| Ask Tom
Hosted by Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Food Critic
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2003; 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. ET 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.
Help! Dating Dilemma Tonight: Hi Tom, This is really more of a drinking question, but the Going Out Gurus aren't around until tomorrow. Any suggestions for a blind date tonight? We're meeting for drinks and would like somewhere with good martinis. If all goes well, maybe dinner (or bar food, to take a cue from your Sunday article) to extend the evening. If that means leaving the drinking spot to go elsewhere, that's fine. Somewhere in Adams Morgan/upper Dupont that's not too romantic, expensive, or chi-chi (nothing like Ozio). Thanks! If all goes well, we'll drink one round to you. Tom Sietsema: A couple of my favorite watering holes include Felix and Cities in Adams Morgan and Rouge and Mimi’s American Bistro in Dupont Circle. Good luck with your blind date (you brave, brave soul).
Good morning, everyone.
McLean, Va.: Tom -- love the chats.
Going to the new "International" tonight. What's the scoop? I hear it's fondue night tonight. How is it? Can I still order from a regular menu or should I just go for fondue? What's the dress code? and what's the atmosphere like? Do people mingle?
Many thanks. Tom Sietsema: The International wasn’t wildly busy when I dropped by a few weeks ago. What I like about the space is that as big as it is, there are clusters of chairs and couches and nice lighting that make the sprawl feel intimate.
Given its location in a hotel, the dress code is pretty open. I’ve seen people in jeans and suits. The menu is brief, by the way, only about eight dishes, and you might have to request the fondue if your server doesn’t tell you about it.
Pancakes, and I Need Them NOW!: So, as you can see, I need some great pancakes. This craving won't cease! I'd like them for dinner tonight, but over the weekend for breakfast/brunch is fine, too. Where can you send me to get the best pancakes in town? The accompanying meats don't matter as much, but a good sausage link can make or break a meal sometimes! Tom Sietsema: Haven't had a great pancake recently. Chatters?
Washington, D.C.: Hey Tom: I hear through informed sources that David Hagedorn and Gregory Hill are opening a new joint venture at 21st and M. Got the scoop? Tom Sietsema: I delivered the scoop last week, in the Weekly Dish, as a matter of fact. Follow the attached link to get the details.
washingtonpost.com: The Weekly Dish, (Post, Jan. 29)
Don't You Like Soup?: Tom, are you EVER going to answer my question re: where can I get the best NYC-style chicken noodle/matzoh ball soup in the D.C. area? I've been asking for three or four weeks straight now. You say you get so many questions, you can only answer unique ones, but you basically answer the same questions every week (where can I get good drinks/eats in XX neighborhood, I had bad service at restaurant xx, what should I do, where can I take my ultra-mega-hipster friends, blah blah). C'mon, answer an honest-to-goodness unique question once in a while! It's cold outside -- this question is very topical! Honest! Really! Thanks! Tom Sietsema: Yes, I adore soup!
So far this season, the best matzoh soup I've sampled has been at the new Stacks on Pennsylvania Ave. But it's not as if there is a ton of that soup out there, so take that for what it is, merely a suggestion.
As for me answering the same questions all the time ... well, some of the posters are first-timers or from out of town or otherwise an example of a question I get a lot and find worth responding to. But I'll try to minimize the repitition, OK?
By the way, I'd like to take an informal vote. I read on another chat forum (just doing my job) that I write way too much about out of town restaurants here and in the paper. Are you interested in more or less or the same amount of such coverage? I'm curious.
Arlington, Va.: Must be tough going up against the Colin Powell speech at the UN. Don't worry, we're still here. Tom Sietsema: Potential war vs. food.
