| Ask Tom
Hosted by Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Food Critic
Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002; 11 a.m. ET In a city loaded with diverse restaurants, from New American chic and upscale Italian to sandwich shops and burritos on the run, finding the best places to eat can be a real puzzle. Where's the best restaurant for a first date or an anniversary? Father's Day? What's the best burger joint? Who has the best service? Ask Tom. Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post's food critic, is on hand Wednesdays at 11 a.m. EDT to answer your questions, listen to your suggestions and even entertain your complaints about Washington dining. Sietsema, a veteran food writer, has sampled the wares and worked as a critic in Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Milwaukee, and can talk restaurants with the best of 'em. Tom's Sunday magazine reviews, as well as his "Ask Tom" column, are available early on the Web. The transcript follows. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Wheaton, Md.: Taking several visiting foreign journalists in a few weeks. Where in the downtown area would you suggest? Where do "Post" reporters hang out (hot dog carts excluded)? Tom Sietsema: There are any number of places to show off: the Oval Room near the White House (I sat next to George Stephanopolous there recently); Caucus Room in Penn Quarter for steak; perhaps Johnny’s Half Shell for fresh seafood in casual environs in Dupont Circle.
Post reporters have been asked to stay clear of expense-account places, these being tough economic times at all, so I can’t guarantee any sightings, but you never know.
Good morning, everyone.
Washington, D.C.: Hi Tom, First off, welcome back. We've missed you! I've read on your chats about people who experience terrible service. This happened to me last week, at Tahoga, sitting in the lovely outside patio. A waiter treated us like crap, starting out by taking another table's order before ours, even though we had arrived first, had already been there 20 minutes, and I had literally just asked if we could order. Then, 10 minutes later when he still hadn't taken our order, I went inside to find the manager, but I was headed off by the waiter, who rudely asked me, "What do you want?!?" He came to our table and got angry -- never apologized but instead waved his arms around and got mad, smashing the menus down on the table and then slamming the door behind him as he went inside. Fortunately, when we complained to the manager, he -did- apologize and gave us our lunch on the house. But I will not be going back to Tahoga any time soon. The question I have, based on all this, is: How do fancy restaurants end up with such terrible waiters? I've always assumed they must know that customers should be treated well. This was extraordinarily rude and incompetent service -- surprising to me at a nice restaurant. Thanks much, both for answering my question and giving me a chance to rant! Tom Sietsema: Rant away. That’s one reason I’m here.
It sounds as if the manager handled things well; free lunch is a generous consolation prize, don't you think?
But I, too, am struck at how unpredictable service can be these days. With all the unemployment and competition out there, you’d think restaurants would have a fairly competent pool of servers to choose from (and groom. Training of staff is essential to the success of a restaurant.)
Arlington, Va.: Signatures got a fairly bad review when it opened in May but now, it has Marou, the former chef at Red Sage. Any better? Tom Sietsema: I'll give him time to settle in before returning.
Wanting to eat: Tom I don't have much of an appetite today, but my fiance and I will be dining out tonight at a quaint restaurant. Hoping to avoid reality for a while, I hope to dine in peace and quite. I'd rather be out to dinner with the one I love than at home with the TV on. Tom Sietsema: Me too.
Clifton, Va.: I think one of the big problems with restaurant service at all price levels is the lack of management involvement with their customers. The only restaurant that I have eaten in last two years where management or the owners has asked the table how things are going is Pannino's in Manassas. Legal Seafoods, Mccormick and Scmicks, American Cafe, RT's, Sequoia etc have not. I eat out a couple of times a month at least. Back over 20 years ago when I waited tables management was always on the floor circulating and checking on the customers, delivering food and taking orders in the wait staff was extremely busy. Don't see that these days. What does a restaurant manager do these days? Tom Sietsema: It really depends on the restaurant. I see a lot of conscientious supervision out there – but still too much awkward service, I agree.
A good manager is, among other things, a counselor, cleaner of messes, talking menu, pitch man, welcome wagon, role model and like it or not, babysitter.
