
'Is That...?' Fans Recall Their Celebrity Foodie Sightings
By Amber James Posted Mar 8th 2010 09:00AM
So you're out enjoying dinner and notice the person sitting next to you looks vaguely familiar. "Is that...?" you whisper. Yeah, it is. Next thing you know, the star is diving deep into that chocolate dessert hoping no one notices. At PopEater, we love listening to people's various celebrity encounters, so we've let our trusted readers submit their best celebrity foodie encounters.* Find out what tasty desserts skinny stars eat, who leaves big tips and who got caught cutting in front of the line.


*All stories have been submitted through PopEater's Facebook.
"At Serendipity 3 in NYC, I spotted Kim Kardashian hiding behind her menu. Is she hot in real life? Yes. And she ordered the frozen hot chocolate." -- Jen
"Rita Wilson cut in line in front of me (like I wasn't even there) at Christina's in Sun Valley, Idaho. I didn't say anything because, well, it was Rita Wilson. -- Karen
"I'll show you how clueless my dad is about movie stars. My father was traveling on business and was sitting in a hotel bar having a drink after work and started talking to this guy. They talked for a couple of hours, and the guy said he was making a movie down the street. My dad came home and said does anyone know an actor by the name of Tom Cruise! He was making 'Days of Thunder'!" -- Theresa
"Spent our anniversary dinner at Provence in New York City, but then had to deal with my wife paying me no attention while hunky Richard Gere sat across from us. I did get to stare at his beautiful wife Carey Lowell, so that was a nice consolation." -- Jason
"I met Joey McIntyre at a Chinese restaurant in New York City. He signed our playbills and CDs and took a few pictures. He smelled really good!" -- Rachel
"I used to wait tables at the Green Jacket in Augusta, Georgia. I waited on just about every major golfer there is and James Brown came in a lot and was the best customer ever and gave great tips." -- Sandra
"I worked at a restaurant on Martha's Vineyard over the summer and saw the island's two big celebs everyone tends to see -- Jim Belushi and Spike Lee. Belushi was eating with his big clan, being a regular dude. Next thing I knew, he was singing a song with the bar's blues band and having a harmonica battle with the lead singer. A week later, Spike came in to get take-out. He was pretty busy on his Blackberry, but I said, 'Hey,' and told him I was about to move to Brooklyn. He asked, 'What neighborhood?' He didn't exactly get chatty, but he was nice." -- Zach
"I used to work at TGIF in DFW airport, and I had Nick Lachey come in once. Some little girl stole the straw out of his drink after he left... Weird!" -- Lorena
"While enjoying my birthday dinner at BLT Fish, I looked over at the next table and almost died. Steven Spielberg and his family and friends were eating two feet from where we were. We spent the rest of the meal trying not to stare too obviously. Of course, he picked up the tab for his large party." -- Denise
"While eating at an upscale Mexican restaurant in L.A. last year with my husband and children, Tommy Lee and a group of his friends came in and sat just a few tables away. No one in the restaurant seemed to notice or think twice about it, but I was about to pee in my pants. I wanted so bad to go over and speak to him, but just couldn't do it because I would have looked like an idiot in front of everyone. All I could do was stare nonchalantly in his direction while trying to eat my meal. The waitstaff got them in and out of there very quickly, but the whole time I tried to get my 11-year-old son and 8-year-old step daughter to do my dirty work and go try to talk to him or ask for a picture. But they wouldn't do it either. As Tommy walked out of the restaurant, I got my son to snap a few photos with my cell phone, but it was just so dark in there. None of them turned out well. Had we been anywhere else, I would not have thought twice about approaching him, but that was just not the right time or place." -- Lori
"I was walking down the street in Lahaina, Maui, in December 1994 and saw this tall guy with a blond. He looked like Howard Stern. They were walking toward me and my wife. I was going to say to him, 'Has anyone told you, that you look like Howard Stern?' But as he and his wife passed us, I realized it was Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear." -- Bernie
"Our stylist was obsessed with Elizabeth Berkley, [so we're] out to dinner that night and who was sitting there: Elizabeth Berkley! When she walked by our table on her way to the bathroom, we called her Nomi (her character in 'Showgirls'), and she stopped to talk. We told her about our stylist obsession and asked her to call him and she did. They talked for about 5 minutes. Very nice person." -- Rebecca
"I was having dinner at a Mexican Cuisine Restaurant in Nashville, TN, when Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top came in to dine. My friends were acquaintances of his, therefore Billy visited our group for some time before taking a seat of his own. He was in town doing a collaboration album with Taylor Swift and had frequented this restaurant (from my understanding) most every day for lunch between sessions. He was introduced to me and learned of my fishing career and was excited to chat about fishing! Super cool cat!" -- Sondra
"Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson showed up at the Artcliff Diner in Vineyard Haven, MA, for breakfast while I was there with my husband. My husband kept saying that Mary was eyeing him. She seemed like she was hoping people would notice her, but Ted sat facing the wall, trying to hide." -- Mary
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I met Tom Selleck about 15 years ago at a restaurant. I just asked for an autograph and told him thank you for the wonderful "Magnum" series and his movies. He was by himself, and he asked me and my girlfriend to sit with him. We talked for about 10 minutes about his future movies, then when he found out I was a bush pilot, that is all he wanted to talk about for the rest of the meal. I found him very intelligent, polite and he listened to my girlfriend and myself as we spoke. He asked very informed questions about our careers and our future. It was a wonderful 2 hours spent talking to a normal person that just happens to be a well respected actor.
