Interviewing strangers over a meal since 2008 (as featured in the Washington Post)
In September 2016, I offered dinner with me as a prize in a silent auction for a fundraiser, after being contacted by the organizers who were hosting the auction for charity. David Stivaletta, an accountant in Washington, DC, bid the winning amount. That’s how we came to meet for Italian…
“Hi, I’m Joe Himali.” Spend any time on social media and you might be familiar with that greeting from Joe, a real estate agent in Washington, DC, who has found viral fame with his quirky videos sharing architectural secrets in the city and beyond. I met Joe in the District…
Gary Krist, a New York Times-bestselling writer of historical non-fiction and the 70th stranger I met, will be in DC next week to talk about his latest book. He’ll discuss Trespassers at the Golden Gate: A True Account of Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco at Politics &…
Brad Rushing is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer who has enjoyed great success in charge of photography for movies, music videos, commercials, and more. During a visit to DC in September 2016, he met me for the 93rd dinner with a stranger to talk about how he got into the industry…
For the 132nd meal with a stranger, I met Naomi Paxton in London for an enjoyable brunch. She’s an academic, researcher, magician, performer and more, always on the move as she hustles for her various interests. It means she wears many hats, the most obvious being the literal colorful hats,…
Former U.S. Senator Larry Pressler (R-SD) is concerned about the state of politics, fearing it’s become so bitter and broken that it’s impossible to advance good laws. Now out of Congress and officially an independent, he told me about his one-man bid to save democracy — and also about his…
After an almost five year hiatus, Dining With Strangers is back! For the two or three people still reading this site (thanks mum and dad), I’m glad to restart the dinner interviews. The site launched in 2008, and I met many strangers for meals, writing 130 profiles. When the pandemic…
In June 2016, I met youth advocate and artist JR Russ in Arlington, Virginia, for the 91st meal with a stranger. JR told me how he loves the world of theater and dance, and has since he was a child. But these days he finds his passion for the arts…
Missed this when it happened but it’s still fairly recent, so here we are: British entertainer Bernie Clifton finally released his autobiography, “Crackerjack to Vegas,” and has been on tour in the U.K. to promote it. Bernie featured on this site as the 115th stranger, back in December 2018. I…
Eleanor Clift never imagined being a famous political reporter in Washington, DC. For the 90th dinner interview, in June 2016, she told me how her early goal of being a secretary who would be able to type up interesting notes led to a career that has seen her cover every…