Falls Church, Va.: Hi Tom,
Welcome back! You mentioned Burma before as a good place to go in Chinatown. Any specific dish you recommend or to stay away from? Tom Sietsema: There are a lot of good things on its menu. Two of my favorites are the smoky squid and young ginger salad.
Washington, D.C.: Tom, Based on your review, I went to Wazuri last week for dinner and looovvvveeeddd it! The food was great and the prices were right! The only problem was that my heart was breaking the whole meal because there were very few people in the restaurant while across the street people were spilling out of Lauriol Plaza with those damn beepers! (I know your thoughts on this issue.) Please continue to direct people there, I'd love to see the place survive. Tom Sietsema: Count this as a nod. A sophisticated African restaurant is a rare thing. And already we have too much ersatz Latin-Mexican-Spanish cooking around here.
Washington, D.C.: Have you heard anything about the new kosher restaurant that's supposed to open where the Planet Hollywood used to be on Pennsylvania Avenue? Tom Sietsema: The name is something like Stacks and Archives (or the other way around). I hear it will open in October.
Washington, D.C.: Mr. S, I see that a new Chef Geoff's is opening in the "cursed" space (it's cursed because the other restaurants before it failed miserably). It is open yet? What the deali-o? Tom Sietsema: The downtown branch of Chef Geoff's is supposed to open yet this month, at 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. It will be called (insert drum roll here) Chef Geoff's Downtown.
Fairfax Va.: My wife's birthday is coming up. Can you recommend a restaurant near the water? Tom Sietsema: Will the C & O Canal do? Sea Catch in Georgetown overlooks it, and the fish-friendly menu is a fine one.
Sad to say, most of the “view” restaurants don’t serve very distinguished food.
Rockville, Md.: Tom, I was in New Mexico last year and really love the food. Is there anywhere around here where I can find authentic New Mexican cuisine? Tom Sietsema: I have yet to visit, but you might want to explore Santa Fe Café on Wilson Blvd in Arlington. It is an independent restaurant (no relation, in other words, to restaurants with similar names in Alexandria or College Park) and serves blue corn enchiladas and homemade margaritas, among other items.
Washington, D.C.: Where is chef Timothy Dean? Now that his restaurant has closed down, I'm wondering where he has surfaced. Tom Sietsema: I have absolutely no idea where he is these days – nor does anyone I talk to. The last time I saw (and heard) him, he was screaming at his staff in the kitchen of Timothy Dean so loudly, diners couldn't help but overhear the commotion in the dining room.
Bethesda, Md.: Dear Tom, Loved your postcard from Providence, R.I. Where in D.C. can one get that authentic New England feel and taste in a restaurant. Boston's Union Oyster House comes to mind as one of my old haunts. Legal Seafood and McCormick and Schmick's just don't do it for me. Thanks. washingtonpost.com: Postcard from Providence, (Post, Sept. 1) Tom Sietsema: I get some of that New England flavor in some of the cooking at Kinkead’s, though not in the unglamorous dining areas. Readers?
Washington, D.C.: Hello Tom. I am seeing this man, and we had a little disagreement over the weekend. To make up for it, he's promised to take me out to the best Italian restaurant in town. I know he has very good, and expensive, taste. Any guesses as to where I may soon be dining? Tom Sietsema: Hmmmmm. Just how big was the "little" disagreement?
If it was minor, I'd guess Al Tiramisu or Spezie.
If it was major, I'm thinking Obelisk, Tosca, or the Laboratorio within Galileo restaurant is in your future.
About the Palm: Bob Levey had the dude from the Palm on yesterday. No one asked about the professional dancers (and we ain't talking bout the ones from a chorus line) who dine there with their fans. I was disappointed. I'd have asked but I missed the chat. washingtonpost.com: Yesterday's Levey Live. Tom Sietsema: Such a well-mannered group!
