Do Americans want more face-to-face interaction, and not even realize it? Two pieces caught my eye today that suggest we do.

In its April issue, Bon Appetit reports on underground supper clubs that, for a small sum, bring together disparate groups of people to literally and figuratively break bread in living rooms, backyards and vacant work spaces. Inspired by the paladeres (in-home dining experiences of Cuba) and the dissident underground dining scene in Berlin, these culinary speakeasies are "taking the formality out of restaurant dining and creating a communal and populist alternative." San Francisco's The Ghetto Gourmet mixes art and performance into the dining experience.

And at zillowblog, an Empty-Nester couple who swapped a sprawling suburban home in Texas for downtown Seattle condo, confesses to how their everyday lives and interactions with others have changed in every way imaginable -- for the better:

• "Now, we stand face-to-face with people in our building’s elevators, at our corner hangouts, and on the sidewalks. We chitchat and pet our neighbors’ dogs. We exchange “good mornings” with the people we pass everyday on our way to work. "

• "Our local video store proprietor has very decided ideas about what we should and shouldn’t rent -– he’ll actually pull DVD’s from under the counter and say, “Here -– I was saving these for you.” Instead of feeling anonymous in the big city, we’ve grown to feel welcomed and wanted, and we’ve become friendlier, too. "

• "Spontaneity has become a big part of our lives. We see movies, baseball games, and go to the theatre, concerts and museums without planning ahead since they are all within easy reach. We often stroll to our local park, where there’s almost always some sort of event or concert going on. An added bonus to all of this activity is that we are healthier and stronger than we’ve been in years."

Read the sweet, full account, here.