You don’t even have to be planning a birthday dinner to ask this question! The point is that people always like to be helpful so it’s good to frame the question in a way that gives someone an opportunity to solve a problem for you. And everyone has restaurants they like. There are also lots of good follow-up questions that can come after you start talking restaurants. “When did you last eat there?” “What’s best on the menu?” “What was the occasion that brought you there most recently?” All of these will lead to more authentic connection that the rehearsed answers to “What do you do?”

Source: This Forbes list of conversation starters.

Have you asked this question? How did it go? Do you have advice for how best to ask it? PLEASE RATE! AND WRITE A REVIEW (in the comment box below)!