Tom Sietsema
Tom Sietsema
Critic

Weaned on a beige buffet a la “Fargo” in Minnesota, Tom Sietsema is the food critic for The Washington Post. In thinner days, he was a critic for Microsoft Corp.’s sidewalk.com and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer; and a food reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle.

This is his second tour of duty at the Post. Sietsema got his first taste in the ‘80s, when he was hired by his predecessor to answer phones, write some, and test the bulk of the Food section’s recipes. That’s how he learned to clean squid, bake colonial cakes and distinguish between nutmeg and mace.

Latest by Tom Sietsema

Tom Sietsema: A dim Baltimore star

Tom Sietsema: A dim Baltimore star

The first of two restaurants to open in the sleek new Four Seasons hotel in Baltimore, Wit & Wisdom doesn’t quite live up to its venue.

First Bite: Sixth Engine elevates firehouse fare

First Bite: Sixth Engine elevates firehouse fare

The owners have kept the fire station vibe but focused on “restaurant-forward” fare.

Back in action: Banana Leaves

The pan-Asian Dupont Circle restaurant is back in service after a fire closed the space for more than a year.

Ask Tom -- Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema discusses the DC dining scene

Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema discusses the DC dining scene