A friend and I splurged on dinner Sunday at Red O, a high-profile new restaurant on Melrose Avenue in L.A. On the sidewalk, we passed a photographer chatting with the valets. Paparazzi? Wow. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one, given that I don’t frequent places a celebrity might be.

Disappointingly, he didn’t even lift his camera. Hey, I could be Anthony Edwards! Or Jeff Zucker! Oh well. He was still there when we left. Was anyone famous inside, or was he just hoping there might be?

The meal, by the way, was very good: upscale takes on taquitos (with duck), shrimp cocktail and tamales, in a classy setting with pleasant service. Here’s a blogger’s very critical take, with multiple photos, and a verbal throwdown between chef Rick Bayless and critic Jonathan Gold.