Post Magazine: The State of the Plate

Washington has become a culinary powerhouse, thanks to hot chefs, hip dining rooms and affluent customers eager for fabulous food, asserts Tom Sietsema , whose annual dining guide appeared in this week's Washington Post Magazine .

Today, Sietsema will be online fielding questions and comments.

Tom Sietsema is the Washington Post's food critic.

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Tom Sietsema: Whew! It's done! Time to go on the diet ...

Puttting the annual dining guide together is like writing a book every year. I start visiting restaurants in May, get really busy over the summer months and typically don't turn in my last review until mid-September (or even later, if my editor lets me).

I hope you like what you see. I certainly enjoyed working on the project.

Bring on your questions and comments.

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All that eating out!: Tom, I think you said in a previous chat that you eat out 50 - 60 times per month?!? Do you ever get sick of it? Don't you ever want to stay home and have something simple? There's not much that beats a PB&J in your PJ's!! =D

Tom Sietsema: I don't get tired of eating out, but I DO miss cooking at home. My refrigerator is filled with coffee beans and wine and not much else.

People who do what I do often crave simple things -- scrambled eggs, a good burger -- because their work lives are filled with a lot of what's fancy, new or otherwise hot.

Roast chicken sounds pretty tempting right now.

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Arlington, Va.: Do you regard all three branches of Jaleo as equally strong? It seems like they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but your guide and past reviews tend to lump them together.

Tom Sietsema: The Jaleo in Washington's Penn Quarter -- the original tapas restaurant -- is my favorite.

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Washington, DC: Tom,

How long do you usually give a new restaurant after it opens to work out the kinks? A lot of times, my friends and I want to try a new place we see right away, but much like "The Rules", we tend to stay away for the first couple of weeks.

Tom Sietsema: I give a new restaurant about a month to work out any kinks before visiting multiple times for a formal critique. So much can change in those first 30 days, and I don't want to write about what is essentially a moving target. It's not fair to the restaurant or useful for readers.

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Alexandria, Va: Tom, know this question is not about the Dining Guide, (which BTW was great as always), but our whole office is waiting and wondering intently -- when is Bebo's Trattoria opening in Crystal City?

Tom Sietsema: I believe Bebo begins serving lunch this Wednesday.

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Fairfax, Va: Hi Tom, Enjoyed the dining guide as always, but have a general question: in your lists of the restaurants by location and cuisine, why not also include the star rating for each? It would be nice to have all the ratings as part of these lists without having to separately refer back to the individual writeup for each restaurant to get its rating. Seems like an easy fix....(guess I put alot of stock in your stars!)

Tom Sietsema: Space is always a consideration. I guess I'd rather fit in a couple extra reviews than a side bar repeating information. But we'll consider your suggestion, which is a good one, for next year.

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Foggy Bottom, Washington, DC: Tom, One thing I don't quite understand about your new dining guide is the numbering system. I'm assuming each restaurant within each subject is number by preference, yet the corresponding stars don't quite add up (i.e. a 2.5 star restaurant is first, followed by a 3 star restaurant second). How should the reader interpret this?

Tom Sietsema: Easy. The restaurants are listed alphabetically in each category.

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Washington, DC: Tom,

Given all of the examples that uniquely exist in our fair city I was curious why there was not a single Ethiopian restaurant listed in your ethnic best bets? You've hinted recently that some former favorites have slipped, but have they slipped so far that not a single one merits a recommendation? Not doubting your judgment, just wondering why such a staple of local cuisine (and one that always comes up as something D.C. should be proud of) is completely absent.

Tom Sietsema: I knew I'd get this question, and it's a good one. For the guide, I went back to a few Ethiopian restaurants that I previously liked and didn't find one that was noticeably better than the others. Etete is fine -- period. I enjoyed it a lot more a year ago. Given how much more I liked the work at the other places in the "ethnic" category, I decided not to include an Ethiopian representative this time around.