Bethesda, Md.: Tom. I took your recommendation from an earlier chat to request the corner table at 1789 for special occassions! I did so and it was the most romantic evening I had celebrated in a long time. Thank you for the recommendation. Any other romantic reservation ideas around the city? Can't wait for the new dining guide October 20th! Tom Sietsema: Glad 1789 worked out for you.
There are plenty of romantic spots around the area. Marcel's comes to mind, as do Greenwood, Cashion's Eat Place, Maestro, each for a different reason.
I just yesterday finished the Annual Dining Guide by the way. Whew! It appears Oct. 20.
Washington, D.C.: Hoping you can give some guidance on a quieter restaurant for groups. Its my turn to pick the restaurant for my book club (six to eight people show up). I am looking for a place that's relatively quiet in D.C. so we can hear each other, but that's also reasonable priced (around $20) since we have some younger folks with limited funds. Thanks for any recommendations. I am sick of the group's usual choice, Bucca di Beppo! Tom Sietsema: Corduroy on 14th & K is quiet and delicious and falls within your price range. Twenty bucks an entrée, right?
Alexandria, Va.: Hi Tom! I really enjoy your chats, and hope you can help me out. You have mentioned how enjoyable it is when dining alone to sit at the bar for dinner. I've tried this when on travel and agree. I'll be going to Paris by myself in a few weeks, and wonder if that's an option there. Thanks! Tom Sietsema: I don’t see why not. I’ve not done it myself, but I’ve had friends of both sexes dine alone there with no problem. Bon chance!
Washington, D.C.: Please, Tom, no more talk about Sept. 11 anniversary remembrances. We can talk here about our love of enjoying life, a love which all human beings share and in which we can find commonality. I live near Colvin Run Tavern and want to try it out, but I'm embarrassed to admit [I] feel intimidated because likely I'd be dining there alone. Can one sit at the bar and order off the full menu? Will they ignore me because I'm eating alone? Thank you. Tom Sietsema: Not at all! The bar tenders at Colvin Run Tavern are great, the counter itself is big, and there are always others dining there solo, too.
Bad waiters: Tom--This isn't to rant about a bad experience, but your comment about "wait staff training" gets me wondering: What local restaurants do you think are doing a good job of training in their wait staff? When I dined at Zola recently, I got the impression that it was a somewhat green, but eager staff whose training had not yet become "habit." Savino's also seemed to have some decently trained staff. Tom Sietsema: Yeah, Savino's has a very good staff. Equinox, Gabriel, Al Tiramisu ... all have knowledgeable and engaging servers.
Re: Solo dining at Bars: There was an article in the New Yorker a couple months back about some famous chef in New York and they followed him around for the day. It turns out, that the people who work in his kitchen have a codeword for solo bar diners: "Losers." Not very nice, eh? Tom Sietsema: Not at all!
Guess I'm a loser. I LOVE eating at counters.
Bethesda, Md.: Hi Tom:
I drove by Andalucia (in Bethesda) recently and it looked like it may be closed (hopefully just renovating). Do you know anything about this? Thanks Tom Sietsema: I hope they're working on their recipes while they're making over the interior.
Fairfax, Va.: Hi Tom, Just moved from Miami and am looking for a good Cuban place in Northern Virginia. Can only find Tex-Mex so far. Any suggestions? Thanks. Tom Sietsema: The only Cuban place I'm recommending these days is Cuban Corner in Rockville.
Passivity: Tom, I log in every week to read the hurly burly, rough and tumble comments from your fans. Today? Nada. Where is the indignation from your readers about the service at Sequoia? Where are the flood of similar horror stories? Com on readers. We all like our restaurant chat, and we like it rough! Tom Sietsema: I'll start. I just went to (insert famous fancy place here) and paid $200 a person for a meal where we asked to keep a menu as a souvenir and the waiter snapped: "Get one when you leave up front!"
More to come Oct. 20 ...
