Interviewing strangers over a meal since 2008 (as featured in the Washington Post)
The 66th Throwback Thursday is my two-part interview with actor/writer Stephen Tobolowsky in October 2014 at Art’s Delicatessen in LA. Stephen is instantly recognizable as the character Ned Ryerson from the movie Groundhog Day, as well as other popular films including Sneakers and Mississippi Burning, and television appearances on shows including…
A former dining stranger is now interviewing other strangers. Daniel Lelchuk, assistant principal cellist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, recently launched a podcast, Talking Beats, “where dynamic and compelling people share their lives, their work, and of course, their favorite music.” He’s already featured some incredibly interesting guests, such as…
The 65th Throwback Thursday is my October 2014 lunch with the delightful actor/producer/writer/comedian/everything Michael Hitchcock. We met in Los Angeles at Taste On Melrose to discuss his lengthy career; from his start in comedy to working on Glee, and from starring in Christoper Guest movies like Best In Show to…
Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, the Atlanta restaurant owned by Chef Deborah VanTrece, has reopened with certain safety restrictions because of the COVID-19 crisis. Deborah — featured on this site as the 130th stranger — talked to Chowhound recently about the stress involved with trying to keep her eatery afloat amid…
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…
Revolution Software recently released its latest game, Beyond A Steel Sky, which is a sequel to Beneath A Steel Sky, an adventure game issued in 1994 about a man trying to uncover terrible secrets in a dystopian metropolis that became a cult classic. The sequel is also an adventure and…
Very sad news with the passing of Cuban singing sensation Margarita Pracatan. Calling her “one of a kind” doesn’t do Margarita justice. She developed a unique style as a performer, winging the notes on her electric keyboard and singing however she wanted regardless of what the song required. If she…
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…
Back in February, before social distancing, I visited Atlanta for three dinner interviews — including today’s update, the 130th interview, featuring Chef Deborah VanTrece who owns the Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. Her goal is to reinvent what people think of soul food, and based off the accolades she’s racked…
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,…