On Monday, June 23, I arrived at The Star on Park Street to have dinner with seven strangers. The restaurant, known for its deep-dish pizzas and the elaborate renovated bank interior, was the assigned location for my table through the Alameda Pulse Dinner Club, a new local series that helps Alameda residents meet and form community over dinner once a month.
The dinner series was organized by Sean, founder of Alameda Pulse, a free weekly bulletin listing things to do around the island, in collaboration with the dinner club platform DNNR, which handles the restaurant booking and other logistics. The club is open to all solo diners and pairs who are 18 and older.
After participants sign up for dinner and take a short quiz, they are matched into small groups of six to eight people. The Alameda restaurant isn’t revealed until the morning of the dinner, giving the evening an exciting element of surprise. There’s a $19.99 booking fee to secure a seat at each curated dinner, and participants then pay separately for their own food and drinks at the restaurant.
In addition to supporting local businesses, the dinner club seeks to curate an individualized experience for anyone who signs up. The 12-question sign-up quiz asks practical questions about dietary preferences, allergies, budget, and whether participants will be bringing a plus-one. It also asks a few questions meant to help shape the table dynamics—whether someone tends to listen before speaking, share ideas to spark conversation, or make sure everyone has a chance to be heard; whether they are looking to make friends, date, or build a professional network; and whether they hope the dinner will be playful, intellectual, or a mix of both. Other questions include whether participants prefer meeting people who share their values or people who bring new perspectives. There is even a prompt to describe yourself with an emoji.
Sean says the idea to start the Alameda Pulse Dinner Club grew out of a need he noticed locally. “I noticed so much happening around the island, but not many chances for people to actually go out and…meet new people, make friends, and try new foods,” he says. He points out that even though we have great breweries and more on the island, it’s still hard for people to break out of their shells and meet new friends. Plus, he adds, “These dinners help support local businesses, since they all happen in Alameda. We don’t go to any chains.”
The Alameda Pulse bulletin first surveyed readers to gauge interest in a dinner club in late January 2026. After an outpouring of enthusiasm, the first dinner was scheduled for the end of February. More than 80 people attended that first dinner. According to the Alameda Pulse bulletin, one participant said, “This was SO much fun! I was a little nervous at first, but once we sat down and started chatting the nerves went away. 10/10 would recommend for meeting new people.” Others commended on the low-pressure nature of the event. The bulletin also reported that some groups arrived 45 minutes late to the after-party because they enjoyed their dinner so much.
The DNNR model is “hostless,” meaning participants are not guided through formal icebreakers or a program once they arrive. Even without a host, my table of eight settled quickly into easy conversation. We were all approximately the same age and came from Alameda as well as Oakland, Emeryville, and surrounding areas. We discovered we had quite a few things in common as we talked about movies, hobbies, Alameda and San Francisco, pets, and our jobs.
The dinner was friendly and low-pressure, and it was wonderful to connect with new people without having to figure out where to go or who to invite. As dinner wrapped up, we were invited to join other tables at Town Tavern at 8 p.m. Most of us were too tired to attend, but the prospect of mingling with more locals was exciting.
Response so far has been strong, Sean says. Sixty to 80 people attend each dinner. As he puts it, the event is “really for anyone looking to meet new people and step outside their comfort zone a bit, while enjoying some good food.”
The next Alameda Pulse Dinner Club is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m.
Vivian Delchamps Wolf (English PhD, UCLA, 2022) is a professor of English at Dominican University of California and a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. She is also a disability justice advocate, ballroom dancer, cat lover, and board game enthusiast. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Vivan-Delchamps-Wolf.
