Andrew Alexander: The trials, triumphs of a food critic

To ensure he doesn't get special treatment, Sietsema is obsessive about anonymity. He's used elaborate disguises in elite restaurants such as the District's Citronelle and the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia. He has a dozen aliases and sometimes feigns a foreign accent. Concerned about restaurants using caller ID, he may have friends make the reservation. He has nine credits cards with different names so restaurants can't identify him through receipts. Sometimes he pays cash. He even took acting lessons to alter his physical demeanor. It can help, he said, because "people get used to seeing you in a certain way."

When assessing a restaurant, "food counts for about half" while service and ambiance account for much of the rest. "People don't go to restaurants just for the food," he said. "A lot of times, people are looking for theater, or a place to socialize." He typically notes the architecture and noise level.

There are occupational hazards, such as high cholesterol. Food stains have driven his annual dry-cleaning bill to $700. He controls his weight through exercise and portion control, sometimes salting desserts after a few bites to spoil them.

He strives for each month's reviews to include two District restaurants and one each in Maryland and Virginia, mixing cuisine and price range.

His most expensive recent meal: About $700 for two at the Inn at Little Washington (including a $105 bottle of wine he purchased personally for an anniversary celebration). But most meals are moderately priced. "I have as much fun eating low on the food chain as eating high," he said.

When dining at home, Sietsema said he cooks "simply" for health reasons because "it's the one meal I can control." But he's not above eating fast food, sampling the menu at KFC, Taco Bell, Wendy's or Burger King.

"That's part of the job," he said.

Bon appetit.

Andrew Alexander can be reached at 202-334-7582 or at ombudsman@washpost.com.