| Ask Tom
Hosted by Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Food Critic
Wednesday, March 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.
Tom Sietsema: Morsels of the day: There's one less place to dine before a show at Arena now that Le Rivage closed its doors on Water St. SW late last month. (The landlord, Capital Yacht Club, did not renew the French restaurant's lease.) The 18-year old restaurant is expected to re-open elsewhere down the road. I'll let you know here, or in print, when that occurs.
In other news, the forthcoming Latin American/Caribbean restaurant from the trio behind DC Coast and Ten Penh now has a name: it is Ceiba (SAY-ba), named for tropical trees, and slated to open in August on 14th & G streets.
Good morning, everyone.
Certificate Etiquette: Hi Tom, I went to a silent auction and "won" a certificate to a rather nice restaurant in town. I'm looking forward to the meal, but unsure how to present the certificate. Should I mention it when I make the reservation, upon the arrival of the waiter, or at the end of the meal? Thanks. Tom Sietsema: Just to be on the safe side, refer to it at the time you book a table and then again when you are seated. And be sure to read the fine print: All too often, I hear from people who try to use such certificates after they've expired, etc.
Stanton Park: In your weekly dish item this morning you wrote about Shad and its "roe." What is roe? Tom Sietsema: Roe is fish eggs (caviar).
Chevy Chase, Md.: Good morning Tom: Did you happen to read the New York Times article this morning on DC Dining (specifically in the Penn Quarter)? What is your reaction to the statement that "The less than good news is that as in the rest of Washington, the number of mediocre restaurants remains high and the number of steak houses...seems astronomical." Also, do you agree with his glowing review of Chinatown Express and Eat First? Tom Sietsema: I really get tired of the Times swooping in every now and then and making statements that may have been true years ago but no longer are.
I mean, come on! We have A LOT of good places to eat for a city of our size.
And just for the record, my trips to New York over the past few years have been less and less delicious. With few exceptions (Atelier comes to mind), the Big Apple could use a Big Jolt of energy.
Bethesda, Md.: Wanted to let y'all know about a restaurant experience I had in San Diego last week. We were drawn by the charming Italian looking man promoting his wares at the entrance. He told us about the specials, and as we looked at the menus were mesmerized by the fabulous service. The food was very nice. Antipasto was fabulous. However, the owner took a liking to us, and bought us drinks, saying..."Here, these are on the house" When we asked for espresso, he said, "just for you, I'll put some godiva liquor in it." He bought us more drinks. He made us get the dessert. We told him no, he said, "well I'll bring it out for you anyway... I need you to try it." And don't you know... every drink, every coffee AND the dessert showed up on our bill. And the owner was suddenly nowhere to be found. Tom Sietsema: I have had that happen myself. Needless to say, the experience left a sour taste in my mouth -- and didn't earn my repeat business. There needs to be a clear line drawn between "on the house" and "on your bill." And if there's any question, better to ask up front.
Washington, D.C.: Did you help with the article on DC restaurant's appearing in the NY Times today? Tom Sietsema: Uh, no. No, no, no.
Mad for Shad: Tom, thank you for taking the time and space to write about shad! One question, though: have you tried either of the dishes you mentioned in the column? If so do you recommend one over the other? Neither restaurant is super convenient for me, but as you said in the column, a shad fan will travel. Thanks for the column and chats! Tom Sietsema: In 98 percent of my Weekly Dish columns, I have sampled the dishes I've written about, but in this case, the shad came on the menu the day my piece was due. So I didn't make a qualitative judgment there.
If neither place is convenient, call up your favorite fish restaurant and ask when/if it might offer the delicacy. As the fish moves closer up the coast, it becomes more available.
Alexandria, Va.: Tom, Where can two windy city natives find our beloved Chicago-style pizza in the D.C. area? We're trying to avoid Pizzeria Uno if at all possible. Thanks! Tom Sietsema: I think Geppeto's in Bethesda offers deep-dish. Can anyone vouch if it's as good as I remember it?
