Interviewing strangers over a meal since 2008 (as featured in the Washington Post)
Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery (my dining companions for the 116th dinner interview in January) are hitting the road with their annual festive concert “A Swingin’ Little Christmas” in California, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan and New York. They’ll be joined at each of the shows with singer Tim Davis, who was…
Christmas comes early for the 41st Throwback Thursday — my December 2011 dinner in Silver Spring, Maryland, with Ed Downey. At the time, he’d performed as Santa Claus for 29 years. Over a meal at Red Lobster he explained how a globetrotting past led to his current festive role.
Sampson McCormick is a 33-year-old gay black comedian who doesn’t like being told what he can and can’t say. Born in Washington, DC, he bombed at his first few gigs using routines that relied on tired, unfunny jokes. Then he shifted to talking about finding the humor in bad experiences,…
The 40th Throwback Thursday is my December 2011 lunch in the District with Shamia Holloway, who at the time was communications manager for the Capital Area Food Bank. It’s the largest non-profit hunger organization in the DC region — also reaching into Maryland and Virginia — and its goal is…
Actor, writer and producer Jim Piddock (the second stranger featured on this site) is off to the races after writing the script for an upcoming movie starring Jeremy Irons about the legendary British horse racing trainer Sir Henry Cecil. Screen Daily broke the news of the production, quoting producers Andrew Berg…
Fans of the Rocky movies might enjoy the 39th Throwback Thursday — an afternoon with actor Burt Young (Paulie from the boxing film series) in Port Washington, New York, in October 2011. Burt talked about his lengthy acting career, but also discussed his other loves of painting and writing. Before…
Steve Hayes, the 117th dinner stranger and best known for his YouTube series “Tired Old Queen at the Movies,” knows how to tell a good story about Hollywood’s yesteryear. He’s also an accomplished actor, and will be putting both those skills to use in a one-night one-man show in New…
Here’s the 38th Throwback Thursday article; the time I got coffee and cupcakes with Ed Koch. I met Ed in October 2011 on a trip to New York, the city where he served as mayor for three terms in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2011 he was a partner at…
When NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan was at the top of his game, all he could think of was suicide. His working days in the league were spent as an offensive tackle for the New England Patriots and later the Kansas City Chiefs. But at other times all he could think…
Portrait painter (and 101st stranger featured on this site) Jonathan Blum has announced his travel plans for November and December, so if you’re looking to meet him and buy some of his unique art here’s your chance. He’ll be at festivals and other events in New York and Washington, DC….