Staff picks: Dinner guests

Of life’s small pleasures, few are greater than sharing a meal with an interesting companion. Unfortunately, most of the people who would immediately come to mind as fascinating dinner guests are dead, famous, fictional, or some combination of the three. For this week’s staff pick, we asked our writers to decide what one person, in a situation of wild fantasy, they would choose to grab a bite to eat with, regardless of whether they’re alive, well-known, or ever even existed at all.

If I could sit down and have dinner with anyone in history, it would be Mister Rogers. Mister Rogers is the perfect neighbor and friend that everyone only wishes that they could have had when they were growing up. Plus, he is a classy guy with an endless collection of cardigans to perfectly match all of his ties as well as matching tennis shoes to go with his color coordinated “casual attire.” I think that he would make for a fun dinner guest. [Litza Craig]

If I could have dinner with any person from history, it would have to be Princess Diana. She was beautiful, classy, personable, and I have so many questions for her. What was being a princess like? Was your life as scandalous as the tabloids said? And who is Harry’s real father? [Caroline Rogers]

If I had the chance, I would make sure to have dinner with Orville Redenbacher for some obvious reasons. For one, he is a master of swag. To make things even better, he makes some pretty good popcorn that we could eat. [Graham Benefiel]

I would give anything to have dinner with Dumbledore. To get a glimpse of his wisdom and incredible wizardry would be so cool that I’m not sure I would make it through without crying. I would ask all about the wizarding world and magical creatures. We would most definitely go to the Three Broomsticks and eat the traditional food of the Harry Potter world. [Annie Smith]

If I were to have dinner with anyone in history, I would have to go with Bill Nye the Science Guy. What better to complement a meal then some friendly science talk? It would sure to be a fascinating meal. I mean, science does rule after all.  [Tori Lafon]

If I could have dinner with anyone in history, it would obviously have to be Harrison Ford. I would enjoy not only looking at that beautiful man but also asking him all about his adventures as his many iconic characters. He’s been a president, an archeologist, and a space smuggler. I’m sure he has many great stories to tell. [Zoey Line]

The one person I would love to have dinner with is Audrey Hepburn. She’s the epitome of grace and beauty, plus she was an amazing philanthropist. I would love the chance to learn the secret behind how she balanced so much on one plate with her acting and philanthropy, all while being perfectly graceful and stylish. [Mackenzie Lee]  

If I could have dinner with one person, it would be Julia Child. She was one of the best cooks in the world, and her cookbooks changed the way people cooked across the US. Just think of making dinner with the ever entertaining Julia Child. All of her recipes sound amazing, especially her Beef Bourguignon, and cooking with her would be the chance of a lifetime. [Hannah McElroy]

Sharing a meal with Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, would be transformative. I could ask him so many questions about cotton and about machines and industry in general. Eating a meal with me would probably equally as transformative for him. What more can I ask for? [Kelsey Kinzer]

If I could have dinner with anyone, I guess I’d have to go with Misha Collins. His part in Supernatural is possibly one of my favorite things about the show. He does this really deep voice for his part, and I just really want to know what his voice actually sounds like. [Cameron Scott]

He’s not my favorite actor of all time, and I’m still a little under-educated on his earlier work, but Bill Murray seems like the perfect person to have dinner with. Not only is he a pop-culture icon and an integral part of a handful of amazing movies (Lost in Translation, Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom, Groundhog Day, The Life Aquatic…), but based on his history of interactions with fans and some of his cameos (Zombieland), he seems game for pretty much everything. Plus, his ability to mix meaningful conversation with deadpan humor seems ideal for mid-meal chit-chat. [Jack H. Evans]