Gary Krist is a New York Times best-selling author whose latest book, Empire of Sin, is a work of historical non-fiction chronicling New Orleans in the early 1900s. It’s a fascinating story about the battle for the modern city, played out mostly in the notorious Storyville district where prostitution and…
Happy New Year
Happy new year! The first dining interview of 2015 is scheduled to take place later this month in Washington, DC, so look for that article early in February. In the meantime, if you came here via a mention on the Today show of “dining with strangers” I’m sorry to say…
Another Year Of Dining
As 2014 draws to a close, here’s a recap of the strangers I met during the year. Early in the year I was interviewed by Perry Stein of the Washington City Paper for an article about Dining With Strangers. I had a fun time talking with the reporter, and it…
Interview 69: The Bee Lady
For more than 30 years, Jean Bishop has dressed up in an eye-catching bumblebee costume as a way to gain attention for her fundraising efforts for Age UK, a British charity that offers a host of services to the country’s elderly. Her sunny demeanor and energetic, award-winning fundraising efforts —…
The Stranger Before Christmas
Heading back to England tomorrow for a two-week trip to the home country. While there, I’m hoping to do one more interview before Christmas Day. That’ll help me hit my self-imposed goal of doing at least one interview a month in 2014. That interview is meant to take place on…
Interview 68: Chatting With Caecilia
My 68th dinner is now online! This is my meal with Caecilia Kay. She’s a single mother living in Maryland with a dream of one day being a communications and public relations professional. She’s on medical disability at the moment, so trying to find the right balance between coping with…
National Lager Day
A little late in the evening for this, but today is apparently National Lager Day in the United States. If only it could be a public holiday, then I might be able to get fully behind it. I discovered this fact while browsing the multiple daily updates that New Orleans…
All Are Welcome
Michael Wilkinson is one of the founders of Washington, DC-based pizza restaurant company Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza. Back in 2009, he let me into Pete’s Columbia Heights restaurant to learn all about how he got involved in the business — and I even got to try my hand a…
Interview 67: Brobson’s Big Easy
Brobson Lutz moved to New Orleans decades ago to study medicine at Tulane University, and has stayed ever since. For years he’s lived in the French Quarter, enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of everything that the Big Easy has to offer. With a Southern drawl and an easygoing charm,…
Black & Gold: Encore
New Orleans-based t-shirt company Storyville is taking entries through Nov. 23 for its latest monthly contest to design a tee. November’s theme is “Black & Gold: Encore” — a second chance to craft a t-shirt dedicated to the primary colors of the city’s football team the Saints. I interviewed Storyville’s…