Nervous in Washington, D.C.: Tom, I have a blind date tomorrow night and I'm wondering where we should go. I want someplace romantic but not too romantic (in case this woman turns out to be a flake) and someplace not too pricy (don't want to waste my money, again, if the woman is a flake). I also need someplace that might have some diversion (interesting people-watching, perhaps) in case the conversation stalls. I also need someplace near my home in Capitol Hill in case things go really well and we want to beat a hasty exit back to my place! Any ideas? Thanks in advance -- these chats make my Wednesday! Tom Sietsema: Relax, Nervous. Just make sure you have a reservation for Montmartre.
Bethesda, Md.: Please don't take this as a negative criticism because I value your reviews. However, we had lunch at Mon Ami Gabi on Saturday and were delighted to find that Bethesda now has a real bistro open all day. In response to your review, yes, the onion soup was slightly sweet, but only because its onions obviously had been caramelized before the broth was added, a rare and tedious step in the making of this classic dish. Most restaurants (perhaps all others) avoid this step because of the time and attention to detail involved. The soup was delicious, almost as good as my own. As for the frites, they were not traditional, but more like strips of pommes souffle, slightly puffy and perishable, but delicious! We will return. Tom Sietsema: Mon Ami Gabi looks busy, busy, busy whenever I stroll by. It must be doing something right, huh? Still, I don’t like my onion soup so sweet it could pass for dessert. Nor would I trade real pommes frites for the faux potato accompaniment.
Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.: Hi Tom, Love the chats. Quick question. I went to Zola for dinner with a couple friends during its "soft opening," which I think is what they call the time period before the official opening. The food was outstanding, but the service was a little spotty. About how long do you estimate it should take for a new restaurant to have the service kinks worked out? Tom Sietsema: That depends on so many factors. To be fair, I wait a month before making the first of multiple review visits to new establishments, just to give them time to get up to speed.
I applaud the decision of some upstarts to offer discounts in their early days, 1) to win new business and 2) to compensate for the problem you mention. Some of those “soft” openings out there seem to go on forever, no?
Vienna, Va.: We live in the 'burbs, but want to celebrate downtown. There's 8 to 10 of us marking a friend's birthday. What fun place would you recommend? Price range--moderate (less than Kinkead's, for example). Thanks for your help. Tom Sietsema: The new 15 ria in the Washington Terrace Hotel gets my nod right this moment.
College Park, Md.: Tom, here's one for you: Hypothetically, lets say you were banned from D.C. (for giving Citronelle a bad review, dipping your sushi rice-first instead of fish-first, etc.) Where would you choose to eat your final meal in the city?! Tom Sietsema: No fair! (Certainly at one of the 50+ places I'm detailing next month in the Magazine, though.)
Re: Fancy Restaurant with menu snobbery: Please, please tell me it wasn't the Inn at Little Washington that the waiter snubbed you when you asked for the menus as souvenirs! We just celebrated our parents' 35th anniversary there, and they were so gracious. They even personalized the menus with my parents' names and gave them to us on departure. I'd be sad to know that others didn't receive the same courteous treatment. Tom Sietsema: I'm not saying "it was" and I'm not saying "it wasn't."
But that wasn't the only problem at (insert famous fancy place here).
Arlington, Va.: RE: Trained Servers Obelisk has some of the most knowledgeable that I have come across. Tom Sietsema: True! Casual, too, like surfer dudes who happen to know a lot about food.
Washington, D.C.: Solo dining: All in favor of it! On my birthday, which fell on a Friday, I took myself out to lunch, and had a not only a great meal but good conversation with the bartender at Johnny's Half Shell. There were plenty of other solo lunchers. I look on solo lunching as a treat now: it's a great way to check out a new place. If I like it, I might drag my husband into the city for dinner one weekend! Tom Sietsema: Way to go!
About How You Eat: Tom, Do you hold your knife and fork the entire time you eat, cutting and eating as you go? Or are you a solo fork kinda guy who cuts, puts said knife down and then masticates? Tom Sietsema: You know, sometimes I wonder about a few of you out there ...
