Interviewing strangers over a meal since 2008 (as featured in the Washington Post)
In the decade-plus that I’ve been doing Dining With Strangers, I’ve had a handful of interviews that justified splitting into two parts. My May 2015 dinner in Beverly Hills with actor Fred Melamed (A Serious Man, Girls, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and his wife Leslee Spieler Melamed was one of those….
The 21st Throwback Thursday is my May 2010 lunch at Muriel’s in New Orleans with voodoo queen Mary Millan. A very easygoing and interesting person, she dispelled some myths about the religion of voodoo and also had plenty to say about life in the Big Easy. In addition to my…
Toyin Alli is the chef-owner of Puddin’, specializing in Cajun and Creole comfort food operating in DC out of a food truck and a stand at Union Market. On a recent weeknight I met Toyin for the 119th dinner interview; a chat about what got her started in the food…
Throwback Thursday 20 is the fourth and final interview from a weekend in Providence, Rhode Island, in April 2010. Local photographer Amy Messere reached out to do an interview, saying she wanted to talk about her art but also her work as a waitress in a strip club. Amy was…
Congratulations to Santino Fontana for winning Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for his role in Tootsie The Musical! I met Santino and his wife Jessica (also an actor and singer) for a lunch interview in March 2017. They talked about what’s it…
Throwback Thursday 19 is the third of four meals with strangers in Providence, Rhode Island back in April 2010. This time it was dinner with local realtor Bob Black at Greek restaurant Andrea’s, talking about his (sadly now defunct) blog extolling the benefits of living in Rhode Island. You know…
Chef Mikko Kosonnen, owner of namesake Nordic restaurant Mikko in DC, will be hosting a party for the city’s annual Capital Pride parade on Saturday June 8. His restaurant is right by the parade route, offering a prime spot to check it out from the comfort of his welcoming patio…
The 18th Throwback Thursday is my April 2010 lunch in Providence, Rhode Island, with Mary Ann Sorrentino to talk about her many careers. She’s worked in medical care, been a local radio show host and columnist, and was an abortion rights advocate while serving as head of the state’s Planned…
Here’s your chance to meet singer-songwriter Lorraine Bowen, known to many in the UK as “The Crumble Lady” because of her quirky song about making a crumble (an English dessert). I met her for dinner in London in January 2013, and loved learning about how she got started in music…
The 17th Throwback Thursday is one of four dinners from an April 2010 weekend trip to Providence, Rhode Island. The first was at Camille’s Restaurant with Rhode Island School of Design student Robin Tafel, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Looking back at this article, I realize…