Welcome to the 2nd Mother’s Day episode of Lunch with Shelley!  It’s one of my very favorite episodes of the year, and to celebrate this special holiday we have my beloved son Sam for his second appearance on the show, our fabulous producer and friend Claude, and making his debut we’ve included the wonderful and always entertaining Jerry the dog to ‘dine’ with us! It’s hard to say who had the most fun during this episode!Pull up a chair at our sunny outdoor table at the always delicious Et Voila as we chat about sports, the many attributes of DC, Chipotle, fond memories and new endeavors!   Check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with our very special guest Kellyanne Conway, the first woman in US history to successfully helm a presidential campaign, one of the top pollsters and cultural anthropologists in the nation, a bestselling author, and a joyful Mom of four teenagers!Kellyanne is her usual delightful and insightful self, so join us at the always delicious Café Milano as we discuss politics, cultural anthropology, what people do when no one is looking, motherhood, being intentional, and of course the Eagles!!Check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley featuring this week’s very special guest Doris (RIS) Lacoste.  RIS is an American chef, restaurateur, philanthropist, and community leader and owns RIS, a GREAT American bistro. RIS has one of those life stories that are so varied and fascinating you won’t want this lunch to end! Tune in while we enjoy the magnificent food at her restaurant and chat about everything from Paris and French cooking to Nantucket and the DC restaurant scene, Hot Air ballooning, Julia Childs, what her last meal would be and much, much more! RIS is smart, delightful, authentic, and full of great stories, so join us at our sunny table for great food and great conversation at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast, and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with our special guest - the sunny and brilliant Margaret Spellings!  Margaret is a nationally recognized leader in public policy - and currently serves as President & CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center.  Her remarkable and extensive leadership experience in both state and federal government includes service as a U.S. Secretary of Education, White House Chief Domestic Policy Advisor, Senior Policy Advisor to then-Governor George W. Bush, President of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and President of the 17-institution University of North Carolina System.Margaret is both funny and insightful while discussing a wide range of topics, including her service during the George W. Bush years and 9/11 - COVID-19 - the state of education policy – and of course the glories of Texas and Mambo Taxis. Join us for a deliciously fun and patriotic lunch discussion at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with this week’s special guest Dr. Lee Morgan.  Dr. Morgan is my dog’s beloved veterinarian and a member of the elite veterinarian corps that contributes to the storied Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which he portrays in his newly released book “Four Thousand Paws.” Join us for a truly unique conversation ranging from language acquisition in dolphins - to working with NASA - to the heroic dogs and mushers who participate in the Iditarod.  Dr. Morgan (Lee) entertains us with descriptions of the distinct personalities and complex group dynamics of these remarkable canine athletes with riveting imagery.  His tales also include extraordinary first-hand accounts of all the majesty and frigid weather of the Alaskan experience, as well as profound faith lessons from his journeys there.We’re looking forward to dining with you at the perfect table at Peacock Café, so check out this episode at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and in the meantime Peace, Love, and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley featuring our new friend and strategic communications maven Alex Rosenwald.  We’re dining at Georgetown’s iconic Peacock Café, and we’re at the perfect table in the corner for Alex’s first visit here! Alex is the Senior Director of Communications at The Hill and Talent Relations for News Nation.  He oversees communication strategy and execution for two leading political news outlets in the US, utilizing his more than 15 years of experience in public relations, media relations, and corporate communications, working with diverse and high-profile clients across various sectors and industries.Alex is passionate about leveraging new media platforms and technologies to amplify both the Hill’s and News Nations’ brand and reach, as well as to showcase their talented journalists and analysts.So, grab a seat at our table to learn more about what’s cutting edge in the media world, the significance of intellectual curiosity and the importance of being a good person.We throw in a bit about dogs and LUNCH too of course, so we’re looking forward to dining with you at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast, and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with special guest Susan Holt.  Aside from being a great friend and superb neighbor, Susan is a very accomplished chef and culinary teacher, so we take her to LUNCH at Claudio’s table for her very first dining experience there!After graduating with honors from L’Academie de Cuisine, one of the top culinary art schools in the country, Susan worked in various Washington, D.C. restaurants, most notably Georgetown's famous 1789 restaurant, where she was the executive sous-chef, and for The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton for two-star Michelin chef Gerard Pangaud.  From there she went back to teaching at L'Academie de Cuisine and then exercised her entrepreneurship muscle and opened CulinAerie, a D.C. based and very popular recreational cooking school that offered cooking classes to people of all skill levels. Join us over pasta and wine as we discuss the importance of pivoting, what it’s really like in the front and back of a restaurant ‘house’, and her new endeavor as a budding author of an historical, epicurean romance novel!  And as a BONUS – we get a fantastic soup recipe too!We laugh and chat over our delicious LUNCH – and we think you will too! So go to www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast and, in the meantime, peace, love and lunch!!