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Silver Spring, Md: Tom,

Thanks so much for doing such a great job each week. I know that it must be a major effort to winnow down all your reviews to the dining guide. I don't have any major quibble with the guide, though I am suprised that there was no Ethiopian restaurant in the Ethnic section, and I had hoped that Urban BBQ would be mentioned again, but that is because I live near enough to go often and love their wings.

I guess my question is, how did you decide to use the format you did instead of just saying that "I think these are the 40 or 50 best restaurants in the DC area."

Tom Sietsema: Every year, I aim to come up with a riff on the popular "favorites" theme. My first year, I told readers where I would spend my own money. Another year, I spilled the contents of my little black (restaurant) book. Last year, I put the restaurants in categories defined by occasions. This year it was so obvious: DC has become a fabulous city to eat in. The guide is my supporting evidence of that theory.

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Capitol Hill, Washington DC: Tom--I notice that none of Jeff Tunks's restaurants are included in this year's guide. In recent chats, you have said that both Ceiba and Ten Penh have been performing below their previous high levels, and I haven't heard a word about DC Coast in some time. What's going on with his restaurant group, in your opinion?

Tom Sietsema: Honestly? I think filling seats and making money has become more of a priority for the company than serving great food. While the service at all four restaurants is good, the food is middling at best. It's sad.

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Alexandria, Va.: Tom,

Loved the Dining Guide (again). My question: With thousands of restaurants in the Metro DC area, how in the world do you choose which ones to review?

Tom Sietsema: Well, it's my job to stay on top of the scene. For this year's guide, each restaurant had to be a place that contributed to making DC the great food city that it is.

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Washington, DC: TOM: do you have any thoughts about Butterfield 9? I want to treat my wife to a night out and I've heard some good things about the place. Is it worth the trip?

Thanks you.

Tom Sietsema: Yep. Butterfield 9 is delicious again.

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NW Washington DC: HiTom,

I noted that you gave 2 Amys and 1789 both 3 stars. I DID read the review of both, of course, but still don't understand the fascination with 2 Amys' pizza--the 3 times I've been there, the edges were burnt, and the toppings did not go anywhere NEAR the crust. Please consider this question--I do value your opinion and truly do not understand.

Thank you.

Tom Sietsema: I've eaten at Two Amys about 15 times over its life. I love the crust, which I could it all by itself, and I prefer that the round not be piled high with toppings. I like other things about the experience, too: the thoughtful wine list, the scrumptious appetizers and desserts, the relatively affordable cost.

I know others who disagree with me - one friend asks for his pie to be burnt, but he never gets it that way -- and wonder where they prefer to reat pizza in the area.

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Gaithersburg, Md: Tom,

Has Mark and Orlandos suffered a drop off since your initial review or were they a victim of limited space and a plethora of noteworthy restaurants?

Tom Sietsema: I'm charmed by the owners and the space -- and some of the cooking. But in the end, I obviously didn't include it because there were other places I thought were more significant.

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S. Rockville, Md: Do you offer up advice for national magazines when they rate or review DC-area restaurants? There's a national magazine that recently mentioned a couple of newish DC restaurants, and I wonder if they got the word from you.

Tom Sietsema: I get calls all the time from magazines and other publications, asking me for tips and suggestions. In some cases, magazines also call publicists (PUBLICISTS) in different markets, which is why you see places like --- well, I won't go there today -- getting raves in print when in fact they don't even rate very well in their own market!

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Washington, DC: The one thing I missed was this: I think the best oysters I've ever had in the USA are at Old Ebbitt. I know the rest of the menu is corporate-flat, but in terms of your theme, whaddaya think?

Tom Sietsema: I've raved about the bivalves there in the past. But this wasn't an oyster issue. ;)

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Washington, D.C.: Were there any "borderline" restaurants - ones that at the last second you decided against including?

Tom Sietsema: Yes. In the last week, I raced back to four or five places to have another taste of them.

