PICTURE: Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling Go on a Lunch Date!

USMagazine, Sunday, December 2, 2012, 9:30am (PST)

Reese Witherspoon is adding to her A-list friend circle.

The Academy Award winner -- whose celebrity BFFs include Chelsea Handler and Robert Pattinson -- shared a meal with sitcom star Mindy Kaling at Tavern Restaurant in L.A.'s Brentwood neighborhood Dec. 1.

PHOTOS: Reese Witherspoon's body evolution

The fast friends were seen laughing as they left Witherspoon's favorite restaurant. Before Witherspoon sped off in her own car, the 36-year-old mother of three stopped by a local newsstand to pick up a couple of magazines.

PHOTOS: Funniest females in Hollywood

Kaling, 33, has long been a fan of romantic comedies -- Witherspoon's included. During a recent episode of FOX's The Mindy Project (which Kaling created and stars in), the actress' character made a direct reference to Witherspoon's 2005 chick flick Just Like Heaven, costarring Mark Ruffalo.

"Call me Reese Witherspoon, cause I'm going on a date with an architect tonight!" Kaling's character, Dr. Mindy Lahiri, joked.

VIDEO: Mindy Kaling chats with Us Weekly about women in comedy

Witherspoon, meanwhile, has been keeping a low profile since the Sept. 27 arrival of her son Tennessee James (with husband Jim Toth). She next appears in the movies Mud (opposite Matthew McConaughey) and Devil's Knot (opposite Colin Firth), both slated for release in 2013.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: PICTURE: Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling Go on a Lunch Date!