Who’s Coming to Dinner?

[Boris_A]

I'd invite:

- Alain Chapel (I'd try to make him cook)

- Giuseppe Verdi

- Vanessa Redgrave

- Thomas Jefferson

Edited March 3, 2004 by Boris_A (log)

[balmagowry]

lucky you that you worked with Kevyn Aucoin. he seems like one of those relatively rare people who *was* actually as nice as everyone said they were.

Fred Rogers is another person in that category - whoever it was that invited him chose an exceedingly generous-spirited and charming guest. I'd also recommend trying to get him to stick around after the party, especially if you've done the cooking yourself and are feeling the effects of your effort: among his many other virtues, the man gave an unparalleled shoulder massage.

[phlawless]

I feel quite pedestrian with my choices:

Tom Petty

Chuck D

Frances McDormand

Jonathon Franzen

the next night:

Bill Murray

Stockard Channing

Bill Clinton

Robert Plant

Edited March 3, 2004 by phlawless (log)

[balmagowry]

I feel quite pedestrian with my choices:

Tom Petty

Chuck D

Frances McDormand

Jonathon Franzen

the next night:

Bill Murray

Stockard Channing

Bill Clinton

Robert Plant

Pedestrian, schmedestrian. Need a waitress for that second seating? Or a fly on the wall? I'll apply for either.

[spiceonice]

-Evgeni Plushenko (Live)

-Napoleon Bonaparte (Dead [stating the obvious])

-Falco (Dead)

-Jesus (Once again, must I state that he is dead?)

[YKL]

Please excuse me if this is a tired old topic but I didn’t manage to find anything with any of my searches.

My friends and I have been known to amuse ourselves with the following game – the idea is that you are hosting a dinner party, and the question is who would be your fantasy dinner guests? (apart from your dearly beloveds of course!) Can be anyone you want – dead or alive, real or fictional, etc etc. The combinations can get pretty wacky, and you find yourself saying things like, “Well of course I’d love to have Al Pacino for dinner, but I’m afraid he’s only as a back up for Jack Nicholson!”

My problem is that whilst there are tonnes of people whom I’m adore or admire from afar (Nelson Mandela, George Clooney, Jonny Wilkinson, Paula Radcliffe, Judi Dench to name a few), it can be a different matter when I’m thinking (with my tenuous grip on reality) whether they would be much fun at a dinner party. I.e. will they appreciate the fine food and wine, will they be sparkling and witty conversationalists, or will they be too shy or too dominant in the room.

I have a bit of a rolling list which changes periodically, and this is how my current list stands:

Males: Bill Clinton, Stephen Fry, Jack Nicholson, Jools Holland (assuming there is a piano for him to play!)

Females: Clarissa Dickson Wright, Sharon Osbourne, Dawn French, Mo Mowlam.

But if I expand the list to include fictional characters as well – then I want Aragorn (*sigh*), Jane Austen’s Emma – and watch as she tries to play matchmaker for everyone, Jo March or even Dumbledore. My friends pointed out that Bridget Jones could be quite funny since she would inevitably get plaster very quickly – but I feel it is wrong to invite people just to mock them!!

So – any thoughts? Or is this some weird game that I show grow out of?

Cheers

Yin

X

[John Whiting]

Here's the last time we went that route.

[ElfWorks]

so, if the topic has been discussed before elsewhere, should we not respond here?

xo

[Pickles]

Here's my fantasy list:

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

M.F.K. Fisher

Kate Hepburn

Cary Grant

James Beard

The Cast Of "Are You Being Served" --my fave comedy show

The Queer Eye Guys

Benjamin Franklin

Yogi Beara

Sophia Loren

Julia Child

The Grandparents I did not have a chance to meet

[aliwaks]

Know its been done before and elsewhere but this is my favorite game.

