Tom Sietsema

Washington, D.C.

Food critic

Education: Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service

Tom Sietsema has been The Washington Post's food critic since 2000. In leaner years, he worked for the Microsoft Corp., where he launched sidewalk.com; the Seattle Post-Intelligencer; the San Francisco Chronicle; and the Milwaukee Journal. A graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, he has also written for Food & Wine, Gourmet, GQ, Travel & Leisure and other national publications. In 2016, he received an award from the James Beard Foundation for his series identifying and rating the "10 Best Food Cities in America" the previous year.
Latest from Tom Sietsema

Have questions about dining out? Ask our food critic.

Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema entertains your dining questions, rants and raves.

June 7, 2023

Ellie Bird brings family-friendly delights to Falls Church

Ellie Bird, from the owners of DC's Rooster & Owl, elevates common dishes and introduces surprises, including a creative take on food for kids.

June 2, 2023

Dining Q&A: Is the cheapest dish on a menu also the best?

Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema entertains your dining questions, rants and raves.

May 31, 2023

A food critic’s week: Eating highs and lows, with workouts in between

Food critic Tom Sietsema chronicles a week of scouting, eating, emailing, training and more.

May 26, 2023

Dining Q&A: How do you include diverse perspectives in your reviewing process?

Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema entertains your dining questions, rants and raves.

May 24, 2023

Why do great artists paint food? Two critics hash it out.

The Washington Post's Philip Kennicott and Tom Sietsema looked at art that depicts food. It was a feast of signs and symbols.

May 18, 2023

2023 Spring Dining Guide

Tom Sietsema's 25 favorite new restaurants in the Washington region offer a world of flavors.

May 17, 2023

Dining Q&A: A reader wonders if the myriad restaurant fees are ‘fancy fraud’

Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema entertains your dining questions, rants and raves.

May 17, 2023

The perfect restaurant doesn’t exist. Readers helped me create one.

Quiet hours, smarter portioning and tipping transparency are among the chief requests for a better restaurant experience.

May 17, 2023

Tom Sietsema’s spring dining guide countdown: Amazonia/Causa is No. 1

Chef Carlos Delgado delivers a double-dose of superb Peruvian cooking at Amazonia and Causa in Blagden Alley.

May 16, 2023