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Alexandria, Va: Tom,

How do you account for the dramatic disconnect between your review of Buck's Fishing and Camping and the average reader review of One Star (from 14 reviews!), the lowest rating possible? Could you be getting treatment and food different from the masses?

Tom Sietsema: Does the staff at Buck's know me? They do. Can a chef suddenly become better or worse if I'm recognized? Not likely. As I point out in my mini-review of Buck's, I haven't loved every dish and the menu could be longer. But when Carole is on, she's ON. And I love the space.

If those reader comments had real names attached, I might give them more credence. Until then, they're just ... anonymous reader reviews.

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Washington, DC: Not that Washington, DC is known as the fashion capital of the world, but are there any restaurants in the area where you've just walked in and said, "Wow! They've really made an attractive spot."

Tom Sietsema: I certainly feel that way about CityZen and to a lesser extent, places like Rasika, Buck's Fishing & Camping and Jackie's.

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Washington, D.C. : Do you know where chef, Sharon Banks, is offering her excellent fare?

Tom Sietsema: Fans can still find her zesty jerk chicken, fried kingfish and rum raisin bread pudding, but they have to travel to Brooklyn to do so. Earlier this year, Sharon (late of Washington's Ginger Cove/Ginger Reef) launched a small catering operation there, Yellow Yam, a nod to a staple of the Jamaican pantry. For details, e-mail yellowyam1@nyc.rr.com.

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College Park, Md: Tom,

Should we consider that a four-star rating would be comparable to what, say, the New York Times would give? New York has a lot more restaurants, but their four-star ratings seem to be like a major event. I'm surprised that even as good as DC might be, that they really have four comparable four-star restaurants.

I'm thinking of my hometown, Louisville KY whose local food critic gives out 3 and 4 star ratings practically every week. There are about a dozen restaurants there with four-star ratings that would probably rate 2 to 2 1/2 stars by your ratings.

Thanks for all your hard work.

Tom Sietsema: For the most part, I compare DC restaurants to DC restaurants. Four-star establishments should be "superlative." I'd rather be conservative with stars than throw them around.

P.S. I believe the Times has given four-star ratings to seven restaurants in New York.

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Downtown Washington, DC: I wholeheartedly agree with you about 2 Amy's. I love not only the pizza, but also the wine list ( on a hot summer day, the prosecco hits the spot!) The Cod Fish Croquettes are so good I want one right now! I also agree with your inclusion of the Jose Andres restaurants, they are definitly my go to when I want a great meal that doesn't break the bank, with the exception of Minibar, which I have yet to try. About Minibar, can you make special requests? My husband and I would love to try it, but he is diabetic and I can't tell if we would be able to make the chef aware prior to going.

Tom Sietsema: When you book a seat at Minibar, you will be asked if you have any dietary restrictions.

The thing that amazes me about Jose Andres is how he and his staff juggle so much so well. He and his crew prove that a company can have multiple concepts and do all of them well. That's rare, in this business.

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Reston, Va: Tom: What was the most surprising establishment to drop off your list?

Tom Sietsema: 2941

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Washington DC: 4 stars for the Dining Guide this year! It hits high notes (and surpasses the prior 2 years) in terms of organization, presentation, utility. What is less exciting is how few surprises are in it in terms of destinations. Is DC fully explored and we just continue to plumb the same depths - or is there more on the horizon? Also does the 4-star rating for CityZen mean they have worked out their service & attitude problems? They seemed off kilter a bit earlier this year.

Tom Sietsema: Recently opened or on the horizon: PS 7's from chef Peter Smith, late of Vidalia; Roberto Donna, scheduled to open Bebo in Crystal City later this week; Michel Richard (planning Central); Robert Wiedmaier (planning Beck's); New York's Laurent Tourondel (planning BLT Steak); New York's Eric Ripert (aiming to open a place in the Ritz Carlton next year); and Ris Lacoste (considering her options in the city's West End).

