Ricki Lake was here, too, he said. Neither would I, but I wasn't opposed to the idea. I also struck out at Urth, a coffeehouse restaurant on Melrose Avenue, packed inside and out. But no celebrities. I was not dissuaded.
Serendipity can require patience.
It's the closest thing Los Angeles has to a town square. I grabbed a stool at Kokomo Cafe. Besides the counter seats, there were only a couple of rows of tables. If somebody showed up here, I wouldn't miss them. On the green wall next to the kitchen I noticed about a dozen black-framed, signed portraits, the kind restaurants display of famous patrons.