Bullied somoeone once to admitting that he would like to have dinner with the cast of the Golden Girls

here's mine:

Jesus (great guest esp. when you run low on wine)

Marquis de Sade

Oscar Wilde

Mae West

Jerry Garcia

Gertrude Stein

Alice B. Tolkas to help me cook and to make brownies for Jerry & Janis

Picasso

Tom Robbins

JD Salinger (cause why the hell not drag him out from where ever he's hiding and see if he has anything to say)

Johnny Depp & Orlando Bloom, but they have to sit next to each other and wear eye makeup

Edward Gorey

Janis Joplin

Wow am I having a dinner party or an orgy?

[ElfWorks]

wow. anyone who would want mr gorey for dinner is aok in my book!!!!

(i am a gorey fanatic) have you been to the gorey house?

lisa

[aliwaks]

wow. anyone who would want mr gorey for dinner is aok in my book!!!!

(i am a gorey fanatic) have you been to the gorey house?

lisa

no haven't didn't even know about it!!! Where is his house?

Lisa you can come to my dinner party too.

[Carolyn Tillie]

wow.  anyone who would want mr gorey for dinner is aok in my book!!!!

(i am a gorey fanatic)  have you been to the gorey house?

lisa

no haven't didn't even know about it!!! Where is his house?

Lisa you can come to my dinner party too.

I've been collecting Gorey for 30+ years...

[touaregsand]

The crew from the last supper. I know the number exceeds six. Jesus of course has to come, Judas can stay home, the rest can draw straws. Wine and bread are musts. I choose Milan as the location.

[hazardnc]

Ok - this is a thread I have considered starting many times, so I will go first - but do I really have to limit it to six people???

All of my guests are alive, thank you very much. At my party, I want to laugh, have interesting discussions, enjoy good food and good music.

My guests - writers, comedians and musicians, and all very smart people!

David Sedaris, Tony Bourdain (he is there to make me laugh, not to cook, plus my 17-year-old daughter has a huge crush on him), Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, Rufus Wainwright and Michael Stipe (they have to perform, sorry).

Plenty of cocktails and wine will be served, main course would be Frogmore Stew, aka a seafood boil because it's easy and always good. I would have to make a special dish for Michael Stipe 'cause I think he's vegan.

[daniellewiley]

Ok - this is a thread I have considered starting many times, so I will go first - but do I really have to limit it to six people???

All of my guests are alive, thank you very much.  At my party, I want to laugh, have interesting discussions, enjoy good food and good music.

My guests - writers, comedians and musicians, and all very smart people!

David Sedaris, Tony Bourdain (he is there to make me laugh, not to cook, plus my 17-year-old daughter has a huge crush on him), Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, Rufus Wainwright and Michael Stipe (they have to perform, sorry).

Plenty of cocktails and wine will be served, main course would be Frogmore Stew, aka a seafood boil because it's easy and always good.  I would have to make a special dish for Michael Stipe 'cause I think he's vegan.

←

Can I come?? Sounds wonderful.

[petite tête de chou]

A few interesting ideas can be found here click

[hazardnc]

A few interesting ideas can be found here click 

I figured this has been covered before - sorry I missed the previous thread.

[handmc]

As many egulleters that could make it to Pennsylvania for dinner. I can't imagine a more interesting or animated crowd. That is if they promise, not to criticize the food, help prep and cook, if inclined, bring their favorite dish, kids and most importantly be willing to clean up after

[Ben Hong]

Young Julius Caesar

Genghis Khan

Sun Tzu

George Patton

General Giap

Von Clausewitz

[EllenH]

Oh fun!

Hmmm, for all things literary:

Dorothy Dunnett

Iris Murdoch

A.S. Byatt

I think the meal here would clearly be high tea!

To talk about music & play a few tunes with:

Dolly Parton

Eck Robertson (texas fiddler)

Sting

Buddy Bolden (I'd be sure to make a recording!)

This would be a creole/southern/soul food feast, although not sure Sting would eat that, isn't he vegan or something?

[jodicalhoun]

Jack Paar, Bea Lillie, Lucius Beebe and Mark Twain.

[Paris M]

Dorothy Day, Nancy Ward, Langston Hughes and Caesar Chavez make my list.