Your mention of Marty Bass reminds me that when I was having some minor surgery as an outpatient years ago, he was the guy in the hospital gown next to me. We avoided eye contact.

I grew up in California, so we had lots of celebrity sightings. One of my favorites was when our family went to a sneak preview (back when they were really "sneak" previews, i.e. not advertised in the newspaper) for "The Great Escape." As we left the theater, Charles Bronson was in the lobby, checking out the reactions to the film.

And then we kept running into Daniel Ellsberg, just after the Pentagon papers were released. We spotted him three times, and I swear we saw him dancing across the Piazza San Marco with his wife. That was more fun than being on the same airplane where the row behind him was filled with FBI guys.

My celebrity sighting wasn't in Baltimore, but in Arizona. Last year I was at Miraval Spa in Tucson, and at breakfast my first morning there John Cleese sat at the next table. He was with his teenage daughter, who seemed quite unimpressed with everything except her cell phone!

Please tell me that when you saw Marty Bass, you starting screaming and ran out of the restaurant.

Because that is what I would have done.

I was in Sabatino's around midnight a few years ago and Derek Jeter and a few other Yankees came in and sat next to me and my then girlfriend/now wife.

I thought about asking to be moved to another table, but I already had my food.

Damn Yankees, or to rehash yesterday's debate: Yankees Suck

EL: Did you mean Kirk Douglas?

I would not consider Marty Bass a celebrity, but that's my opinion.

I have never seen or met a celeb in a restaurant but I have had many close encounters. When I was in high school, I had season tix to a local MKE theatre and I got to meet Shelley Winters, Mickey Rooney, James Whitmore, Audra Lindley, William Shatner, among others. That's not to mention the celebs I waited to meet outside the stage doors on Broadway.

Yes, thank you. Too much multi-tasking. Re: Marty Bass. That's my point. It isn't LA. Impressive list, BTW. EL

Well, you did tell us you were the world's oldest teenaged girl (I'm guessing about 14.)

That might be a little high :-) EL

Does serving jury duty with John Waters count? That's my "celebrity sighting." No, his number was never called, and we both spent the whole !@#$% day reading in the jury room...BOR-ING!!

When I was a kid (7 or 8 years old) I was having dinner in one of the restaurants in the Contemporary Resort Hotel in Disney World, and seated at another table right next to me was Jerry Reed. Yes, the Jerry Reed... country music guitar legend and the Snowman from "Smokey and the Bandit". I was so awe struck that from then on it was nothing but rare T-bone steaks for me. Just like my pal Jerry.

Now that's a great one. EL

For those that love celebs..check out my site (www.DowntownDiane.net)with all the celeb photos of those that have been in Baltimore over the past few years. Also, a celeb from the Food Network is in town today at a downtown restaurant and I am going to take photos as they film..more on that later.

I've seen quite a few O's players at Jimmy's over the years - Brian Roberts (who I mistakenly thought was Drew Lachey at first) was the most recent.
Everyone be on the lookout in the coming weeks - Renée Zellweger is scheduled to begin filming a movie in town next month.

That reminds me: Randy Johnson walked into Legal Sea Foods once when I was eating lunch. Very tall. EL

"I would not consider Marty Bass a celebrity, but that's my opinion."

I second that. Local newscasters shouldn't count.

Back in my Navy days, I was in the DC airport a few days after that Air Florida plane crashed into the Potomac. I was waiting for a flight to NY when Sen. Edward Kennedy walked right by me.

ok, I guess seeing a politician in Washington isn't unusual, but since it was a Kennedy, I noticed.

Who is Kurt Douglas? Should I know this person? If he's eating with Walter Cronkite, he's probably not some "now" celebrity.

About 10-15 years ago, Bob Turk was at all of the same place that I was. We'd nod and I believed that he recognized me. Lately, I see Don Scott a lot. I wave, he always waves back and I - older and wiser, now - tell myself that he's a very nice man.

Nobody knows who Kurt Douglas is. :-) EL

This one shows my age. I was attending a banquet at the Waldorf and during the meal I was called out to receive a phone call telling us that we had been approved as the parents of an adopted daughter. As he was leaving I rushed up to Vice President Lyndon Johnson and told him all about it. He congratulated me.

Well...if Marty Bass counts as a celebrity, I can out do you. Last year I saw Don Scott at one of Laughing Colors reunion concerts at Ram's hwead Live, dancing and having a good time. And then the very next night I ran into Marty Bass at the Stil up in Timonium. For what it's worth, Don Scott was much more personable...

I saw Marty Bass at Lemongrass a few weeks ago. No one screamed and ran out of the restaurant although that would have made the evening much more fun!

