Former dining stranger Michael Wilkinson is not only one of the founders of Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza chain in Washington, DC, but also an avid photographer who is inviting people to the closing of his latest show. His work has been on display at Mara Home at 2213 14th…
Interviewing With Strangers
The last week or so has been a bit bonkers for me. I’ve found myself on the opposite side of the interview, being asked questions about Dining With Strangers and why I launched the website. It all started thanks to the Washington Post. Their reporter Mike Rosenwald turned the tables…
La-Ti-Do Takes Manhattan
Do you live in New York and want to see a cabaret show called La-Ti-Do? Of course you do! And even if you don’t live in the Big Apple, head up there! Launched in Washington, DC, La-Ti-Do is a weekly chance for local artists to gather and perform. I learned…
Interview 78: FuckUp Nights In The District
Apologies for the swear word in this post’s title, but FuckUp Nights is the name of an organization that brings entrepreneurs together to share stories of business failures, discuss what they learned from the bad experiences, and provide insight that might help them and others in the future. The group…
Interview 77: A Meal At Marrakech
Late last month I had dinner with DC resident Jenny Wang. She works in public relations in the District, and has fallen in love with the city. Jenny said life in Washington is a big contrast from the rural Pennsylvania town where she grew up, and also shared tales about…
Strangers Wanted
I realize I’ve not updated since last month’s interview with actor Fred Melamed. Whoops. The 77th dinner with a stranger will be online next week. But in the meantime, I’m getting ready for a holiday that includes stops in several cities. If you live in any of the below locations…
Interview 76: Meeting Mr. Melamed — Part II
Last week I uploaded part one of my interview with actor Fred Melamed. As promised, one week later I’m uploading part two. In this installment, Fred talks more about being adopted as a baby; his experiences meeting his birth mother and father; moving from New York to Los Angeles; his…
Interview 76: Meeting Mr. Melamed — Part I
Today marks only the third time I’ve had a two-part interview on the site. The reason for today’s two-parter is because Hollywood actor Fred Melamed had so many interesting things to say about his life that breaking our almost four-hour dinner into two segments is the only way I can…
Updating With Strangers
A new two-part interview starts this Friday, but until then here’s a quick wrap-up of some updates about a few of the 75 strangers I’ve interviewed since starting the site in 2008: — Quirky musician Lorraine Bowen has a ringtone out of her hit “The Crumble Song” made infamous thanks…
Interview 75: The Restaurateur
The Musso & Frank Grill is a Hollywood landmark. Since 1919, the restaurant has catered to more television, music and movie stars than current proprietor Mark Echeverria can count — not that he names names. The venue prides itself on being a low-key place for celebrities to visit, free from…