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…

Here’s the 54th Throwback Thursday — my March 2014 dinner with DC-based actor Jeffrey Johnson at Ted’s Bulletin. He talked about his act Special Agent Galactica, performing as a hired female assassin in a hot pink wig who travels through space and time — while performing musical revues at clubs…

My publishing schedule has been thrown for a bit of a loop due to coronavirus and switching to doing the day reporting job entirely from home, but there are three new interviews on the way, with the next either late this week or early next week. For today, here’s the…

The 52nd Throwback Thursday took place in January 2014, when I met jazz musician Aaron Myers for dinner. Over a pleasant meal at (now closed) Mediterranean Spot on U Street in Washington, DC, Aaron shared how he turned a childhood love of music into a full-time career. He’s a wonderful…

The 51st Throwback Thursday is my November 2013 dinner with actor Richard Kiel, best known his role as the menacing metal-mouthed bad guy Jaws in two Roger Moore James Bond movies. At 7 feet and 1-and-a-half inches tall he was an imposing figure but incredibly friendly and eager to talk…

The 50th Throwback Thursday is my August 2013 lunch with Josh and Natalie Harvey at Coquette New Orleans. We talked about their t-shirt company Storyville, launched in 2009 featuring a host of city-specific designs. The company was in business for roughly 10 years, but rising rent and slowing sales led…

Expect the first of three upcoming interviews next week! For today, Throwback Thursday 49 is my August 2013 dinner with New Orleans food critic Tom Fitzmorris at the upscale restaurant Tommy’s Cuisine in the Central Business District. Tom, born and raised in the city, hosts a daily food show on…