A few years ago I saw Billy Bush, one of the Access Hollywood hosts on NBC, at Pazo.

I've seen plenty of pro athletes out and about over the years (Billy Martin, Jose Canseco, Dave Winfield, etc).

I saw Robert Duval once at Obrycki's, and the guy who starred the Karate Kid at the old Bohagers (not Mr. Myagi, but the guy who played "Daniel-son").

In terms of national celebreties from Baltimore, I saw Barry Levinson once standing outside the entrance of Sabatino's, and I saw John Waters once at the old Stone Tavern on 25th Street.

I was working at Nichi Bei Kai in Columbia some 15 years ago and waited on Jessica Lang. She was very soft spoken and very tall!

I was in New York City, visiting family, coming out of the subway, clumsy me ran right into Spike Lee, I said sorry and walked on. Didn’t know who it was till my uncle told me. I was very embarrassed. Another time in NYC my uncle got my sister and I up early one morning and we went to stand outside the Today show. Al Roker talked to us on camera that morning.
Oh, I have met Capt. Chesapeake and Bruce the bird , do they count? :)

I thought meeting John Waters was something everybody in Baltimore did.

But I was impressed when an out of town friend and I spotted him at the Club Charles. I pointed him out to her and she said, "What's the guy from 'Fargo' doing in Baltimore?"

Back when they were filming The Replacements in Baltimore, maybe around 1999, I saw Jon Favreau out twice - once at the Harborview happy hour and once at Sotta Sopra (those were my younger and much more social days).

At Sotta Sopra, he was with a bunch of other actors in the cast, including Rhys Ifans (the kicker from The Replacements and the roommate from Notting Hill).

What's crazy about the story is that a few years ago, I was in Paris and I walked right past Rhys Ifans on the street.

Obviously, I spent the rest of the day babbling about what a weird coincidence it was.

My coolest most unexpected celebrity sighting was some time ago at the late lamented Mi Jun Lo on Mulberry Street. We walked in late one Saturday night, as that was one of the few places that was actually open late, and there having dinner by himself was the comedian Buddy Hackett. At that point in time, he was on alot of shows, and showed up on the Tonight Show alot. He told "blue" jokes before they were fashionable.

I am jealous of all of you and your many celebrity sightings. All I get is Lou Diamond Phillips on the street a couple of weeks ago. ;)

Years ago, ca. 1992, I sat a couple of barstools away from Bonnie Raitt at McGinn's (where Mick O'Shea's is now located). She was in town to see her then husband, Michael O'Keefe, star at the Mechanic in the national tour of the play "A Few Good Men". (I think a lot of show crews stayed at the Tremont Hotel, so McGinn's was a popular after-show watering hole for the crews.) By then, Bonnie was clean and sober, so she stuck to club soda.

When I lived in Nashville, I used to see country music singers from time to time. My favorite was sitting behind (and speaking ever so briefly to) Emmylou Harris at the Bluebird Cafe, a place where singer/songwriters go to discover and be discovered. (I am neither - just there for the show.) She had on the coolest boots . . .

Around 1978-79 we were in Vail and I rode up the skilift with someone who looked familiar. Afterwards I realized he was the guy who played 2nd sidekick to Clint Eastwood in those movies where the ape was the first sidekick. The next day we ate breakfast in the same place with VP Mondale. Woo-hoo.

"I thought meeting John Waters was something everybody in Baltimore did."

Yes, my thought exactly. Years ago after one of his books came out I saw him just casually hanging out near the books in the bookstore at the Rotunda, just in case someone wanted an autograph, I imagine.

And Piano Rob, there's a difference between the chance encounter and hanging out at the stage door!

Last fall my husband and I were in Kennebunkport eating lobsters next to Willard Scott and his wife. Does he count as a celebrity or a newscaster? Regardless, he was a hoot trying to explain that an enchilada was like a blintze. My husband seems to always be spotting celebrities but I seem to be oblivious to them.

Airports are good places to spot people. Back when "Homicide" was still going strong, I saw Yaphet Kotto as I was picking up my sister at BWI. Our eyes met and I was graced with a civil nod when I smiled. I told my sister who that was after he passed and she said "Oh, I figured it was someone from the university." Obviously not a Homicide fan ...

I am surprised no-one has mentioned that Nicole Ritchie was spotted at Cantler's in Annapolis over the weekend.

I saw Andre Braugher coming out of of bank on Roland Avenue and wondered who got murdered... then I remembered it wasn't really Homocide that I was living in, it was reality!

Is the fabulous Andre Braugher back in town? I used to see his wife and kids shopping for groceries when they were filming Homicide. true fans will remember that Mrs. B. also had a part in the series.

