More Than A Meal

We live in an age of abundance and isolation. Feeds scroll endlessly, group chats multiply. And yet genuine conversation, the kind that changes how you see something, has become harder to find. We are more connected and more lonely than ever before.

Course & Discourse is a deliberate antidote. A room where phones stay in pockets. Where a shared meal does what shared meals have always done: loosen shoulders, open minds, and make strangers into something closer to friends.

In the long tradition of Washington dinner parties, and longer tradition of Parisian salons, we believe the moment calls for renewed attention to who is in the room, and what we’re talking about once we’re there.

The Concept

Many of us leave deep intellectual inquiry behind when we leave school, trading it for headlines and feeds. Course & Discourse brings back the spirit of the salon: philosophizing, questioning, opining, and even collective action on complex current topics.

Each dinner is built around a theme. Before you arrive, you’ll receive a few suggested sparks — perhaps a podcast episode, an article, even a local field trip — to get your wheels turning. On the night of the event we’ll begin with an icebreaker, then move through a multi-course meal where the dishes nod to the theme and the discussion kicks off with a provocative question.

Around the table, generations mix, perspectives stretch, and conversations unfold with people you might not otherwise meet: neighbors, strangers, and soon-to-be friends alike.

Dinner inspirations come from well-known cookbook authors like Yotam Ottolenghi, Alison Roman, and Samin Nosrat, along with NYT Cooking and classics like Silver Palate and Joy of Cooking. We depart from the recipes to bring original flavor and fresh ideas into each dish, with the topic of the evening serving as a touchpoint for each course to interplay with the themes of the discussion. The food is as considered as the conversation.

Who Joins Us

Course & Discourse draws people who are curious by nature and hungry for connection — intellectuals and artists, policy wonks and scientists, newcomers to the city and DC lifers. What they share is an appetite for ideas and an openness to having their minds changed.

It is for people who are looking for a salon or a space for real intellectual exchange outside of academia or the office; want to meet people they wouldn’t otherwise encounter in their usual social or professional circles; are stepping back into community after a period of isolation, and want a warm, structured way to do it; simply love a beautifully cooked meal and the conversations that happen around one.

Guest lists are curated to ensure a diversity of backgrounds, ages, and viewpoints. No two dinners are the same.

Your Host

India believes that some of the most important conversations happen around a table. A proud host-with-the-most, she has been cooking and conversing for as long as she can remember, because creating a warm, welcoming space is as important to her as the food itself.

Her instinct for gathering people and tackling difficult issues extends beyond the table. India has a degree in Conflict Studies with a focus on negotiation, a certificate in Community Mediation, and years of experience facilitating discussions among diplomats and data scientists, visitors and locals, Baby Boomers and Gen Z. She has a knack for making sure every perspective is heard, everyone feels welcome, and conversations meander organically without ever losing purpose.

Course & Discourse was born from a desire to bring together people who are curious about the world and hungry for each other’s company. After years of hosting imaginative themed dinners complete with playlists, cocktails, and costumes India wanted to go deeper. Course & Discourse goes beyond décor and menus to curate the conversation itself.

She welcomes you to enjoy your seat at the table!