Thursday

Caught in the Act!

04/09/2009 at 06:00 AM EDT

• Jessica Simpson met the parents, lunching at Dallas restaurant Patrizio with beau Tony Romo's mother and another woman. The group of ladies sat on the outdoor patio and settled into their long lunch with plenty of wine. Simpson looked great in her black and white blouse and jeans, and an onlooker tells us: "They were having such a great time just chatting. They looked really at ease."

• Ali Larter, sharing dinner with fiancé Hayes MacArthur and his family at Sunda, a new Asian restaurant in Chicago. While the group toasted with sake and shared drinks over their seafood meal, Larter seemed really smitten with the food, even meeting the chef afterward to grab some cooking tips and a hug.

• Sheryl Crow, doting over son Wyatt while splitting a plate of spaghetti with friends at Pastis in New York's Meatpacking district. The singer sat outside and "seemed like the loving mother you expect her to be," an onlooker says, adding that the mother-son duo was "adorable." And the perennial hot spot was packing in the stars that day: Jon Stewart, wife Tracey and kids Nathan and Maggie enjoyed a laugh-filled meal inside while Minnie Driver "scurried" to join a friend at the bar.

• Zach Braff celebrated his 34th birthday with the owners of Citrine in New York – and some famous friends too. The Scrubs star hung out in a VIP area with Donald Faison and CaCee Cobb and blew out the candles on his Emmanuel Lewis-themed birthday cake (yes, Webster!) while "Let's Hear It for the Boy" played.

• The cast of all three of Bravo's Real Housewives shows gathered at Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica to film a segment for the network's A-List Awards (airing April 15). With the store's owner and head buyer and Lance Bass overseeing the action and keeping the ladies on budget (they had $4,000 to spend), everyone was racing around as clothes were thrown in dressing rooms.

• By REAGAN ALEXANDER, JENNIFER GARCIA, AMY ELISA KEITH and LESLEY MESSER

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