Daniel Day-Lewis was seen Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Hill Café in Church Hill, sitting at the first booth by the door. “It was very exciting!” tipster Jennifer Rickman reports.

John Hawkes stopped into Plan 9 Music in Carytown Sunday and chatted about working with Tom Waits. Hawkes also hung out at Mulligan’s Sports Grille on Main Street on Saturday, Nov. 5, “quietly reading and drinking Tecate,” our tipster says.

Why did James Spader buy a frying pan? The bespectacled actor dropped by Pleasants Hardware on Broad Street around noon Nov. 18 for a Lodge cast-iron skillet. Is it for personal protection? Campfire cooking? Employees couldn’t say, although one notes that Spader graciously signed an autograph (besides the credit-card slip, we assume).

Hal Holbrook checked out the new IHOP Express at Virginia Commonwealth University around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5. But, he noted, he didn’t want pancakes.