Welcome to the first episode of Lunch with Shelley in 2026! To celebrate this fun occasion, we have the great Tom Sietsema, the renowned food critic for 25 years at the Washington Post, as our first guest. I have been a devoted reader and a great admirer of Tom’s for his entire tenure at the Post, and he even exceeded my expectations at this truly wonderful lunch!

Upon leaving the Post in December, Tom continues to write, cook, frequent restaurants, and travel. Join us at our sunny table at the delicious Claudio’s table to hear about how Tom got into the food business, great stories about favorite restaurant memories, our mutual love of dining, and his exciting plans for 2026!

Check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast, and in the meantime and as always, Peace, Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with today’s special guest Skye Marinda. Skye is a tarot reader, life coach, and event curator here in DC. She views tarot as a fun and creative tool for self-reflection and guidance, and her talents have been featured in The Washington Post, Axios, WTOP, and The Washingtonian.

Since 2020 – Sky has given over 2,000 tarot readings and led workshops to hundreds of people from all over the world. She also curates witchy art markets – parties - and events all year long!

Join us at the always yummy Peacock Café for a fun conversation about all things Tarot, witchy, how Skye came to be a tarot pro and her reading for DC over delicious tomato soup and salads. Check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast and as always Peace, Love and Lunch!

Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with today’s special guest Todd Gray. Todd is the Co-Owner and Founder of Equinox on 19th – a fantastic restaurant and a true DC institution.

Todd is a highly accomplished chef with a rich culinary background, so tuck in with us during lunch at Equinox while we talk about how Todd got into the business, how he met his wife, LOTS of food talk, a little bit of Grateful Dead chatter, some tips for Thanksgiving cooking, and much much more! .

Check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast, and as always and in the meantime. Peace, Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with our most world-famous guest to date – the Right Honorable Liz Truss! Liz Truss is the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party. Her political career and ideological outlook have had and continue to have a profound impact on contemporary British Conservatism and the western world.

Liz Truss was first elected Member of Parliament for Southwest Norfolk and quickly rose through the ranks, holding ministerial posts under David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson. Throughout her political career, she consistently advocated for classical liberal and free-market Conservative principles, meaning a smaller state, lower taxes, deregulation, and a belief in the power of individual enterprise to drive economic growth. Her eventual Premiership was shaped by this ideological stance.

Liz remains politically active and is a prominent voice among free-market Conservatives both in the UK and abroad. She recently Co-Founded and Chairs the Verity Alliance Foundation, which champions the fundamental values that have made Europe and the West great, focusing on the power of national sovereignty, the importance of free speech, and the enduring strength of Christian values that have shaped our civilization for centuries.

Join us at the great Billy Martin Tavern for great food and a fabulous discussion about her powerful book “Ten Years to Save the West” as well as politics today, music, food of course and so much more!

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 with today’s special guests John and Kristin Cecci! John and Kristin are the epitome of a DC power couple, since they are both deeply committed to this city in so many meaningful ways, including the recent purchase of the historical City Taven Club!

Kristin is an entrepreneur -- a sustainability and healthy living advocate – and a philanthropist who bridges the worlds of real estate development, fashion, and charitable giving. John Cecchi is a second-generation real estate developer who founded Cecchi Homes in 2014 to fill a void he discovered in the construction business while redeveloping some of Washington ‘s most historic and elegant homes.

Join us in the Grill Room at the beloved City Tavern Club for terrific Martin’s Tavern takeout food and great conversations about their plans for City Tavern, health and wellness, their philanthropic focuses, their cute meet story and much much more!

Check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast and as always and, in the meantime, Peace Love and Lunch!

Welcome to the latest episode of Lunch with Shelley with special guest Steve Clemons. Steve is the Chairman and CEO of Widehall LLC, a strategic communications, public policy, and white label events consulting firm, the Editor-at-Large of The National Interest, and a Co-Chair of the U.S. Initiative at GLOBSEV – a European national security think tank.

His career is simply fascinating and so hear about, so join us at our mutually beloved Café Milano for a great conversation about why it’s important to gut punch inertia, the significance of uncomfortable conversations in today’s environment, celebrities he’s met and worked with, Hollywood, French and Italian commendations, and SO much more!

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 featuring two special guests – Lord and Lady Elliott of Mickle Fell.

Sarah and Mathew Elliott are both old friends and a true UK power couple! Sarah Elliott is the Director of the UK-US Special Relationship Unit. She has spent most of the past 20 years working in US politics, advocating for policies that encourage economic prosperity and preserve individual freedom.

Mathew Elliott is one of the UK's foremost public policy thinkers and campaigners. He founded four high-profile pressure groups and convened two respected policy commissions. Most recently, along with speaking engagements and consultancy, Mathew has built a private sector portfolio, while maintaining his interest in public policy as President of the Jobs Foundation and a member of the UK House of Lords.

This is the first time we’ve hosted a couple, a Lord and Lady and the first time we’ve hosted Brits! So pull up a chair at the at the always delicious Café Milano to talk all things British including the Royals, UK politics, what to wear to the Royal Ascott and a special love story!

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 today’s special guest, Kristi Rogers. Kristi is an incredibly accomplished international security expert with extensive leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. She’s married to Mike Rogers, a former Congressman and Intelligence expert, and together they are running for Mike to be the next U.S. Senator from Michigan!

Kristi is also the managing partner and co-founder of Principal to Principal and P2P Strategies, both strategic positioning companies operating at the most senior levels of business and government. Additionally, Kristi serves on the Board of Business Executives for National Security (BENS), and she co-chairs the Women’s Foreign Policy Group Board. She serves on the Advisory Councils for Forgepoint Capital, George Mason University’s National Security Institute, and the Silverado Policy Accelerator.

Kristi is a very smart and fun guest, so join us at the always fabulous Café Milano, with the newly engaged Cleavon Davis in tow, for a conversation that spans the globe with a focus on all things Michigan, national security, food of course, and even a love story!

Check us out at www.lunchwithshelley.com or wherever you get your favorite podcast, and in the meantime Peace, Love and Lunch!