Dining With Strangers was dormant for most of 2020 through the end of 2024 for several reasons. I finally resumed the interviews this January, wanting to make good on a promise I made to my late friend John Curry to do so.
When I restarted the process of taking strangers out to interview them over a meal, I set a goal of the equivalent of one interview for every month of the year. Despite taking a few weeks off here and there, I’m pleased to have met that goal. From January to mid-November, I met 12 strangers for lunch or dinner in 2025:
- #131 A (Brief) History Of The World In 47 Borders (January 17, 2025): British writer Jonn Elledge discusses his book “A (Brief) History of the World in 47 Borders,” a collection of uniformly fascinating essays that offer a rough outline of world history through stories about borders. It reveals how societies evolve and borders and boundaries fluctuate, not always for the better when it comes to peace and stability.
- #132 Naomi Paxton’s Many Hats (January 18, 2025): As her magical cabaret performer alter ego Ada Campe, Naomi Paxton dons huge, colorful hats in a style that hearkens back to the music hall era but with a modern twist. At our brunch interview, I learned it’s just one of many different hats she wears, as she’s also an academic researcher with a keen interest in the suffragettes, has traveled the world acting and teaching, and much more.
- #133 Joe Himali Knows The Best Address (February 28, 2025): With his signature video opening of “Hi, I’m Joe Himali,” real estate agent Joe has found fame on TikTok and other social media sharing his decades of knowledge about Washington, D.C.’s architectural history. Over lunch in his beloved city, Joe shared the secrets of his online success, and his life story, including what he was doing before real estate and how he got into the industry.
- #134 No Raine, No Gain (March 19, 2025): Growing up, Raine Storm McKeython had a natural talent for basketball and dreams of playing in the NBA. But during college, his thinking evolved into becoming a personal trainer. Raine launched his brand Drizzle Fitness and “The Team” – how he refers to his clients that range widely in ages and body types, all benefiting from his quirky, upbeat approach to helping them achieve their goals.
- #135 Saturday Night Luv (March 23, 2025): For more than 20 years, Dani Lubnitzki – better known as Dani Luv – has played the piano and cracked Borscht Belt-style jokes for his many fans at the landmark New York restaurant Sammy’s Roumanian. But there’s much more to his life story. Over a meal at the venue, Dani shared tales from his fascinating past, all with a sprinkling of his blunt, hilarious sense of humor.
- #136 Dew The Artist (April 24, 2025): Doudgy Charmant, a Washington, D.C.–based artist, paints bold, emotional portraits in vibrant acrylics and oils. He shared how he began drawing as a child in Haiti, including the time his uncle scolded him for tracing a picture of 50 Cent — and then taught him how to draw for real. Now, Doudgy’s full-time career centers on work that tells stories with feeling, color, and spiritual energy.
- #137 How Brian Acosta Arya Found His Motel Heaven (May 28, 2025): Lincoln Tunnel Motel Manager Brian Acosta Arya shares heartfelt, funny, and emotional TikToks with over a million followers. He started storytelling after a failed reality show and years of night shifts, turning everyday motel life into moving, deeply human short films. Over a lunch of Korean barbecue, Brian talked about his early failures and how they led to current success.
- #138 Live From Capitol Hill: It’s Manu Raju (June 16, 2025): Manu Raju, CNN’s chief congressional correspondent, is known for breaking big political stories and navigating the chaos on Capitol Hill. Over dinner, he talked scoops, high-stakes interviews, pressure, and perspective. A thoughtful conversation with one of Washington’s hardest-working reporters on how he stays focused, builds trust and balances his job with the demands of family life.
- #139 Robert Factor Is Ready For His Closeup (July 17, 2025): Robert Factor spent his youth wanting to be a gangster and was in and out of juvenile hall before changing his life age 19 by pursuing acting. Since then, he’s scored rave reviews in almost 100 plays, had starring roles in cult films, written several projects, and more. Over lunch, he talked about grief and reinvention, and the long road he’s taken from “nowhere to somewhere.”
- #140 Cookin’ With Congress (July 18, 2025): Bennett Rea is the creator of the “Cookin’ With Congress” viral video series exploring the strange, historic, and sometimes horrifying eating habits of American politicians. What began as a blog has become his full-time job, with more than half a million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. We talked squirrel stew, culinary disasters, George Santos’ carbonara and the nexus of politics and food.
- #141 Greener Grass (October 21, 2025): Globe-trotting YouTuber Jeb Brooks’ channel “Greener Grass” turns air travel into an art form. With nearly a million subscribers, he and his wife Suzanne film everything from luxury cabins to long-haul layovers, finding joy in the logistics. Over dinner in D.C., we talked airports, optimism, and how to stay grounded while always in motion.
- #142 Nobody Puts Sheshe In The Corner (November 11, 2025): From starring roles in regional theater to New York stages both above and below ground, singer and actor Azusa Sheshe Dance has built a career on self-belief, presence and a refusal to be anyone but herself. Over lunch in Midtown Manhattan, she shared her story of moving from Tennessee to break out as a performer in the Big Apple.
Want to be interviewed for Dining With Strangers? Check out my upcoming travels for 2026 to see if I’m visiting your location. Or fill out the dinner interview request form no matter where you live.