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

Dining chat: Just because I’m fat doesn’t mean I don’t deserve good service

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

September 11, 2024

Maude & the Bear merits a road trip to the Shenandoah Valley

Chef Ian Boden, co-owner of the Shack in Staunton, Va., adds another destination restaurant to his portfolio.

September 5, 2024

Dining chat: We ended up paying for a ‘free’ anniversary dessert

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

September 4, 2024

Dining chat: Why does it always take forever to get my check?

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

August 28, 2024

River Club in Georgetown serves three cuisines in a sublime package

The new River Club serves Lebanese, Italian and Spanish small plates in a beautiful space at Washington Harbour in Georgetown.

August 22, 2024
Lemon tart.

Dining chat: Restaurant bans little kids. What gives?

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

August 21, 2024

D.C. is awash in Japanese tasting menus. These 3 new ones excel.

Kappo features meat in the Palisades, Kiyomi Sushi by Uchi graces a food hall downtown, and Omakase @ Barracks Row delivers dinner and a show.

August 15, 2024

Dining chat: The time our food critic judged Tim Walz’s hot dish

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

August 14, 2024
Every Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET, Tom Sietsema answers your questions about dining out.

Where to get the best steak in D.C.

These eight D.C. steakhouses excel, even though the city long ago shed its meat-and-potatoes image. Here’s where to go and what to order.

August 13, 2024
New York strip steak with peppercorn sauce and sides of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes at St. Anselm near Union Market.

Our food critic’s 8 restaurant red flags to avoid a bad meal out

You can save yourself from a bad restaurant experience if you know what to look out for.

August 9, 2024