For starters.

I went to CityZen three times, just to make sure it merited another star. It is not perfect, but pretty close! But that's true of any enterprise run by humans, right?

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Charm City: Tom- Looks like Charleston was the only Baltimore restaurant that made it into the dining guide. A much deserved accolade, IMO. Any other Baltimore establishments close to inclusion?

Tom Sietsema: You must be reading an old dining guide! Charleston is not on this year's list. As great as that restaurant remains, I wanted to concentrate on places that are nearer Washington, or more closely identified with our dining scene.

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Centreville, Va: Tom, we loved your reviews yesterday. But do you have any advice on where we can take our 2 1/2 year old and our 10 month old to eat. Somewhere that doesn't have a drive thru and is close to Centreville, Chantilly area. Both do fine in restraunts. We just want t upgarde teh experience from the fast food chains and still be accepetd with kids.

Tom Sietsema: Asian restaurants tend to be good with children. Try the modestly pretty Thai Basil on Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, which has a long and varied menu.

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Arlington, Va: Tom -- I know that this is not your area but I have to gripe. I keep your annual dinig guide at the ready until the next one is released (actually I usually hang on to each one for a few years). But once again the magazine arrives completely mangled. Why oh why can my Sunday magazine not arrive without a cover missing, pages torn, etc.

Great guide, by the way. I think. At least what I could read was great.

Tom Sietsema: Are you a home subscriber? Doesn't the Magazine come in plastic wrap?

Send me your address (via asktom@washpost.com) and I'll send you a "clean" copy.

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Washington, DC: Tom, great job with the dining guide. But the list is growing old! Is it time to move to a new city? I know, I know Blue Duck, Rasikan and a few others are new but for the most part, the guide is full of recycled ideas. Maybe DC really only has 30 or so really good places and that's the reality?

Tom Sietsema: Recycled ideas? I don't understand your thinking. In addition to highlighting a bunch of newcomers (Ray's the Classics, Cuba de Ayer, the Oval Room, etc.), I've changed a number of star ratings. And the theme -- Washington as a top-tier restaurant destination -- is certainly news, right?

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Sterling, Va: Tom, Why didn't Restaurant 2941 make the fall dining guide? I have been there, it seems to be one of the top ten in the metro area. Is there something you know that the rest of us should be told?

Tom Sietsema: I thought 2941 would make the list, too! I had high expectations going in, but my most recent visit there was not a particularly memorable one. Our white wine was served at too warm a temperature, there weren't any dazzlers among the 10 or so dishes I sampled and what used to be fun -- cotton candy presented at meal's end -- now seems dated. Dinner cost about $115 a person; for that price, I want to leave saying "Wow!" not "Huh."

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Washington DC: Hi Tom, As usual you have done a great job with your dining guide. Now you need a vacation. If the editor asks you to take a paid vacation anywhere in the world, where would you like to go first? Just curious....

Tom Sietsema: Thanks for the chance to day dream ...

Either Tokyo or Sydney.

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San Francisco, Calif: Tom-

I'm sure you're getting a million "What about this restaurant?" questions today (and this week, and this month). I know it's tiresome but I'm curious, what about Marcel's? I think they fancy themselves one of DC's top spots for food and service (their prices certainly reflect that self-confidence), though you seem to mention them infrequently and you decided not to include them in the dining guide. Did they not fit any of your categories or are you just not that impressed? I've had incredible food there and I believe they were just named 3rd overall in DC by Zagat readers. Yeah, I don't buy into Zagat either but that does make them a significant presence in the DC scene. What are your thoughts on the place?

Tom Sietsema: I wish Robert Wiedmaier spent more time in his kitchen. He's a talent who isn't using his gifts very well (very much) these days. At the prices he charges, I want to see him in the restaurant more often.

If Bob Kinkead can do it, if Patrick O'Connell can do it, if Michel and Fabio and Eric can do it, so should Robert.

