More Lunchtime Celeb Sightings

*Vincent Gallo chatting with a friend in the produce section of Whole Foods.

*Jeremy Piven and mystery date enjoying an early lunch at a sidewalk table at Lulu's.

*Judy Greer walking around Westwood around the UCLA campus.

L.A. is already a celebrity playground, but the Oscars had stars coming out in droves. Here are a few highlights:

Friday: Dennis Hopper posed for pictures in front of the Ace Gallery. Inside, throngs of art lovers partied in the dark at the opening of Robert Wilson's Voom video portraits exhibit of animals, Brad Pitt wearing boxers in the rain, and Dita Von Teese pearched on a trapeze.

Saturday: Seal watched the fountain show at The Grove and took in a screening of Breach. Melanie Griffith bought wallets at The Tony Hawk store. Frankie Muniz dined at Boa Steakhouse on Sunset Boulevard, sporting a new and decidedly un-Malcolm like mohawk.

Monday: While my three-year-old was swinging in the Eero Aarnio Bubble Chair, we saw Drew Barrymore on the way out and Sarah Silverman on the way into the Standard Coffee Shop.

On Wednesday, my friend Cara spotted Nicolas Cage and wife Alice Kim at The Standard downtown at lunch time. Their son Kal-El was nowhere in sight. While Cara was downtown, I had lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel, but none of the usual suspects were there - likely because most of Hollywood is off partying at Sundance.

A big congratulations to my husband's friend Ligiah Villalobos. Fox Searchlight Pictures and The Weinstein Company bought the film she wrote, La Misma Luna (The Same Moon). The Sundance audience gave this story of a young Mexican boy who stows away to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexican border a rare standing ovation. The film also features Golden Globes darling America Ferrera (of Ugly Betty fame). We're sure Ligiah is having the time of her life celebrating in Park City tonight.

There are many amazing jewelry stores in my neighborhood, and nothing is more fun than to take a few minutes to stop and gaze at the gorgeous designs. From Me and Ro to Suzanne Felsen, it's not necessary to frequent Harry Winston on Rodeo Drive to see amazing pieces. Of all the stores, no one is more talanted than Erica Courtney. Her romantic, "Drop Dead Gorgeous" line is just that. She is famous for her diamond crown rings and vibrant goddess cocktail rings. Erica's two local stores provide everything from high end bling to fun sterling pieces, and she is just plain groovy and nice. I often get compliments on the her "Love" tag necklace that I have been wearing almost daily. In the past, she has also restrung my pearls and created pearl drops for a my diamond hoops. Glamorous celebs have taken notice, too. Last year Jessica Alba chose her Golden Beryl drops to wear the Oscars. Pay attention while watching tonight's Golden Globes and other awards shows this season; Erica's beautiful jewels are likely to pop up on many a stylish starlet.

*Photo credited to: Erica Courtney online

The Sascha Baron Cohen event Wednesday night at the DGA was memorable for even the most jaded of Tinseltown's writers, producers, and directors. After screening Borat (I laughed just as much the second time around), the audience patiently waited - no cell phone talking, Blackberry typing, et cetera - for the Q&A session to begin. A while later before a still-hushed crowd, producer Jay Roach walked on stage followed by none other that Sascha Baron Cohen in a white button down shirt, jeans, and a black blazer. No mustache, no polyester grey suit, no chicken. The conversation covered the making of the film, the future of Sascha's stunts (e.g., whether he will still be able to be at all anonymous; the consensus: no), and a few secrets from the film. Sascha swears he almost suffocated during the naked wrestling scene. Deleted scenes included the piss drunk frat boy's dream of being president, a pajama clad Borat spooning the bear, and over the top antics at the Southern dinner party that caused the host to call the police. One secret that even Sascha wasn't sure if he should have revealed: there is a clause in the waiver that the participants signed, roughly stating: "If the person interviewing you isn't who he claims to be, you are not able to sue." Smart, talented, and judicially-aware. Very nice!

*Photo licensed by: Photorazzi

It's not my secret hideout anymore. Los Angeles Magazine recently awarded Sushi Dokoro Ki Ra La the "Supreme Sushi" Restaurant Award. Saturday night we took a friend from the Bay Area to experience our favorite sushi in LA. The king crab legs were sweet, the Spanish mackerel divine, and I have no words that can do justice to the amazing live scallops. If you head there for lunch or dinner you may see Steve Martin or Ken Watanabe enjoying the best fish in town, too. The owner, Yoshi, heads to the fish market every morning at 4:00 AM to ensure that his chef's have the freshest ingredients for their creations.

Last Tuesday at M Cafe de Chaya my niece Lauren and I got in line behind Michael Rapaport (The War at Home) and two women. While Michael and friends were ordering their food, an extremely pregnant woman entered with her blond toddler. She looked vaguely familiar but I could not place her until her husband walked in and clumsily closed the door. Michael and friends started excitingly whispering and I glanced over to see who could cause such a fuss. Sporting some fairly long curly hair was funnyman Will Ferrell. My niece and I turned to my seven-year-old just in time to see her almost fall off her chair. I wish I had a video of her face seeing her beloved Mugatu in person - priceless. We look forward to Will's future on-screen antics, and, of course, more cowbell!

*Photo licensed by: Photorazzi

The cast of "Grey's Anatomy" is having the best year ever.

In addition to soaring ratings and gracing the cover of Entertainment Weekly's "Best of 2006" issue, the cast of Grey's Anatomy is having a good ol' time all over town. I spotted McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey chatting with a salesperson at Heritage Motors on Santa Monica Boulevard. Maybe we'll see him riding around town in a swanky vintage ride. In the 'awww' category, last Wednesday I saw Eric Dane (McSteamy) picking up a fluffy white pooch from doggy day care at Chateau Marmutt on 3rd Street. He must have been escorting the little fluffball home to wife Rebecca Gayheart.

And on Friday, my daughter and I pulled into the Whole Foods parking lot to load up on some last minute supplies for the holiday weekend. Newly engaged Ellen Pompeo was hanging out front chatting with a friend. I wonder what was on her luxe holiday menu - maybe sushi or quinoa? Happy holidays to the sexiest doctors in town.

*Photo licensed by: Photorazzi