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What is the big deal. Movie stars, TV stars, people on reality shows who think they are stars but are not, news casters, politicians, anyone famous or not so famous still have to eat somewhere if its other than their own homes. Just because they chose to eat in the same place that you did, doesn't make them special. Remember, you chose to eat there too...are you special?
Nope, so I end as I began, whats the big deal?
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My wife and I were having lunch in a Hotel Restaurant on Martha's Vineyard in 2001. Before we knew it, Steven Tyler was being seated at the next table with two friends...the tables were close. He left the table for a moment, and as he squeezed by, he smiled pleasingly at me and my wife, (we're interracial), and he gave us a smile, a big thumbs up and he mouthed the words, 'she's beautiful' after taking an adoring glance at our six-month old daughter. To this day I regret not asking him to take a picture with her...
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Who the hell cares? I had dinner with my wife . . .Now that's always fun and rewarding . .
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not for us....
You're funny! Love it!
I had dinner with your wife and, yes, it was exciting, fun and rewarding!
I have a friend who's relative married a relative of director James Cameron. He videotaped the wedding and reception. Everyone was told beforehand that he was going to be there and to not make a big deal out of it. My friends Dad pretended he didn't know who Cameron was and asked him what he did for a living. All he said was "I make movies". My friend said he seemed nice enough and was kinda quiet. This was about three or four years ago.
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I don't understand why people got nuts over people in the movies. Its their job, just like our jobs are ours. They pretend to be other people with a camera in front of them nothing more. Why make out like they are something more than any other person.
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I would have told Rita Wilson to beat it...and if her fat, bald husband came by and would have beat his racist butt
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What has Tom Hanks ever done or said that was racist?? I have met him and his lovely wife Rita several times. I work at the National World War 2 Museum in New Orleans and both of them have been very polite and friendly, taking time to talk with many of us.
Since when is Tom Hanks fat and bald???
While out with my brothers one night in NYC we cam upon a film crew. They were filming "Reign On Me". We watched for awhile and when they took a break ADAM SANDLER came over to talk to the people watching. I told him what a fan my 18 yr.old son was while I was calling him on my cell phone. When he answered Adam took my phone to talk to him. Unfortunately the service was not good and my son couldn't hear him. He still hates to relive this story!!! But Adam was incredibly sweet.
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I'll never forget the time I was in a N.Y. restaurant with my wife and two sons who both happen to be in wheelchairs and who should stroll in but Barbara Walters. I said to my wife, "Hey, Kath, it's Barbara Walters." My wife had her back to Barbara, turned around and said "Hi Barbara." She gave us all the coldest stare..as if we weren't even there. So much for the warmth of celebrity life.
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My God people, and we wonder why our country is going to hell. I wonder how many of these idiots would recognize their congressman, or senators, people who actually affect their lives!
We cannot survive nitwits like this littering our society!
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And your angry because....?
Just remembered... I was standing next to Bob Dylan at a SRO Oldie's concert in a small theatre in a small town in CT. He seemed very nice to fans who recognized and spoke to him. I didn't, tho I was in awe! I bought my first Dylan record album in 1965 (when he was not so well known) in Berkely, CT... many friends thought I wasted my money, but grew to love him, as I did then.
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And your angry because....?
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I met Steve Martin in Take Tahoe and he's a charming funny man. I agree that Kim Kardashian is not a star. Rita Wilson, well I'd not care to meet her. Tom Hanks seems so nice.
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What you do if a celeb starts with the 'Do you know who I am?' stuff is this- Tell them who YOU are, and that without YOU, THEY would not be famous celebs to begin with!
Sound like a plan?
Thanks
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