Welcome to the latest episode of the Lunch with Shelley podcast, featuring this week’s special guest Vin Weber, my longtime friend and the second Weber to be on the show! Vin is a Partner at Mercury in Washington, D.C. and is one of the most prominent and successful strategists in the Republican Party, enjoying strong bipartisan relationships across the legislative and executive branches of government. He formerly served in the House of Representatives representing Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District from 1981 to 1993, where he was a member of the Appropriations Committee and an elected member of the House Republican Leadership.Join us over a fun and always delicious lunch at Et Voila for a wide-ranging conversation that includes the importance of leadership, the joys of Leech Lake, Minnesota, international and national politics, AI, and a special recipe! We’d love to dine with you, so listen to this fun, thought-provoking conversation at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and in the meantime peace, love, and lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley featuring this week’s special guest Bruce Mehlman, a partner at Mehlman Consulting, the author of very popular quarterly decks focused on political and policy trends, and despite his best efforts, a pretty optimistic guy!Bruce is a highly sought-after keynote speaker who regularly headlines  business conferences and strategic planning sessions.  While we get a personal rundown from Bruce, his quarterly infographic analyses are consistently picked-up by national media and eagerly consumed by tens of thousands of readers worldwide.Prior to leading one of the most respected and effective bi-partisan government relations firms in DC, Bruce previously served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy under President George W. Bush and also worked as a senior leadership aide in the House of Representatives, general counsel to a national political party committee and policy counsel to Cisco Systems.Join us as we discuss all things 2024 and beyond – what to be concerned about, reasons to be relatively optimistic, how to best be prepared for what’s coming down the pike, and our mutual love of lunch! We maintain a good sense of humor throughout the podcast even when we’re about to go down a pessimistic rabbit hole, so join us for salads, a few big gulps, and a fascinating conversation at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and in the meantime peace, love and  lunch!

Welcome to the first episode of Lunch with Shelley in 2024!! I have a super awesome guest to kick off this year with, my very dear friend Jane Adams, and we dine at the fabulous Palm restaurant with terrific sound engineer Blanca Vega, so this is a really fun and fascinating LUNCH to join and listen to!Grab a seat at our booth and listen in as we discuss how Jane started singing in a band, how she created the Blame it on Jane Band and found her soulmate and lead guitarist in the process, her career changes from the Cattleman’s association to J&J, her childhood diabetes diagnosis and her incredible passion for patient advocacy. Taking a chance and throwing out the checklists are big lessons from lunch today as well as food for thought for the new year, so check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and in the meantime, Peace, Love, and Lunch!!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley recorded for the first time from one of our new favorite lunch spots Claudio’s Table.  Our special guest is my friend and colleague Anita McBride.  Anita is the Executive in Residence at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies in the school of Public Affairs at American University.  She is also one of the longest tenured women that has served in the White House, having served three Presidents in personnel and management capacities, as well as serving First Lady Laura Bush as her chief of staff.  She is a frequent speaker, print source, contributor and commentator, and she is the co-author of the nation’s first textbook on the transformational legacies of the wives of America’s Presidents called U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies.Join us as we learn truly fascinating details about many of America’s First Ladies, discuss Anita’s Italian heritage (we even hear her speak Italian!), hear fun anecdotes about her consulting work for the HBO show Veep, and her take on the current state of kids, colleges, and education. Join us for lunch at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with my great pal and very fun guest Julie Chase.  Julie is the President & CEO of ChasePR, a full-service national media relations and marketing communications firm based in Washington, DC.  She is also a fellow frequent diner at Café Milano, so join us over pasta, burrata, prosciutto and vitello tonnato while we discuss everything from philanthropy, to art, to all things Georgetown and DC sports! We also highlight our long term bi-partisan friendship, and as always encourage everyone, no matter their politics or differences, to sit down and just have LUNCH together!Join us for lunch at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts and in the meantime Peace Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of LUNCH with Shelley featuring special guest Matt Brooks, the Chief Executive Officer of both the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), an organization dedicated to enhancing ties between the Jewish community and the Republican Party, and the Jewish Policy Center, a think-tank that examines public policy from a Jewish perspective.Join us as we sit in “Matt’s Booth” at the Capital Grille restaurant and digest the current political situations around the world and domestically, and then move on to lighter fare as we talk about the Eagles, what Matt’s ‘last meal’ might look like – and an incredible gift he received that got him cooking at the Inn at Little Washington.I have loved all of the lunches we’ve had over so many years – but this one definitely tops the list!  We cover the serious to the sublime, so tune in for this wide-ranging conversation at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts and in the meantime Peace Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley! Our super interesting guest is Delayna Watkins, who is the CEO of Total Woman Wellness, Inc., a comprehensive health enterprise dedicated to women's midlife wellness and healthy aging. As a board-certified registered nurse with extensive clinical and leadership expertise, she has gained recognition in the health and wellness industry, earning numerous community and national awards, including the prestigious Governor's Citation award for her unwavering commitment to healthcare.​She is also a three-time Amazon Best-selling author and the national TV Show Host of the Women's Wellness Lounge Show. Her influence extends beyond written work and TV, since she has been featured in People Magazine (where I first learned about her), The Steve Harvey Morning Show, the Dr. Oz Show, Fox 45, and numerous other local and national platforms.In her most recent endeavor, the "Menopause Experience" program, Delayna is determined to empower women to embrace their femininity during this natural life stage. Her presentation style is not only engaging but also highly educational, embracing a holistic approach that deeply resonates with audiences, providing a truly transformative experience. Join us at our booth at the delicious Black Salt restaurant for this very empowering episode as we delve into lots of issues surrounding women’s health and wellbeing, our mutual passion for destigmatizing menopause and adding some levity around it, and lots of other tidbits and laughter about everyday life and love.   Check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and in the meantime, Peace Love and Lunch!