Washington, D.C.: Tom: I'm looking for a good lunch place to take clients around 1300 I Street. DC Coast is good but way too loud. I know theirs is a place in that block but the name escapes me. Would you recommend it? Tom Sietsema: Head to Corduroy on 12th & K if it's quiet (and solid American cooking) you seek.
Bethesda, Md.: Hi Tom, Have you ever considered doing a feature on good but not too expensive places for lunch? From what I've seen, there are plenty of places you can get good food for $20, but finding a nice place for $10 or under seems to limit the selection quite a bit. Beyond the usual suspects (Breadline, Teaism, etc) are there others you could recommend? Or, speaking for some of the people in my office, at least, maybe it would make a good "special topic" for the Magazine, like the one you did on steakhouses a while back? Thanks for reading! Tom Sietsema: I'm always open to ideas from readers (and recently wrote about the lunch menu in the bar at Galileo as a first-rate bargain).
Other deals that come to mind include C.F. Folks on 19th St., Pizzeria Paradiso with locations in Dupont Circle and G'town, and Café Luna.
Atlanta, Ga.: Dear Tom: Everyone in D.C. shouldn't be overly sensitive to criticism of your city's restaurants. You state it well when you say that D.C. has good restaurants for a city its size. But let's be honest, cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco are in a different league when it comes to dining. Heck, you've said as much before during these on-line chats! Tom Sietsema: I'd put Michel Richard, Ann Cashion, Fabio Trabocchi, Todd Gray, Jose Andres, Carole Greenwood and others against the competition in Chicago and San Francisco for sure. New York has us beat when it comes to, say, French cooking, but not modern American, Latino or Spanish. Bottom line: DC is a "very good" city to eat in, certainly in the top 10 places in the U.S.
NY Times Review: Hi. I respectfully submit that the writer, Marian Burros, lives in the Washington area, not New York. So she'd have a pretty good idea about the scene. Tom Sietsema: She divides her time between the two cities (and elsewhere). I respect Marian a lot, but beg to differ on her piece in today's paper.
Late, Late, Late: Long story short: Friend's birthday this Friday. I invited him to dinner to celebrate. Suddenly the guest list has gone from 3 to 16. Can you recommend 3 places that might take a large party on short notice?? District Chophouse (usually a sure thing) is booked until 10pm. As always, thanks for the chats!! Tom Sietsema: Call Meiwah (Chinese), the lounge above Bistrot Lepic (French), or Meze (Turkish) in Adams Morgan.
Del Ray, Alexandria, Va.: Tom, I notice that many people in DC seem to complain about the lack of decent, authentic Mexican fare in the area. Which makes me wonder...why is my favorite Mexican place, Taqueria Poblano, nowhere to be found in your reviews or on the post.com restaurant site? Have you been there and decided it didn't warrant a review? And no I'm not a publicist...I just know a good burrito when I eat one! Tom Sietsema: I actually reviewed the place for the Food section several years ago. It was for a Foraging column, as I recall. A good deal, I concur.
Washington, D.C.: It was reported that you helped the Capital's owners with their wine selections, for their birthday gift to Michael Jordan. How did you choose them? Tom Sietsema: Where did THAT come from? It's not true.
Washington, DC: Hi Tom, Where would you take a friend or Significant Other who received a pink slip from work for comfort food? Tom Sietsema: My first choice would be Little Fountain Cafe in Adams Morgan, which remains a special treasure.
Woodley Park, Washington, D.C.: My man -- what's the word on "pesto"? Tom Sietsema: "Middling" is the word on Pesto restaurant, which replaced Mrs. Simpson's on Conn. Ave. NW recently.
Sterling, Va.: I just took a job in Dupont Circle recently and am looking for cheap, fast places to eat lunch. I don't really want to do a sit down meal since I only have a half hour break, but I am finding it difficult to find anything that isn't sit down or expensive. I'm not really picky on the type of food either, I pretty much will eat anything except vegetarian meals or bison and ostrich. Help! Tom Sietsema: A shrimp po' boy at the counter of Johnny's Half Shell would be my goal.
