House Party Q&A

As we count down to a celebration of events and life on the Mountain with our first House Party, host Christina Grdovic asked some of the visiting personalities a few fun questions – from their go-to karaoke songs to their most memorable experiences. Enjoy!

1. What is your most treasured possession?

A little clay figurine my son made. It’s supposed to be Batman, but my son is my superhero, so it’s a special thing.

2. Which talent would you most like to have?

Play a musical instrument – I do a great job of pretending to.

3. What's your go-to karaoke song? Or what are the top three songs on your dinner party playlist?

My go-to? I’m blanking. “Every 1’s a Winner” by Hot Chocolate, “Feeling Stronger Every Day” by Chicago, “One Way Out” by The Allman Brothers Band and “Never Been Any Reason” by Head East. I love all those.

With dinner party playlists, I like to be obscure – have everyone in complete wonderment – so I dive into old English 70’s stuff like Bill Fay. I also theme it out, so lots of 50’s Italian-American top 40 for a big pasta party or alt country for a BBQ in the Summer.

4. Do you have a most memorable meal or most memorable dish, or what's your go-to meal to impress?

You’re asking the wrong guy. How much time do you have? If I could have one moment in time back, I want to transport my 57-year-old self back to 1968 and cook Thanksgiving for my whole family, all 50 of them, both sides. I want my grandparents to see I was paying attention all along.

5. What makes an experience unforgettable (or memorable)?

Life is about creating memorable experiences. We do it subconsciously all the time. I obsess about it. I think the one thing I know is this:

Extraordinary moments provide happiness throughout life, but as we realize our days are numbered, as we get older, it’s the small moments that count for more. The grand gestures are replaced by the simplest acts of thoughtful, intentional kindness.

A small light shining on a pad in a dark kitchen with a note that says “cold Szechuan noodles in fridge” after I get home at 4:00am from a long trip. I guess the secret is knowing your audience, right?

6. What celebrity are you most often mistaken for?

Fred Flintstone

1. What is your most treasured possession?

My Kubota Tractor.

2. Which talent would you most like to have?

To play the guitar (I can’t).

3. What's your go-to karaoke song? Or what are the top three songs on your dinner party playlist?

If I found myself in Tennessee and were forced to karaoke, I might go with “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks.

Albums:

Nashville Skyline - Bob Dylan

Exile on Main St. - Rolling Stones

Come Away with Me - Norah Jones

4. Do you have a most memorable meal or most memorable dish? Or what's your go-to meal to impress?

Open-fire cooking in the Summer: rib eyes, smashed potatoes, plus whatever fresh veggies are in the garden and grillable in the moment.

5. What makes an experience unforgettable (or memorable)?

Clearly, the people that are there!

6. What celebrity are you most often mistaken for?

Hasn’t happened.

1. What is your most treasured possession?

My garden

2. Which talent would you most like to have?

Teleportation

3. What's your go-to karaoke song? Or what are the top three songs on your dinner party playlist?

No karaoke for me.

Albums:

John Coltrane - Lush Life

Thelonious Monk - Monk’s Dream

Beastie Boys - In Sound from Way Out!

4. Do you have a most memorable meal or most memorable dish? Or what's your go-to meal to impress?

How about favorite cookbook of the year? “Clean Soups” - Rebecca Katz

5. What makes an experience unforgettable (or memorable)?

Having the best people around you to share it with!

6. What celebrity are you most often mistaken for?

Doesn’t happen, sorry!

1. What is your most treasured possession?

Besides my children, a slip that lives in a Ziplock bag at the top of my closet that was my grandmother’s, and it still smells like her, her house and all my childhood memories.

2. Which talent would you most like to have?

Green thumb

3. What's your go-to karaoke song?

Steely Dan “Dirty Work” followed by Salt-N-Pepa “Shoop”

4. Do you have a most memorable meal or most memorable dish? Or what's your go-to meal to impress?

A long, leisurely lunch in early Summer with beloved friends and family at Lo Scoglio in Nerano, Italy.

5. What makes an experience unforgettable (or memorable)?

I believe it’s the connection you have with others during an experience that sets it apart. The stories you tell, the stories you make in that moment – those are what stick to the bone.

6. What celebrity are you most often mistaken for?

It is with great pleasure that I can say – Marianne Faithfull. I will take that.