Join us for a behind the scenes conversation about all the thought that went into creating the new and delicious Claudios Table – and a mouthwatering description of some of the new dishes you can look forward to!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with our special guest Shawn Townsend, President and CEO of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington.  Claude and I tucked into our favorite table at Et Voila to meet Shawn for the first time, since LUNCH is always perfect for meeting a whole spectrum of acquaintances, and in this case to make a new friend!Clearly Shawn runs an organization that is dear to our hearts, so join us as we discuss the DMV restaurant scene, how its doing and why it’s so important to continue to support it.  We also delve into some of Shawn’s very interesting previous jobs, including one of my favorites as DC’s Director of the Office of Nightlife and Culture, so we definitely dive into some stories about that!Add in a little romance while we hear a great story about Shawn’s pretty recent nuptials, and we serve up a really fun, interesting and informative LUNCH episode to dig into.  Give this a listen at  www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast, and in the meantime Peace Love and Lunch!!

WELCOME to the NEW season of LUNCH with Shelley featuring our very special guest Marlene Colucci, CEO of the Business Council, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for GXO Logistics, and a very dear friend of mine!Join us as we dine at the fabulous Café Milano over lots of seafood and champagne while we discover how and why Marlene came to DC, what it’s like to be on a publicly traded Board, fond memories over our enduring friendship, and one of the greatest lunches EVER with our Moms at Le Grenouille.Marlene is a warm, smart, and wonderful guest and we hope you’ll enjoy spending your lunch or some free time with us! Check out this latest episode at www.lunhwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast, and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!

Season 2 of LUNCH with Shelley is ready to launch!

Dine with us during the last dog days of summer with the super fun and accomplished Lisa Camooso Miller and guest producer Cleavon Davies at the ever fabulous Et Voila! In our last summer episode we talk about everything from how Lisa got to DC from NJ, to the trials of teaching teens to drive, to how to get your creative flow going. WARNING - this episode might make you extra hungry since we also discuss favorite family Camooso meals and best recipes! Relax and dine with us at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the ONE YEAR Anniversary episode of the Lunch with Shelley podcast!  Claude and I celebrated together at the ever fabulous Cafe Milano - just us - for  a fun, relaxing lunch together on a beautiful summer day.  We chat about how we first met and how the show began, along with just regular lunch conversations  that range from going to the movies and trips to McDonalds to the intricacies of self care and the importance of being nice.We hope you’ll enjoy listening to this very special episode at www.lunchwithshelley.com - we thank you for LUNCHING with us this past year - and as always - Peace Love and Lunch!