Washington, D.C.: Tom. What do you eat when no one is looking? Entenmanns's doughnut holes? Tom Sietsema: Let's put it this way: I should have stock in the manufacturers of Frito's corn chips and peanut M & Ms.
Arlington, Va.: Went to brunch at Occidental Grill last Sunday. The food was mediocre (if abundant), the service was inattentive (though the place wasn't full), and the ventilation is woefully inadequate - the whole restaurant smelled like a tobacco factory from one person smoking at the far end of the bar. I won't be going back, but I can't help wondering why you continually steer questioners there. Even the Old Ebbitt is a better choice, for my money. Tom Sietsema: I steer people there mostly because it is a reliable answer to questions such as "Where can we eat before a trip to the Corcoran?" or "Saturday lunch?"
Having dined there recently, I agree: the food is OK, not great. But the service has always been good, in my experience.
Washington, D.C.: Tom, Are there any DC restaurants that offer a tasting menu? I know Citronelle does, but I'm wondering if there is another place that isn't quite so pricey. Thanks for the chats -- always look forward to them! Tom Sietsema: A lot of restaurants offer tasting menus, which feature multiple tastes (usually appetizer-size) of a chef's signature dishes. Tosca, Equinox, Marcel's - all offer such bills of fare.
Silver Spring, Md.: Re: Caps owners and wine selection for Jordan. Ted Leonsis was on a sports call in show and mentioned he (and Caps co-owners) had given MJ the top 40 wines for his 40th birthday. They were helped by the Post's wine critic, as he said, and not you, which you already knew. Tom Sietsema: That makes more sense. Thanks for the clarification.
Arlington, Va.: Since you mentioned French cooking, where do you put Gerard Pangaud on your list of chefs? I noticed he was named restaurateur of the year by Washingtonian magazine along with Michel Richard. Tom Sietsema: Michel Richard richly deserves the honor. As for Pangaud, his restaurant is simply too erratic. As I've said many times before, I've dined gloriously and poorly in his eponymous restaurant -- attended by less than stellar servers and in a setting that appears to have been dressed by Pottery Barn.
NY Times piece on DC Dining: Tom, I was surprised and disappointed at your sniping at Marian Burros's feature on Penn Quarter dining. She gave kudos to some of the best places in that area (Zaytinya, Jaleo) and she IS right, there's plenty of mediocrity there as well. As to food writers from NYC swooping in to write about the DC restaurant scene, isn't that what you do in those Postcards in the Sunday Travel section? I've never found those to be the least bit useful, and have often wondered why the Post wastes money sending you on those junkets. When I'm about to visit another city, I do my research on the Internet, looking at local newspapers and other resources. I certainly wouldn't rely on your Postcards, based on a "swooping" visit of a couple of days!
Tom Sietsema: I wasn't sniping about the whole piece, but rather, a few generalizations that appeared in the story.
As for my Travel section pieces, I do a lot of homework before selecting and eating in the three places I feature. And they seem to be pretty popular, based on the feedback I receive.
Furthermore, the Post isn't wasting any dough sending me anywhere. I shelled out $35,000 of my own money last year traveling to those cities.
Fairfax, Va.: Tom - I just wanted to let you know that we took your recommendation and spent our anniversary at 2941. Wow - what an experience. The food was fabulous, the service excellent and cheerful and the final few items, including the Kirsch flavored cotton candy simply floored us. We especially enjoyed the cheese platter with the manager explaining all the cheeses to us. Thanks - and keep up the reviews of restaurants in the 'burbs! Tom Sietsema: You are welcome. I'm pleased to be hearing so many good things about readers' experiences at that Falls Church newcomer.
Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.:
Tom, Hope this is of general enough interest to get posted. I'm planning a birthday dinner for my partner's 40th birthday. I would like to have approx. 12 people, would like to dine well, would be willing to spend $100 per person and ideally would like to be in a semi-private room or corner but not tucked away in a totally private room that lacks the restaurant's general ambiance -- unless the room is very special indeed. Any ideas from you or others..... for example dining behind the sheers at Greenwoods is one option -- but I want to consider other experiences you or others may have had that I am not aware of.....thank you and keep up the good work. BTW, I recently tried the "newly delicious" Perry's and I agree a big about face in the right direction.