Valentine's Question: Hi Tom- I know it's better to eat in, but I have a studio with a kitchen that just isn't going to impress my girlfriend on Valentine's Day. She's a vegetarian who has been known to eat fish when in the mood, but occasionally out right refuses to do so. Can you recommend a place in the under $40/person range that will have appetizing fish as well as appetizing veggie entrees? A good wine list would help too! Oh, and reasonable V-Day service? Tom Sietsema: Are you in the District? There’s a new chef at Grille 88 on 18th St. NW who is doing some nice stuff. His menu includes diver scallops with squash ravioli, salmon with polenta, trout with fingerling potatoes and a cheese-stuffed risotta cake for your friend. The place definitely deserves a larger audience.
RE: Pancakes: The Diner! Tom Sietsema: Suggestion No. 1
Washington, D.C.: PANCCAKES! I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I went to IHOP out of desperation on Sunday (the one on Route 1 at Potomac Yards) and the buttermilk pancakes were really, really, really good. Scary, but true! Tom Sietsema: Suggestion No. 2
Arlington, Va.: Good pancakes can be found at the Metro 29 Diner on Lee Highway near Glebe Road in Arlington. Enjoy! Tom Sietsema: .... and three!
Bethesda, Md.: Hi Tom, My husband and I are going to Gerard's Place for Valentine's Day. They have a tasting menu for that night that sounds utterly delicious. It's our first time there, and I wondered why it hasn't popped up much in your reviews or chats. I'm pretty excited about eating the food of a Michelin starred chef -- why doesn't he get more attention in the food columns? Also, any recommendations for a Saturday morning breakfast around 20th and M street? Thanks. Tom Sietsema: Gerard's Place, soon to celebrate its 10th anniversary, baffles me. I have great respect for its namesake chef, Gerard Pangaud, but I have to say, I've had terrific food there and quite middling fare there over the years. And it is always expensive.
Unfortunately, one thing that is constant there is the service: chilly and abrupt.
This is not a problem confined to this French restaurant, by the way, but also to several other Big Names around town. Some of our leading chefs have no idea how inhospitable their wait staffs/reservationist/hosts can be. It's unfortunate.
Guns and Butter: Hey, Tom. I've got the best of both worlds: you on my laptop and Colin Powell on my desktop. I just hope I don't get confused and ask for dining destinations in Baghdad! Tom Sietsema: Thanks for the good laugh. I'm flattered!
Somewhere, USA: Heard a rumble that Micheal Richard is throwing a bash for his 60th b-day. With Superstar Chefs. Any news? Tom Sietsema: I don't have all the details, but I heard through the ol' grapevine that Mr. Richard, soon to turn 55, is celebrating the occasion with a huge (charity) bash in his restaurant next month (March 15?)
Rumor has it that Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Alain Ducasse, Eric Ripert and other food stars have RSVP'd "yes." If anyone can pull in the biggies, it's Richard.
I'd love to be a fly on THAT wall!
Arlington, Va.: Do you ever sneak off for a meal or drink at the Post Pub? Tom Sietsema: Let's put it this way: I love the waitress (Bonnie) behind the bar there. If it weren't for the smoke, I'd head over there more often.
Cupid: Before I start dialing every restaurant in town, what romantic places might still have reservations left?? (Long story about the relatively last-minute plans.) Tom Sietsema: Go ethnic at this point: Bacchus, Bombay Club, Ortanique and Yanyu pop into mind.
Washington, D.C.: Now that you're worried about spending too much time on out-of-town restaurants, I'm worried that my question about good places to go in Chicago will go unanswered. PLEASE don't let that happen! My fiancee is going there for a very stressful audition to get into grad school, and she's gonna need to relax when it's all over. I want to take her someplace nice, but I'm a restaurant idiot.
Consider this a chance to show your range! Tom Sietsema: I head for the Windy City tomorrow, where I plan to look into at least eight places (old and new). Can you ask your question again next week? I'll be much better informed then.
Valentine's Day, Schmalentine's Day: The least romantic (but yummy) restaurant in the District is...? Tom Sietsema: I’m not sure what you mean. Crummy but good?