Washington, D.C.: Tom, thanks for the Italian suggestions. To Paris Bound: I (single female, late 20s, limited budget) traveled to Paris for work last May, and took a few days off to hang out. I felt very comfortable dining out by myself, and contrary to popular opinion, most people are really nice in Paris. If you hang out on the Left Bank, there are a lot of students who will want to practice their English. At one cafe, the owner and one of the waiters sat down with me to keep me company while I ate. It's a cliche, but there are so many great cafes so grab an outside table (you pay a little extra versus sitting inside but it is so worth it!) on the Champs Elysee and watch the fashion parade go by as you sip some champagne. And whatever you do, don't forget to see the Eiffel Tower at night. Or Jim Morrison's grave. If you are by yourself, stick to the more touristy/crowded areas at night. There is a fair amount of crime, and two guys I worked with got mugged. While I was there, someone told me that the chefs outnumber the lawyers ten to one in Paris. I think D.C. should take a cue! Tom Sietsema: What a wonderful, and helpful, response. Thanks for sharing.
To Nervous in Washington, D.C.: Are you MY date for tomorrow? Tom Sietsema: Oh dear.
Re: Cuban Cuisine: Tom -- You say you only recommend the Cuban Corner. What are your thoughts on Cubano's in Silver Spring and La Cantinita's Havana Cafe in Arlington, Va.? As a Cuban-American, I found the fare at both to be quite good. Cheers and many thanks for your answer. Tom Sietsema: Cubano's was a gem when it first opened in Silver Spring, but readers tell me it has slipped. I haven't made it to La Cantinita's yet --- thanks for the nudge.
Washington, D.C.: Tom, Do you know anything about the new Indian restaurant in Georgetown -- Taj of India? Tom Sietsema: Yep, I reviewed it July 14.
Washington, D.C.: I'm planning a special night out for my boyfriend's birthday this Friday. My original pick was Taberna del Alabardero, but I was hoping that you could suggest something quiet, romantic, and more moderately priced in the downtown D.C. area. He loves all kinds of food but because he is Italian we avoid Italian restaurants (they are never quite "right" to him). Any advice? Thanks in advance--your discussions are always enlightening and fun. Tom Sietsema: Melrose, with its warm service and outdoor terrace, is nice. Even less expensive is Little Fountain Café, snug and softly lighted, in Adams Morgan.
Washington, D.C.: I am always looking for places that deliver lunch. Do you have a list? Tom Sietsema: Are you talking catered food or food for one? I believe City Lights of China in Dupont Circle delivers, but you’d have to verify if that’s both lunch and dinner. That’s a starting point at least.
Bowie, Md.: Tom Please help! We're traveling to London in a couple weeks and would very much appreciate your suggestions on restaurants -- everything from fine cuisine to pubs. Thank you. Tom Sietsema: Been there, done that. Check out my "Postcard" from London in the Travel section archives.
Paris Lawyers v. Chefs: When we were visiting a French lawyer acquaintance in Paris a number of years ago, the job he was most proud of was being the restaurant reviewer for the monthly Paris Bar Journal, a job he took most seriously even though unpaid! Tom Sietsema: Love that!
Re: Keeping menus: I was glad to hear you mention keeping menus as a souvenir. I actually keep a scrapbook of special places I dine, with a menu, a list of what we ate and sometimes a wine label. I usually call ahead to let the restaurant know that I will be requesting a menu and they are almost always really gracious about it. One place, okay Charlie Trotter's, even printed a special menu for me with "Happy Birthday" at the top. Some of the highlights in my scrapbook: Trotter's, L'Etoile in Madison, Blackbird, also in Chicago and Pasion! in Philly. Tom Sietsema: You get around! Menus seem to have taken the place of match books (remember those?) as restaurant keepsakes.
Folks, as always, it was a pleasure trading thoughts here. Have a good week. I'll be back next Wednesday, ready to field your rants, raves and dining queries.
© Copyright 2002 The Washington Post Company | 
