Booker and Cruz were spotted dining together at a Capitol Hill restaurant last week. Booker: My dinner with Ted Cruz

Sen. Cory Booker said Thursday that when he met last week with Republican firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz for dinner, they had a “great intellectual discussion” and “no filibusters.”

The New Jersey Democrat said he’s trying to work with Republicans, even when finding common ground is difficult — including in restaurant selection.


“First of all, he’s a Texas meat-eating cowboy, I’m a Jersey boy, vegetarian, so choosing the restaurant alone,” Booker joked Thursday when asked about the meeting on “Good Day New York” on the local Fox affiliate.

Booker and the Texas Republican were spotted dining together at Capitol Hill restaurant Bistro Bis last week.

( Also on POLITICO: Booker shuns spotlight)

“We went to a place close to the Capitol and we sat, what was going to probably be an hour meeting, we sat for three hours,” Booker said. “He and I sat for three hours looking for common ground. We found some good areas that we agree on.”

The newly installed senator said that the pair discussed the economy, and he praised Cruz’s intelligence.

“There was no filibusters going on, he did not read ‘Green Eggs and Ham,’” Booker cracked. “We had probably one of the best constitutional law discussions since I got out of law school. And I loved it, we just had a great intellectual discussion, but we quickly moved to … there are trends in the economy that have nothing to do with partisanship that are just bad.”

Citing wage stagnation and youth unemployment, Booker added: “We talked about what the facts were and then started trying to find ways we might get solutions.”

( Also on POLITICO: Cruz tells CPAC: 'Stand on principle')

Booker said his meeting with Cruz was just one of many he has planned. In fact, he said he intends to sit down with every Republican in the Senate.

“I’m going to meet with every single Republican, every single one of my colleagues,” Booker said, saying he has been working with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and has met with Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).