Washington, D.C.: Tom, I have five reservations in L.A. for Valentine's Day, four of which I need to cancel this week. Melisse, Patina, Campanile, Lucques and Spago. Do you know enough about the scene out there to help me out? Tom Sietsema: Having eaten at them all in the past year and a half, my vote goes to the wonderful Spago in Beverley Hills (better than the original, in my opinion) followed by Campanile on S. La Brea Ave.
P.S. PLEASE, please do diners everywhere a favor and cancel the remaining reservations TODAY. You have no idea what a problem it creates for guests and hosts alike when you fail to do so. Merci.
Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.: Hi, Tom,
Just wanted to thank you for mentioning Sweet Licks in todays Food section. I've been going there for ages (for both the soup and the ice-cream), and it's a neighborhood treasure that deserves our support. Tip: Try the pumpkin bars.. washingtonpost.com: The Weekly Dish, (Post, Feb. 5) Tom Sietsema: I did try the pumpkin bars. They are big and sweet, a fun way to pack in some beta-carotene.
Sweet Licks is amusing. I like the quirkiness of the place. I mean, you can buy DOG KERCHIEFS in the back!
Bethesda, Md.: My boyfriend and I are planning the "big meeting" between parents and of course would like to go out to a nice dinner. There will be eight of us and I'm already nervous! We would like a place where we won't have to worry about service, since we are a bigger party, and can enjoy the food, company and ambiance of our surroundings. Our thoughts were L'Auberge Chez Francois, we loved it there and the price is the right range. Any additional thoughts or restaurant choices for the main event? Thank you and love the chats! Tom Sietsema: You’d find yourselves in good hands at Tavira in Chevy Chase (which has a cozy private dining room, fyi), 1789 in Georgetown, or either Oval Room or Taberna del Alabardero downtown. Reviews for all are available on this site (just look for the 2002 dining guide tab).
Washington, D.C.: I've been to two restaurants lately that did not have hot or warm water in the ladies' room. Neither seemed to care one way or the other. If I can't wash my hands with warm water, neither can their female wait staff, right? What do you think? Tom Sietsema: I think you should call the health department (particularly since management seemed to care so little).
The Best Of...: Have you ever considered doing a list that is similar to your restaurant dining guides, but goes by individual food items? Like, best donuts, best burger, best mashed potatoes? I'd really like a guide like that because sometimes you just get a hankering for a certain item, not an entire gourmet meal. Much obliged! LOVE THE CHATS! Tom Sietsema: I’ve done such lists in two previous fall dining guides and will consider devoting a column to same down the line. I agree: sometimes all you’re looking for is a great bowl of chili or an echt Wienerschnitzel.
Washington, D.C.: Tom --- Comment and question. First, went to RFD last weekend, the new Brickskellar place near the MCI Center. The beer menu is the reason to go, and the wings were good, but the interior is terrible. None of the personality of the Dupont Circle place, very sterile and overall a disappointment. Now the question -- fiance is coming home soon from six weeks of physical work abroad, and I would love to take her to a very upscale place to celebrate. We are looking for something hip, though, not the traditional Galileo or Citronelle, which have both been great to us before. Something much more stylish. Any ideas? Yanyu? As always, you won't steer us wrong. Thanks. Tom Sietsema: For hip and delicious, you can’t beat Ten Penh (pan-Asian), Zaytinya (Middle Eastern/Mediterranean), or Greenwood (modern American) way up on Connecticut Ave.
Washington, D.C.: Re: Valentine's Day Reservations Tom, We still have some space left at Maxim, and are offering a $65 fixed priced menu with live entertainment, dancing and some nice romantic specials all included. -Constantin Costa Tom Sietsema: An evening in Russia sounds like fun to me!
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.: Tom, what's well-known as a D.C. hangout for hardboiled journalist types? Tom Sietsema: Alas, there are too few "hard-boiled" scribes around these days. Most of my pals here at the Post, the NY Times and the networks are all too busy working out or swigging bottled water. Boring! I miss the curmudgeons!
But that doesn't answer your question. A lot of journos like to go to the Oval Room, because of its proximity to White Hose sources. The Breadline gets its share of famous faces, too, but only at lunch.
