Caught in the Act!

Originally posted Friday October 24, 2008 06:00 AM EDT

Nicole Richie Photo by: Brad Barket / Getty

• Nicole Richie, stepping onto the breezy patio at West Hollywood's Chateau Marmont for a night out with friends. The starlet first stopped to greet a couple who were dining in the corner, then headed toward her table to meet two male companions. Sporting a flowing peasant dress and a braided leather headwrap, Richie sat and sipped on water for much of her low-key evening, sharing what appeared to be a meeting, but smiling and laughing with her friends nonetheless.

• Ashley Olsen, beating her friends to lunch at L.A.'s Orso. The actress patiently waited, ordering water until her female lunch dates arrived. "It was a very mellow lunch with a couple of pals," a fellow diner tells us. After her meal, Olsen met up with her beau Justin Bartha for a stroll around town.

• Nicollette Sheridan, getting friendly with David Spade at the opening of Beverly Hills eatery Luau. The newly single Desperate Housewives actress holed up on the patio with the funnyman for most of the night after arriving at the opening together. When checking in, Spade referred to himself as Sheridan's "plus one." The two then settled into their booth and seemed deep in conversation, not so much flirty, an onlooker describes, but "intimate." The pair stopped to chat with the owner and Gary Shandling, but otherwise stayed focused on each other.

• DJ AM, working hard at Las Vegas's Pure Nightclub. Just after midnight, the deejay got behind the turntables, causing clubgoers to roar with excitement and snap photos of the recovering entertainer.

• Also in Sin City: Katharine McPhee, treating her dancers to dinner at LAVO inside the Palazzo. In town for a private show, the group started their evening with plenty of food – including grilled beef kabob and chocolate bread pudding – before taking their party upstairs to the nightclub.

• Where else would The Hills hottie Doug Reinhardt celebrate his birthday? West Hollywood's Coco de Ville, of course, where his buddy Frankie Delgado is a weekly promoter. The reality star lived it up for his 24th with Delgado, pal Brody Jenner and about 20 ladies by his side. The birthday boy was having a good time, jumping all over the place and getting friendly with his female guests. He even took off his plaid top by the end of the night, walking around sans shirt before a huge group of his friends jumped into a limo to continue the party at Reinhardt's house.

• By REAGAN ALEXANDER, JENNIFER GARCIA, MARK GRAY and MICHELLE WARD

Want to see where the celebrity action goes down? Tour all the Celebrity Hot Spots.

Thursday's Caught in the Act >