One of my favorite celeb sightings goes back a trillion, okay a million years ago to L.A., Beverly Hills, when dining outdoors at the Daisy Restaurant. Whatever sandwich I was eating had sprouts and a clump of them were hanging out of my mouth when I turned to face Jack Lemmon who was sitting next to me. I'm sure I made an impression. Across the aisle was Suzanne Pleshette - I recognized her voice before I recognized her.

I was sitting next to this tiny old man at the train station here in town only to discover it was Hugh Downs.

I've seen Cal Ripken Jr a couple times eating breakfast at Cafe Hon in Hampden, as well as a couple of the actors that starred in "The Wire": Sonja Sohn (Det. Greggs) at Cinghiale and Corey Parker Robinson (Det. Sydnor) at PF Changs. Today I spotted Guy Fieri filming for his show(on Food Network) at Brick Oven Pizzeria. Not NYC caliber, but still fun and cool. And all of them seemed to be really nice....

From my previous life as science fiction convention attendee, I've meet many of the main actors from Star Trek, Dr. Who (the original series), and Babylon 5.

George Takei used to get up early in the morning no matter how late a night he might have had and jog. There was always a standing invitation to join him. His laugh booming down the halls always announced his arrival.

In the "take my breath away" category, two people I meet were so much more attractive than on screen that I was "gob-smacked". Bruce Boxleitner, who on screen is an average good-looking leading man, is the most amazingly handsome man in person.

And John de Lancie, who is just a regular looking guy on screen, has so much charisma that he radiates attractiveness. I have two pictures of him & me. The first he was looking away when it was snapped and he told my friend to take another where he was looking at me. Sigh…

Back when 'N Sync was still together, I served JC Chasez a large hot chai at the Borders Bookstore Cafe in Bowie. Bowie was his hometown (I went to high school with his younger brother), and he was probably visiting during the Christmas season.

I'm sad the Borders Cafes changed to Seattle's Best. We had the best chai I've had anywhere, period.

hmmm Dining goes gossip column. I expect Sam Sessa will be partying with Jenna Bush most. Last night I saw Guy Fieri in FPt... presumably sticking around after filming his show so that he can attend the blogging party...? That is my only confirmed Baltimore "celebrity" sighting so far. Best overall was last year when I rode in an elevator with John Malkovich in Albuquerque. He looks just as malnourished in person.

A-Rod and Derek Jeter were in Pazo the Saturday of the Yankees series - A-Rod generally comes in when in town. And of course, Sheryl Crow was in Pazo for the Ulman Fund event.

David Simon, creator of the Wire, was having breakfast at the table next to me at Blue Moon a few Saturdays ago.

Funny thing is, as we were both waiting for a table, there was a stack of City Papers in the restaurant. That week's cover story was coincidentally the last David Simon interview for the Wire.

This past Thursday night I was in Atlantic City at the Borgata and I saw Wolfgang Puck sitting at the bar of his own restaurant after it had closed. The Borgata had sponsored a dinner where you could pay $250 to have dinner with him. I didn't go to the dinner (instead gambled away all of my money), but I still got to see him! I don't think anyone else walking around even recognized him. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera otherwise I would have been the big dork taking pictures from a distance.

Miss Shirley's gets a lot of Ravens, news anchors and politicians.

Several years ago I was having a lovely dinner at the Helmand when the indie rock band Blond Redhead was seated at the table next to me. It was especially interesting to me since I had dinner with them at a tiny cuban restaurant in Adams Morgan when I was a teen before they were really famous. Deja vu.

I saw Marty Bass about 13 years ago leaving out the Cheesecake Factory (dressed horribly) and I was about to say hello when he turned and rushed off like he was expecting a horde of people to start asking for autographs and stuff...he is such a jerk. When Meteor Man was filmed I met Robert Townsend, Bill Cosby, and Tiny Lister. I also met a guy from the Wire walking down the street by himself..J D Williams.

Ah, celebrity sightings. I'll stick with the Baltimore area. This is a good one: I was at the train station when they announced that my train to NYC was delayed. I, along with a few others waiting for the same train, just stood there in a clump looking up at the schedule board wondering what was going on. I looked to my left and there was Tracey Ullman. Now, I LOVE Tracey Ullman - I was a big fan of her TV show. I went up to her very nicely and said, "Excuse me, Ms. Ullman! While we're waiting, do you mind if I ask you for your autograph? I'm a big fan!" She barely looked at me and mumbled something like, "Um, hm, wait... just...uh." Oh, ok. I see how it is. She totally dissed me. Later, when we were standing next to each other on the platform, I could have asked her again, but I refused to give her the satisfaction.