Try Nathan's and Milano, both in G'town.
Washington, D.C.: You've mentioned in the past that these live chats are the most stressful part of your job, since you don't have an editor or fact checker. Thanks for "laying it on the line!" Tom Sietsema: Well, it's not as if I make things up here, but the time factor prohibits me from triple-checking stuff now and then. So on occasion, stuff slips through here that I would have caught had it been destined for print. Catch my drift?
The point is, I take this forum (but hopefully not myself) seriously. I gets hundreds of queries and comments here, and from all over the country (even the world).
Any Advice for Vienna, Austria?: Have you sampled restaurants there any time recently? If so, what do you recommend? Thanks! Tom Sietsema: It’s on my “to do” list, but I haven’t been to Vienna in years. Actually, I’m waiting to see how things play out overseas before I book my next food trip. The headlines have been keeping me closer to home in the last few months.
Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: My better half and I eat out a lot, but we're getting really annoyed with an emerging trend: tables for two stuffed inches from each other. Because it is often just the two of us, we almost always get led to one of those rows along the sides of a restaurant, where two-person tables are squeezed side by side. If another couple is next to us, we may as well push our tables together because there is no chance of any of us having quiet conversation. Some are so tight you can't even get in and out without risking your neighbor's table in the process (and we are both skinny people!) We've taken to either asking for a larger table in the middle of the restaurant or leaving. I know it must be cost-effective for the restaurant, but don't you think the negatives outweigh squeezing in a few more people? Tom Sietsema: Having just been SQUEEZED into a laptop-sized corner of Primi Piatti with a tall friend recently, I feel your pain!
Restauranteurs would make a lot of diners happy if they followed the American Airlines trend and gave us a few more inches of legroom. I realize that removing a table or three from the dining room means less money for the restaurant, but it sure would result in a happier clientele.
Washington, D.C.: Tom: The issue of people reserving at several restaurants is HUGE. They rarely cancel and this is why restaurants must overbook. We are dependant on the turning of the tables because the profit margin is so narrow. It is a tricky balance for us and sometimes all of the overbookings show up and ironically we are accused of being greedy. Making multiple reservations is selfish and generally the same people who do this are the ones who scream the loudest when their table is not ready when they show up at an overbooked restaurant. David Hagedorn Tom Sietsema: Thanks for sharing the restaurateur's position.
Washington, D.C.: Tom, the International featured in both last Wednesday's Weekly Dish and Friday's Nightwatch column. Coincidence or over-zealous PR flack? I'm asking because I've noticed that you and Eric Brace occasionally overlapped your coverage of certain bars that serve food, and wondered if you coordinated or compared notes. Tom Sietsema: I'm a fan of Eric's (alas, he's on leave now to pursue the singing/playing life) but we do not tell each other what we are going to do.
I had a tough time tracking down the facts for that little item, by the way. Believe me, no "over-zealous flack" brought the lounge to my attention.
Silver Spring, Md.: Why is yup-snob surprised that A PLACE THAT HAS PANCAKES IN IT'S NAME has good pancakes? Just wondering. Tom Sietsema: Some of the many tips coming my way:
Pancakes: Nothing bets Bob Evans, if you don't mind a drive. If you don't mind a metro ride to Bethesda, I've been to the Original Pancake House, and it's really good.
Re: Pancakes: I love the pancakes at Mark's Kitchen in old town Takoma Park, Md. They are good w/ the optional bananas and raspberry sauce, and the pancakes themselves are very light.
Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: It was a while back, so can't remember if it was a pancake or French toast or waffle, but the one at Teaism (R Street) was so BEAUTIFUL I gasped. Wow. Need to go back!
And Midi Cafe used to have the best chocolate croissants and other breakfast goodies like almond French toast -- haven't gone back since they switched to table seating -- it looks too cramped and awkward. (Have you been?)
