Interviewing strangers over a meal since 2008 (as featured in the Washington Post)
“Get the early show if you can — look at the state of me, I’m not even buying green bananas anymore.” Bernie Clifton was 82 and two days from the end of a pantomime run when I caught up with him for coffee in Hull in December 2018. In the…
Pete Gardner spent decades as one of the hardest-working people in comedy that you’d never heard of. Improv stages in Chicago, guest spots on TV, near-misses that would have broken most people’s resolve. Then came “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” the musical comedy series where he played the lovable Darryl Whitefeather – and…
Happy anniversary to Mikko Kosonen, who opened his Nordic restaurant on R Street NW eight years ago because, as he told me in the 118th dinner interview, nobody else in Washington was doing it. The former Finnish embassy chef has been educating D.C. diners about his type of food ever…
“If we don’t talk about someone’s criminal backstory then we’re just a cooking school and who gives a shit?” Mike Curtin doesn’t sugarcoat things. The CEO of DC Central Kitchen sat down with me for breakfast at Unconventional Diner in December 2018, just weeks before the organization marked its 30th…
Cher. Bon Jovi. Imagine Dragons. Music from the films “Stayin’ Alive” and “Rocky.” If you’re familiar with these names or titles, you’ve probably heard Tom Marolda’s work – you just didn’t know it. The Grammy-nominated songwriter, performer and producer has spent decades as one of music and Hollywood’s most dependable…
“You can’t be all things to all people. Do one thing and do it well,” says Mark Bucher. He’s built his entire Medium Rare restaurant philosophy around that principle, achieving success with a simple idea. . When I sat down for dinner with him at his Arlington location in November…
After 16 years and 143 dinners, Dining With Strangers is finally on Instagram. Starting today, I’m archiving the entire interview series on Instagram from the very beginning in November 2008, when I had brunch with a friend in New York and came up with the idea for this site. Each…
Growing up in Detroit, Alex English never thought about a career making people laugh. But once he left the city and moved to New York, an impromptu decision to take part in a comedy club’s open mic night made him decide to become a professional comedian. He’s written for television,…
Jeb Brooks, the 141st dining stranger, is quoted in a Washington Post article today on the slow dismantling of basic economy perks, specifically the major airlines’ decision to stop letting budget passengers earn frequent-flier miles. Jeb and his wife Suzanne spent a day in April 2025 testing basic economy across…
“Battleaxe,” “wife from hell,” “Lady Macbeth” – Christine Hamilton has heard every insult. She gained notoriety during the 1990s cash-for-questions scandal that ended her husband Neil’s political career, bankrupted them, and seemingly defined their lives forever. Nearly 30 years later, journalists still can’t write about the couple without re-litigating the…