The Dinner Party Download
Welcome to The Dinner Party Download, a fast and funny hour of culture, food and conversation: “public radio’s arts & leisure section.” In every episode you’ll learn a joke; bone up on an odd bit of history and then wash it down with a themed cocktail recipe; meet artists of note; have your burning etiquette questions answered; savor an emerging food trend; and hear your new favorite song. Plus, unconventional wisdom from hosts Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam.
Latest episodes
Dec 30, 2016 • 54min
Best of 2016: Saoirse Ronan, Guillermo del Toro, Jamila Woods
We look back at our favorite moments of 2016! Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro professes his love for insects and imperfections… Actor Saoirse Ronan pronounces Brendan’s name correctly… Mya Taylor (star of “Tangerine” and winner of DPD’s “NOTscar”) finds home on the range … We toast the high-flying, history-making exploits of Bessie Coleman, the first black […]
Dec 22, 2016 • 52min
The 2016 Holiday Special: Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward, Alton Brown, Nick Offerman
Zooey Deschanel and M Ward of the band She & Him suggest some holiday music deep cuts, for the sun and the snow… Alton Brown waxes poetic about eggnog, before serving up etiquette advice… “Parks and Rec” alum Nick Offerman breaks down his Oscar-worthy YuleLog video (that’s just him sipping whiskey for 45 minutes)… Vanity […]
Dec 16, 2016 • 50min
367: Barry Jenkins, Gael Garcia Bernal, Lucy Dacus
Filmmaker Barry Jenkins finds magic in “Moonlight”…Actor Gael Garcia Bernal waxes poetic about art and “Neruda”…U.K. wit Caitlin Moran proposes steam baths for politicians and onesies FOR ALL… Folk phenom Lucy Dacus spins us a soundtrack built for living rooms and river beds. Plus: Jedi poetry, “Surfy Christmas,” and tiny Jane Austens.
Dec 13, 2016 • 20min
Speakeasy Special: Anthony Bourdain, Jamila Woods, Rick Astley
Ta-da! It’s an all-new episode of our impromptu Speakeasy podcasts. This time, Rico and Brendan reflect on their recent trip to Cuba (be sure to check out photos here). Plus, you’ll hear a few bonus pieces of audio not included in full episodes! Rick Astley tells us how his daughter helped him cope with becoming […]
Dec 9, 2016 • 52min
DPD Holiday Special Special: Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, Fran Lebowitz, Macklemore
It’s one of our favorite (holiday) episodes: Hip-hop legend Darryl “DMC” McDaniels riffs on his mega-hit “Christmas in Hollis”… TV’s “Naked Chef” Jamie Oliver injects some health into our holiday menu (okay, some butter remains)… Humorist Fran Lebowitz cuts through holiday sap with tart advice… Macklemore & Ryan Lewis craft a Yuletide playlist, featuring your […]
Dec 2, 2016 • 51min
366: Anthony Bourdain, Mackenzie Davis, Kurt Wagner
Celebrated chef Anthony Bourdain gets tough and tender in our etiquette segment… Breakout actor Mackenzie Davis (TV’s “Halt and Catch Fire,” the new film “Always Shine”) opts for reality over (manic pixie) dreams… Kurt Wagner, frontman of Nashville band Lambchop, turns back the clock with his party soundtrack…Iconic silver screen rebel Toshiro Mifune gets a […]
Nov 25, 2016 • 50min
The 2016 All-Food Show
It’s a week of feasting, which means it’s time for our special All-Food Show! Star chef Roy Choi reinvents fast food, in the heart of Watts… Comedian Jim Gaffigan advises you to pack your kids’ lunch with pub fare… Nahnatchka Khan, showrunner for TV’s “Fresh Off the Boat,” thanks her Dad for drive-thru laughs…Marlon Brando […]
Nov 18, 2016 • 50min
Episode 354: Kristen Bell, Sharon Jones, Junius Meyvant
Encore Broadcast: We revisit our conversation with the late great soul singer Sharon Jones… “Bad Moms” star Kristen Bell entertains our emoji etiquette questions… Comedian Josh Gondelman celebrates his Sublime relationship… Icelandic musician Junius Meyvant DJs your dinner party… Author Charles Russo teaches us about Bruce Lee’s early days… Plus, the robots that wrote the world’s […]
Nov 11, 2016 • 42min
364: Davy Rothbart, Annabelle Gurwitch, Gustavo Arellano, Demi Adejuyigbe
This week, it’s a special podcast episode taped LIVE at the Now Hear This podcast festival! Davy Rothbart, host of the acclaimed “Found” podcast, tells us about heart-warming root canals… “Gilmore Guys” co-host Demi Adejuyigbe tries to convert Brendan and Rico into, well, “Gilmore Guys”… The OC Weekly’s Gustavo Arellano pushes buttons left and right… […]
Nov 4, 2016 • 50min
363: Nick Offerman, Emily Witt, Rick Astley
“Parks and Rec” alum Nick Offerman carves out his own niche, solves problems with bear hugs… Singer and godfather-of-memes Rick Astley lists some alternatives to his beloved “Rick-roll”… Journalist Emily Witt ponders sex and love in the 21st century… And “Daily Show” correspondent Hasan Minhaj makes a lofty proposal! Plus: drooling drummers, a cold war […]