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Washington, D.C.: Mostly just a comment: I think by focusing on restaurants that make DC a great restaurant city, you excluded more truly inexpensive restaurants. Obviously Kotobuki is a treasure, and I don't expect pizza places to be expensive, but Corduroy isn't really an inexpensive restaurant.

Tom Sietsema: Corduroy was one of those restaurants that could have fit into several categories. What I like about the place is, a diner can get excellent French cooking for a reasonable sum. Power is a very fine chef. I could eat his food every day.

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Bowie, Md: Tom, to prevent your cover from being blown, do you pay cash when you eat alone, and ask friends to charge it when you eat with them? Also, I assume everyone working for the Post knows who you are and what you look like.

Tom Sietsema: I'm not going to answer the first question, only the second:

After six years in the building, I'm STILL meeting colleagues. And if I wear a disguise, I only do it when I'm leaving from home, not from the office. Only a few close friends and associates know my cloak-and-dagger routine.

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Landrum's Tantrum: So what do you think of your chum Michael Landrum's vitriolic missive to your colleague Marc Fisher? Is he has nuts as he seems to come across in writing?

Tom Sietsema: Some call him nuts, I call him "passionate."

I have great respect for what he's done with his two restaurants.

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Bethesda, Md: Hello! We're new here and enjoyed reading through your recommendations. We'd like your thoughts on the best places to eat vegetarian. Thanks!

Tom Sietsema: Welcome to Washington. For casual, meatless dining, I head to Yuan Fu in Rockville, Sunflower in Vienna and Nirvana in downtown Washington. Reviews for all three can be found online.

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Arlingtondria, Va: How can you dismiss Evening Star Cafe or Tallula as neighborhood dining spots to die for? I don't get your evaluation system at all!

Tom Sietsema: It's not that hard to understand: I simply don't think either of the restaurants you mention are "to die for" and Tallula in particular gets a fair share of reader complaints.

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Bravo, Dear Chap: Excellent work on the dining guide. I agree completely with your sentiments on the DC dining scene taking it to another level. Now, what can we do about Jaleo's 1 star ranking for reader reviews on the WaPo website? What are these people (admittedly only 2 reviews) smoking?

Tom Sietsema: Thanks.

I have little control over reader reviews on this site. Keep in mind, those summations are written by people who can remain anonymous. My work, whether you agree or disagree with it, at least has a real name attached to it.

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Washington, DC: Fabulous job, Tom. It was "interesting" to see an ad in this issue quoting Phyllis Richman's review of the place. Next they'll be quoting Craig Claiborne or Clementine Paddleford in their ads!

Tom Sietsema: Hey, Phyllis Richman still carries clout in this city. But I hear you about reviews and freshness. Always check the date on when a rave originally ran!

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Washington, D.C.: This is a stupid question, but I'm curious, so here goes. What do you do when you're sick? Doesn't it throw your sense of smell/taste off? Do you have to scrap those tasting days? Thanks for indulging my sophomoric curiosity.

Tom Sietsema: If I have a really bad cold or something, I don't review. It wouldn't be fair to the restaurant. (Although there WAS that time in Paris, where I sat through a pricey, Michelin-starred lunch with stomach cramps because I was staring at a Postcard column deadline ...)

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Buffalo, NY: Tom,

You're stranded on a desert island and can eat only one type of food for every meal each day. What type of food is it?

Tom Sietsema: Does wine count as food?

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Washington DC: Hi Tom,

Maybe a rather indelicate and peripheral question, but--

How do you keep your weight in check? I'd be so tempted to eat all of everything. Do you have to exercise a lot?

Tom Sietsema: I think I gained about five or so pounds doing this guide. I'm pretty religious about hitting the gym and I rarely finish everything on my plate, since I know another meal is only hours away.

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Baltimore, Md: Tom, Love the dining guide, as usual. Was curious about the decision to exclude Acadiana--were they on the borderline? I saw that Esquire recently named it one of the best new restaurants in the country(along with Rasika).

