The 64th Throwback Thursday is from a trip I took to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in September 2014. One night there, at the Blue Corn Cafe, I met Jesse and Sarah Smith — a couple who talked about discovering and loving omnism thanks to trying a hallucinogenic drug, meeting otherworldly…

The 63rd Throwback Thursday is my August 2014 dinner with Marlene Hall at Eamonn’s fish and chip shop in Alexandria, Virginia. Serving eight years in the Air Force helped develop her passion for helping veterans. She told me about her work with veterans organizations, as well as her other interests…

A new interview is coming Tuesday — although it was done in February, pre-social distancing and stay at home orders. I have that interview and another from February still to post, and am doing so slowly because I don’t know when I’ll dine with a stranger next. Until next week,…

The 61st Throwback Thursday is my July 2014 dinner in New York with Matt Bauman, a man with many pursuits. He’s a busy actor, a realtor, and launched his own website that connects people in the theater industry with coaches and teachers, such as vocal trainers. We talked about all…

New interview tomorrow (done prior to social distancing)! For today, here’s the 60th Throwback Thursday: dinner in June 2014 with Brendan Kelleher, who talked about his website Behind The Craft. Brendan, a beer enthusiast, used the site to interviews owners of craft breweries and learn about the process of making…

The 59th Throwback Thursday is my May 2014 lunch with classical cellist Daniel Lelchuk at New Orleans’ Tujague’s Restaurant. We talked about his life in music, including his current role as assistant principal cellist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and much more.

For the 58th Throwback Thursday, here’s my two-part interview with lifelong New Orleans resident Mary Burns. Over a long lunch at the fantastic Deanie’s Seafood in May 2014 she shared her colorful life story. Part one of the interview dealt with growing up in the Crescent City and her teaching…

Here’s the 57th Throwback Thursday: Dinner with DC-based ukulele-playing singer-songwriter Louisa Hall, talking about what inspired her to play the instrument and where she gets the inspiration for writing quirky songs like “Barista Boyfriend,” “Missed Connections,” and “Awkward.” The article includes a couple of Louisa’s music videos, including her impromptu…

The 56th Throwback Thursday: May 2014 dinner with costume technician Edwin Schiff. We met at the since-closed Tash in DC’s Eastern Market to talk about his work, primarily as the wardrobe head for the Folger Theatre. “I could never do a 9-5 job,” he told me. “I thrive on variety…

Here’s the 55th Throwback Thursday — my April 2014 dinner with Elizabeth Moore, a DC resident who said she used to be an introvert but completely changed her life when she started saying “yes” to more of the opportunities that came her way. We had a fun dinner at Pesce…