to dine for

It is always exciting when someone watches and enjoys something you create. Season TWO has been a true labor of love. On the most challenging days (and there have been many) I’m reminded that to be able to tell stories of hope, inspiration and self- actualization is a total privilege. This program is so much more than delicious food. And believe me – there is a LOT of scrumptious things to see and experience on TO DINE FOR. It is a chance to see and understand people in a different light. When we talk about what we love, we come alive. And as artist Ashley Longshore says in the final episode of the season. “I just want to come alive. That’s why I love color and painting because it makes me feel alive.” Me too Ashley. Me too.

This season there is a greater emphasis on INNOVATION and CREATIVITY. What can one way of life teach another? How can Sara Blakely’s journey from fax-machine saleswoman to inventor to founder to billionaire to women’s advocate teach us all about creativity and doing things differently. There isn’t a single episode that I haven’t thought about you the viewer. And what YOU would get out of this. I hope you feel like you are at the table with us…listening and learning from these masters. Visionaries. Rays of light. In their own way. Each guest has been hand-picked not just because of what they have created but who they are. The force they bring to the world. Of creativity. And goodness.

Food. How we eat. What we eat. and Where we eat. It says a lot.

When I created the concept for TO DINE FOR, I had a hunch that by doing it at someone's favorite restaurant we might get to see that person in a different light. Wouldn't it be something to see television icon Norman Lear at his favorite restaurant talking about how his career got started? What about Jessica Alba sharing her journey from Actress to Founder of the Billion dollar brand The Honest Company? What is her favorite restaurant? How about movie director M. Night Shyamalan? Where is his favorite restaurant and what would a meal look like with a creative genius? Creators. Founders. Authors. Actors. Architects. Dreamers sharing the story of WHO they are and WHAT they created...and most importantly, WHY they created it. Stories that are inspiring and galvanizing and simply fascinating. Stories of failure and starting over and grinding it out. Stories that help you see your own path more clearly and leave you hopefully...hungry for more.

You can find TO DINE FOR on PBS stations nationwide, pbs.org, CREATETV and Amazon Prime.