Cafe Luna has good waffles, but a cheaper yet still yummy version can be found at Trios. And Tryst's are gorgeous and filling with yummy fruit toppings. Mmmmmm.
As long as it's cold, let's load up on carbs...
Washington, D.C.: For pancakes: How about crepes at Chez Antoines in Adams Morgan with Normandy cider?
Arlington, Va.: They make great pancakes at the Original Pancake House in Falls Church. Be sure to pay extra and get the REAL maple syrup!
20th/M Breakfast: One of my favorite breakfast places is a little hole-in-the-wall called the Kozy Korner at 20th and N Streets, next to Giorgio's Pizza. They have very yummy French Toast, and it's very cheap! Quite a find in Dupont.
Metro Center, Washington, D.C.: For the pancake lover, I recommend a weekend trip to The Original Pancake House (there are locations in Bethesda -near the metro], Rockville and Falls Church). They are not open for dinner.
They have a myriad of choices from fresh ingredients, great kona coffee, and the thick crisp bacon and other sides are superb (never had the sausage). I know it isn't fine dining, but simple ingredients put together well, and the locations are clean and cheerful. They have a great puffed Dutch Baby Pancake, and whisper thin greaseless potato pancakes, in addition to more traditional offerings.
For those watching their cholesterol, I have a huge eggwhite and spinach omelette which is great too.
Washington, D.C.: I say: keep traveling, Tom, and keep writing about it. The truth is, most of us surely don't get to most of the restaurants you write about, even the ones here in town. But we like reading about what different places are doing. And I think your out-of-town work broadens your own sensibility about what's possible in the kitchen (I've never had a bad meal in San Francisco) and helps prod local chefs to keep their sights high. Plus, a lot of your readers do travel a lot, surely. Just curious: do you get to put your travels on expense account? Tom Sietsema: Here are just some of the many comments. Thanks for sharing:
Your poll: I wouldn't want you to write any less about local restaurants. I can take or leave your writings about food in other cities; I enjoy reading them but I rarely get to travel so it's like the vicarious thrill that I get from reading the Travel section -- good reading, but not much advice that I'll be able to put into practice.
Olney, Md.: Oh, but if you meant out-of-town like your Postcards, I've relied on them quite heavily for business travel (mostly Chicago and Boston), and when you didn't have a Postcard from Albuquerque, you (and Hank Stuever) came to the rescue right here. Keep it up!
Out of town reviews vote: keep them up -- but they do make me wonder how timely they are. You seem to be someplace a decent journey away on a regular basis (most of your Postcards do seem to involve a plane flight) and you obviously do a lot of eating/reviewing around here, so it makes me curious about how long ago you visited the restaurants in the Postcard.
Washington, D.C. -- inner city: More D.C. reviews, please. Most of the cities you visit have very competent local critics and other food forums.
Keep it local: I think you should focus less on out-of-town restaurants. While I'm sure people trust your opinion, and want to take it on the road with them, there are other sources for other cities' eateries.
Informal vote: Tom, I think you do a great job covering a large area. Don't change a thing.
Washington, D.C.: In answer to your question, I'd recommend less chat/coverate of out-of-town restaurants. If I'm going to another city, I'll consult their newspapers' Web sites and get local restaurant information from them. When you answer questions about London, San Francisco, etc. in your chat, I usually gloss over that because the chances I'll be in any one particular far-away city in the near future is slim. Thanks for asking.
My Vote: I've been happy with your restaurant coverage! Have you been writing fewer reviews of metro area restaurants than your esteemed predecessor? Or are the out-of-town postcards in addition to the regularly scheduled reviews?
Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: I don't think you write too much about out-of-town food. I sort of think you write too much about out-of-DC food (VA and MD), but I understand your reasons. However, as much as I fervently anticipate your reviews each week, I do not read them when they're for far-flung joints
Love the postcards!: I generally look at your dining postcards when going to another city and often get good ideas. It's a great reference source.
And that's all for topday, folks. Dine well, and let's meet again next Wednesday.
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