to identify was Mario Van Peebles, who had just starred in indie biopic BAADASSSSS!

I've had many celebrity encounters over the years, many of them professionally. Those I don't normally speak of, but the one random encounter that stands out in terms of this thread is the time I was waiting to order at the Mannheim & Grand White Castle in Schiller Park and Alice Cooper was in line behind me.

Standing in line for a free gyro today, I saw Warren Buffett and, a bit behind him, the Dalai Lama. Looked like they'd both gotten there pretty early, too. Buffett held up the whole line by trying to redeem two coupons.

cilantro wrote:Standing in line for a free gyro today, I saw Warren Buffett and, a bit behind him, the Dalai Lama. Looked like they'd both gotten there pretty early, too. Buffett held up the whole line by trying to redeem two coupons.

Warren's sister and my mom went to school together!

cilantro wrote:Standing in line for a free gyro today, I saw Warren Buffett and, a bit behind him, the Dalai Lama. Looked like they'd both gotten there pretty early, too. Buffett held up the whole line by trying to redeem two coupons.

The lesson we can all learn from this is that you don't get rich (or attain enlightenment, I guess) by throwing money away on gyros.

As we were walking out through the vestibule of Maggiano's on Clark one night in roughly 1995, in walked Jerry Lewis looking mightily pissed off.

Make of that what you will.

I sat near John Malkovich at Les deux gros some years ago in Glen Ellyn.

geno55 wrote:A few years back in Champaign, a friend and I were at Steak & Shake when we spotted Roger Ebert at a table behind us, dining with a fair number of actors and actresses, the only one we were able to identify was Mario Van Peebles, who had just starred in indie biopic BAADASSSSS!

[/quote]

They were probably in town for Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival. Van Peebles movie was screen in 2005. Were you there for the festival?

Darren72 wrote:They were probably in town for Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival. Van Peebles movie was screen in 2005. Were you there for the festival?

Yes, you're right, I forgot to mention that it was around the time of the film festival. We weren't there for the fest, though, we were in school there at the time.

I realized I have one of these to tell! I hardly ever see celebrities -- in fact my friends and I have this running gag that I say I see celebrities when I don't. "Look--- there's Scatman Crothers" and of course..it isn't.

BUT...when I was in New Orleans in March, my splurge meal was at Bayona. My friend and I were seated at the back of the room, our back against a wall at a four top -- and we were enjoying the room and the food and I kept hearing a sort of familiar voice next to me talking about Hollywood and acting, etc...and I was dying to know who it was but I really couldn't turn around without being completely obvious about it -- so I asked my friend, who was in a better position, to identify the dude next to me. She looked and turned to me and said -- "Why, I believe that's neighbor Larry from Three's Company!" The actor's name is Richard Kline. He was quite vocal about the "biz" to his two female companions and although I kept humming the theme to Three's Company under my breath (which earned me a very sharp kick from my more ladylike pal) we didn't really approach the guy. He was trying to think of a name towards the end of his meal (seriously -- he was that loud) and I finally turned around and told him the name of the person he was seeking -- Robert Urich. He laughed and said "Yeah!".

So my trivia knowledge benefits all about me ... once again.

A few years back my wife and I were eating/drinking at a dive Tiki bar in Hyde Park. A friend of ours recognized and mentioned that Matt Dillon was sitting in the booth behind us. My wife said (loudly enough), "Isn't he dead?"

Jerry Springer at The Bagel Old Orchard, multiple times.

Sat next to Alderman Burt Natarus at the Maggiano's on Clark about 18 years ago. He farted.

Liam Neeson and Frank McCourt sitting at the next table at Joe Allen's in NYC. They were not amused when I and our flamboyant waiter started yucking it up at the end of the night, at all.

Ali Larter of "Heroes" last year at Kuma's. She asked how our burgers were.

Michael Gladis of Mad Men this past June at some joint in LA.

Wow, at first I thought you said Larry Hovis of "Hogan's Heroes."

About 15 years ago, a friend and I sat at the next table from Kimberly Williams-Paisley (at the time she was in the Father-of-the-bride movies) at Noyse Street Cafe in Evanston.

Another fantasy sighting: I get in the time machine and dial it back to the night at The Erie Cafe (documented by photographs on their wall) that Sinatra came in.

Many moons ago I was the F&B Director/Exec Chef for a production/entertainment company and as part of my job, had many lunches, meetings, etc with a lot of celebs. Jerry Seinfeld, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash stand out as being incredibly gracious and nice. Also worked alongside or coordinated with many chefs who are now famous, including Wolfgang Puck (super funny), Mario Batali, and Jeremiah Tower.

Unexpected celebrity run ins include sitting at a table next to Mel Gibson at a resort in Phukett, Thailand. He may be weird now, but he was great looking then and I'm straight. Talking to Elle McPherson in the lobby of a hotel in Sydney and later that day riding in an elevator with songwriter Paul Williams. I told him I loved his music and he sent me 2 tickets to his show that night, way cool. Tried to find Elle to ask her to go with me, but she had either split or was at a pub in the Rocks.

Once on vacation in Spain, I played tennis on a court next to Martina; she just arrived from losing the French Open to Chris Evert and was down in the dumps. Later that day, she was tossing a football around with the 2 sons of her partner. Kept running into her (the resort was rather small) on the courts, the elevator, at restaurants; finally said hello, she was very nice.

Dated Beverly D'Angelo in college, does that count?

tennischef wrote:
Dated Beverly D'Angelo in college, does that count?

Yes it counts, please tell us more!

cito wrote:

tennischef wrote:
Dated Beverly D'Angelo in college, does that count?

Yes it counts, please tell us more!

Did she used to call you Sparky?

I saw Gale Gand and her daughter with their dog at the Jaycee's Park dog area in Deerfield on Labor Day.

Finally have one:

Scott Conant schmoozing with Andrew Kirschner at the Wilshire last night. Great restaurant, by the way.

Got up from our table at the ex-pat friendly Globe Cafe in Prague (circa 1995), and Rob Schneider (SNL and horrendous movie fame) ended up taking my seat, probably still warm. (Wait, does Rob Schneider count?)

Also, a restaurant where I used to work hosted a party for the Bill T Jones Dance Company after they finished a residency in Columbus, Ohio. No one told them the place had no liquor license, and you can imagine they got a little hot under the leotard to discover a dinner without booze. The mood was pretty surly that night (I admit: I can sympathize).

My best culinary sightings, though, have always been musicians. The Stray Cats pulling out of a grocery-store parking lot ~1980 in their vintage black car with the flame design. REM sharing a vegetarian meal at a coffee house where I worked in 1985. Yo La Tengo popping in for a pre-show bite at the now shuttered Trattoria Strada Nova in Columbia, MO. The lovely Andrew Bird brunching at Lula, while I sat at a table with a depressed friend who was one of his biggest fans. And possibly my favorite: Jonathan Richman exiting a Panera Bread Company in Lakeview, responding "How you doin'?" after my husband and I waved hello.