Taking strangers to dinner and interviewing them about their lives since 2008
Here’s the 126th dinner interview! A few years ago, chef Brandon Williams was at a cookout and trying to think of something to make for his pescatarian mother. Instead of doing the typical baked or fried fish, he decided to turn high quality fish into patties and serve them up…
For the 43rd dinner interview, I traveled to Baltimore in April 2012 to have lunch with Ben Claassen III. He’s the charming creator of the comic strip DIRTFARM. He’s also the guy responsible for the illustrations that ran alongside Baggage Check — the advice column in DC’s now-defunct Express newspaper that…
In a few weeks’ time I’ll be back in England for Christmas and staying through to early 2020 — and while I’m back I’m eager to do some Dining With Strangers interviews. If you live anywhere in England (ideally London or East Yorkshire, although I’m open to traveling to other…
The 42nd Throwback Thursday is my February 2012 meal at Bangkok Joe’s in Georgetown with experienced marketing communications executive Rozanne Weissman. She talked about her volunteer work, life in public relations, and shared the best way to crash parties in the District.
Christmas comes early for the 41st Throwback Thursday — my December 2011 dinner in Silver Spring, Maryland, with Ed Downey. At the time, he’d performed as Santa Claus for 29 years. Over a meal at Red Lobster he explained how a globetrotting past led to his current festive role.
Sampson McCormick is a 33-year-old gay black comedian who doesn’t like being told what he can and can’t say. Born in Washington, DC, he bombed at his first few gigs using routines that relied on tired, unfunny jokes. Then he shifted to talking about finding the humor in bad experiences,…
The 40th Throwback Thursday is my December 2011 lunch in the District with Shamia Holloway, who at the time was communications manager for the Capital Area Food Bank. It’s the largest non-profit hunger organization in the DC region — also reaching into Maryland and Virginia — and its goal is…
Fans of the Rocky movies might enjoy the 39th Throwback Thursday — an afternoon with actor Burt Young (Paulie from the boxing film series) in Port Washington, New York, in October 2011. Burt talked about his lengthy acting career, but also discussed his other loves of painting and writing. Before…
Steve Hayes, the 118th dinner stranger and best known for his YouTube series “Tired Old Queen at the Movies,” knows how to tell a good story about Hollywood’s yesteryear. He’s also an accomplished actor, and will be putting both those skills to use in a one-night one-man show in New…
Here’s the 38th Throwback Thursday article; the time I got coffee and cupcakes with Ed Koch. I met Ed in October 2011 on a trip to New York, the city where he served as mayor for three terms in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2011 he was a partner at…