I was walking in Fells Point last Saturday evening when we saw a tour bus parked on Bond Street. My wife then noticed country singer Leann Rimes was one of the people getting off and walking into the Black Olive. Although I did recognize her after being told, I would have had no idea who it was otherwise. We found it a bit odd that she was traveling around town in a tour bus instead of a limo or sedan of some sort.

Jetting in town direct from Hawaii for the Preakness, a very rugged looking Terry O'Quinn and wife Lori enjoyed a semi-private booth at Miss Shirley's Cafe in Baltimore Sunday after the huge crowd had somewhat abated, interrupted occasionally by guests such as ourselves desiring autographs and pictures of the Über hot TV and movie star.

Snagging him for a second, I politely asked if he would stop by our table to meet the family. Agreeing, Mr. O'Quinn said: "We heard that this is THE place for breakfast and lunch every day, so here we are. I guess you thought the same thing too, eh?" he joked.

Asked about his show LOST, he chuckled and would only say, "It's going to get a LOT more interesting, and 'John Locke' is a big part of it".
Graciously, he consented to our autograph requests before returning to his table.
A very nice man, and an outstanding lunch!

Oh wow--I might have to start watching Lost again. They lost me (pun intended) after they switched to a later hour. But I love Terry O'Quinn. He used to live in Maryland, if I remember correctly. Piano Rob, are you still a big fan of the current season? I have to say I think it's the weakest one so far.

Spoiler alert regarding a series season finale

Dahlink ... I have to admit that I don't necessarily watch the episodes when televised, knowing I can watch them online at my convenience. Frankly, this season's flash forwarding has become annoying ... (spoiler alert) just like they pulled last night on Desperate Housewives.

I'll tell you my favorite, not-to-be-missed show is (and has been) L&O: SVU. This season has been so strong and it's got the two best actors on TV.

L & O:SVU rocks!! It is about the only tv show that I make a point to watch. Forget the reality shows, they are terrible, and NOT reality!
Christopher Meloni could almost make me forget that I am married :-)

I confess I've been lurking in the background reading this blog for months but - like both Susans - couldn't come up with a clever name for myself so I shied away from posting. I bought a house in Hampden last summer, so I went with that....

I've lived in Baltimore for 8 years but last week was my first Black-Eyed Susan excursion. Some people in front of us saw David Cassidy walking into the paddock area, so we all started singing "I Think I Love You" hoping to draw him out ... it did not work. But I saw him later on TV (thanks to tivo) being interviewed at the B-E S. Does that count as a Baltimore sighting? Probably not.

In my younger days I was a flight attendant and had several celebrities on board, but mostly I didn't engage them in conversation figuring they were tired of being pestered. Also, people aren't always at their best on an airplane (go figure).

I've seen more celebrities since I've moved to Baltimore than I expected. But to be fair, I hang out in restaurants a lot. Rachel Griffiths, Ted Allen (the queer eye food guy), and Wendell Pierce (The Wire) all at Charleston. A very, very inebriated Dave Attell at Ryleigh's on new year's eve 2003. Richard Branson at the 2007 Virgin music fest (big surprise) was just walking around in the crowd by himself, saying hello and checking things out. My obligatory John Waters meeting occurred in San Francisco. We only exchanged a few words, but I called home excitedly nonetheless. Other than that, the only other good ones occurred outside of Baltimore. I made Bruce Willis a cappuccino, waited on Joanna Lumley and Mia Sara, and literally bumped into a totally coked up Kelsey Grammar, all in London.

Susan - I'll fight to the death for CM - rofl.

Believe I just saw Maria Broom (who played Marla Daniels on The Wire) enjoying a bowl of soup at Atwater's in Belvedere Square.

I believe I saw Renee Zellweger in Target today behind me in line, buying power bars and gift wrapping materials . As I left the store, I called my husband and said I believe I just saw Renee Zellwegger's double. Tonight, I googled Renee Zellwegge in Baltimore,it showed her new movie My One and Only is slated to begin shooting June 9. It had to be her! She had the same Texan accent and the same stature. Really neat!

Does this count?

About 15 years ago, my 18-year-old daughter went to see the movie "Clerks". Somehow, she tracked down the director/producer, Kevin Smith (before Google, and before he was well-known).

On a whim, she and a friend drove to
New Jersey and knocked on his door. He was very gracious, invited them in, and they ended up spending the night in his house! I think (hope) it was all platonic.

As for me, I was incredulous, as well as skeptical..and i couldn't believe it at the time. Now I know better.

Burt Bachrach