Gerard Butler unwilling to wait for a table

Many restaurants choose not to seat incomplete parties, as "Law Abiding Citizen" star Gerard Butler learned on Friday.

The Scottish hunk had stopped for lunch at the Continental Midtown (18th & Chestnut) with a woman believed to be his mother and the pair were asked to wait at the bar until their entire party arrived and could then be seated. Butler, perhaps perturbed that he wasn't recognized, as his co-star Jamie Foxx would have been, challenged the restaurant's policy and asked for a manager. When a manager reiterated the policy against seating incomplete parties, Butler and mom left, a restaurant publicist confirmed. Later on Friday, an "LAC" producer came by the Stephen Starr restaurant to complain to staff that Butler hadn't been seated and challenge the policy, the spokeswoman said.

We're also told the "300" star arrived the other day at Parc on Rittenhouse Square after the French bistro's kitchen had closed and was surprised that he wasn't able to order dinner. A restaurant spokeswoman said Butler had been to Parc recently but was unaware of the late-night visit we asked about. An "LAC" spokeswoman said she was unaware of either visit but passed our inquiry on to Butler's publicist, from whom we did not hear yesterday. The crime thriller will be shooting in the area through the end of the month.