Tom Sietsema: I prefer the service to the cooking at Acadiana.

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Georgetown, Washington, DC: Hi there

Great job on the Dining Guide, as always.

My impression is that Rasika is THE place to go for Indian food. Is Heritage India on upper Wisconsin still worhtwhile (or did I miss its mention)?

Regards--

Tom Sietsema: I went back to Heritage India for the guide. These days, for traditional Indian cooking, I'm partial to the menu at the Bombay Club, which recently brought in some fresh kitchen talent and tweaked its menu.

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Sarasota, Fla: Tom, are there ever times where when you've eaten something that you think "needs something" that you've ever brought it up to the chef?

Tom Sietsema: Rarely. My forum for those kinds of comments are in the newspaper or an online discussion, not in the dining room.

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Bravo: I think your latest review is above and beyond any of your past dining guides. The writing, photography, and restaurants selected are just superb! Thank you for giving 'us' the readers a view into the magic that our restaurants are creating.

Tom Sietsema: Wow. Are we related?

Thank you.

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Arlington, Va: Is there any reason to fear that the breakup of the personal partnership between Patrick O'Connell and Reinhardt Lynch, discussed in a recent Post article, will jeopardize the extraordinary Inn at Little Washington?

Tom Sietsema: I visited the Inn after the breakup and couldn't see or taste any difference. Those guys are pros. And they're not so foolish as to take anything away from something they've both spent decades burnishing.

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Falls Church, Va: Kudos!!! As a life long DC native who has watched the restaurant scene evolve over many decades ( I won't say how many years since that would hint at my vintage, but let's just say that I remember when fine dining was defined as French only and there were mainly two to choose from, Rive Gauche and the one on 17th near the White House whose name escapes me at the moment), I am wowed at what a sophisticated food city DC has become. Though I mourn the passing of several old favorites, and rue the proliferation of national chains, I applaud the newcomers, those who are willing to risk a lot of money (it's big money), their reputation, and hard work to succeed at what is one of the riskiest business ventures one could start.

And, I'd like to say that restaurant critics' work has evolved as well, and in this case, I'm applauding you. I appreciate your efforts to provide broad coverage, well-researched and as-objective-as-you-can reviews of the DC dining scene. While I may not always share your view, I appreciate the effort you put into it and how seriously you take the service you provide. I, like another chatter today, hope that you have a well deserved vacation planned soon. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Tom Sietsema: You just made my day.

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Washington DC: I think where Washington is lacking is good everyday, neighborhood kinds of restaurants. I'm sure the 4 star restaurants are exciting, but I'd be lucky to go to those places once in a year.

Where is the cheap but good pasta house now that Il Radichio is gone? Chinese better than PF Chang? Mexican better than Chipotle?

Tom Sietsema: But I DID include inexpensive and other-than-fancy ideas in the guide!

Cheap pasta: Amici Miei in Rockville

Chinese: Joe's Noodle House in Rockville

Mexican: Guajillo in Arlington

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Prince George's County: Not one restaurant in Prince George's in your dining guide. Which isn't surprising since there hasn't been a mention of one Prince George's restaurant in any column you've written all year.

Tom Sietsema: Point me to something good -- and worthy of the attention of a million sets of eye balls -- and I'll show up.

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Washington, DC: Hello Mr Sietsema,

Eagerly awaited your dining guide and was not disappointed.

We've booked a table for Citronelle for our 20th anniversary, and are looking so forward to it. What should we absolutely not miss?

(Also, as an aside, how do you pronounce your last name?)

Thank you!

Tom Sietsema: Don't miss the chef's eggplant soup - SO much sexier than it sounds -- or his mosaic of seafood.

And finally, it's SEET-suh-ma.

Thanks for spending your lunch break with me, everyone. I'll be back here chatting again on Wednesday at 11 a.m., mu sual time and place. Ciao.

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