Tom Sietsema: The communal table at Greenwood is a super idea. You might also consider the loft overlooking the main hall at Zaytinya, the rear dining area at Zola (soon to get a new chef, by the way), the upstairs dining room at Yanyu, the side room at Oval Room, the chef's table at Tosca, one of several private spots at the grandly formal Taberna del Alabardero. Good luck!
San Francisco, Ca.: I was curious what you think of the British style of restaurant reviewing. A typical review by Giles Coren, A.A. Gill and others is two-thirds highly-entertaining personal essay and one-third about the restaurant and its food. I enjoy them, even though I'll never eat at the great majority of the places being discussed. Tom Sietsema: The critics across the pond also tend not to dine anonymously (or even try to). A good review, in my opinion, should deliver an entertaining read and news you can use. I find English critiques more clever than helpful myself.
Washington, D.C. : Hey Tom, I'm hitting Ben's Chili Bowl this weekend. What should I expect? Tom Sietsema: Lots of banter with the staff, a juicy half smoke, and potato salad that tastes like a southern church picnic.
Arlington, Va.: Hi Tom, I'm being treated to dinner at the Morrison-Clark in later in the week. I can't find anything in your archives about it. Have you checked it out? Any recommendations for dinner selections? Tom Sietsema: I haven't been to the restaurant in years. Readers?
Washington, D.C.: Tom, I submitted this question early (two days ago) but maybe you didn't see it so I'm trying again. Had a lovely brunch at Tabard Inn this weekend, followed by spectacular desserts. I am tired of paying a pretty penny for so-so sweets, and wondered if you could suggest other places that have terrific desserts. Many thanks! Tom Sietsema: I am always eager to try the homespun desserts at Cashion's Eat Place and Little Fountain Cafe, the cakes at Majestic Cafe in Old Town, and whatever pastry wiz Steve Klc (pronounced Kelch, by the way) is turning out at Zaytinya, Cafe Atlantico or Jaleo.
Takoma Park, Md.: Interesting story in the food section on mussels. In Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain says he NEVER orders mussels in restaurants, because he's afraid he'll get sick. Where are you on the mussel question, and have you ever gotten sick from eating the proverbial "bad clams"? Tom Sietsema: Bad clams? No. Bad oysters? Yes. At the time I remember thinking I was going to die --- and then wanting to. It was pretty gruesome.
Washington, DC: Tom, I've submitted a question several times in my quest to find a restaurant serving Argentine cuisine in the area. I've never gotten an answer (I know you're swamped with questions), but I wanted to let you know that I found one. El Patio in Rockville, just off of Wisconsin, is nothing fancy, but the food was very authentic. It's kind of a Latin American-deli atmosphere with fair prices and a clientele that appeared largely to be Argentine the night we went. If you have any other suggestions, I'll still be happy to hear them. Thanks! Tom Sietsema: Thanks for the feedback.
Washington, D.C.: Morton's sent me a $50 gift certificate in the mail. Which steak should I get there?
Tom Sietsema: If it's offered, the roast beef is tops.
Washington, DC: Hi, Tom-- thanks for doing these chats. I'm a long-time lurker and my husband and I rely on the chats, as well as your reviews, to hunt down and try new restaurants- we haven't been disappointed yet!
I'm trying to plan a large (60 people) dinner for an annual dinner party here at work- in the past, we've done the dinner at ESPNZone, Sequoia, and Old Ebbitt. We're looking for a change of pace this year- perhaps something in the Adams Morgan/Dupont Circle area or Old Town Alexandria. Do you have any suggestions for restaurants with sufficient space (preferably a private dining room) for a group this size, particularly one that also has decent food??!! Thanks in advance for your help! Tom Sietsema: Have you considered the Caucus Room, Poste, Olives?
That wraps it up for today, folks. See you back next week. Until then, dine well.
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