"We can't help but draw comparisons to a similar spirit we find in both Appalachia, where my mother is from, and the backwater town in Greece where Johnny's parents are from."—Little Serow co-owner Anne Marler, telling the Post's Tom Sietsema about the three-star Isaan-style Thai eatery's eclectic selection of background music, ranging from bluegrass to [...]
A few weeks back, Y&H questioned Mark Bucher, founder of BGR: The Burger Joint and Medium Rare, about his involvement in the new Meatballs restaurant in Penn Quarter. Bucher denied any official involvement—despite records filed with the District's Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration identifying him as the 100-percent owner of the business. Bucher claimed he was [...]
Well, that was fast. Earlier this morning, Graffiato's Mike Isabella brushed aside the rumor that he would be opening a new eatery inside the fire-ravaged former Hook restaurant in Georgetown. Now, mere hours later, he confirms that, yes, the whole thing is true: Bandolero will be the name of the place. Why deny the truth [...]
WaPo food critic Tom Sietsema may be the D.C. area's most fervent watchdog when it comes to the complimentary bread basket—a longtime staple of the dinner table now seemingly on the decline amid a sputtering economy. No big surprise, then, that the non-complimentary baked goods at the newly opened District Commons recently caught his attention. [...]
"The bane of my existence is that I cannot find a restaurant in D.C. that serves escargots as the French make them: in butter and shells. I have found restaurants in Washington that serve escargots, but they don’t do it right. They put their own tilt on it. I would have a favorite restaurant if [...]
Quick hits on the meatless beat Yes, We Said Free: Oct. 1 is World Vegetarian Day and to honor the holiday, The Counter, a burger place in Reston, is offering a free mini veggie burger with the purchase of any burger. The Fruits of Our Labor: Tomato season is over, but that doesn't mean the [...]
Former Mendocino and Sonoma chef Drew Trautmann is opening his own place in Woodley Park called District Kitchen. WaPo's Tom Sietsema has the scoop. Trautmann's planned 75-seat eatery will take over the space currently occupied by the Thai-themed Jandara at 2606 Connecticut Ave. NW. Trautmann's rustic and "real simple" concept will be modeled after Baltimore's [...]
Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema takes note of a rising trend at area restaurants: the death of the bread basket. He cites D.C. eateries Sax, Lincoln, Lost Society, and Brasserie Brightwell in Easton, Md., among those abandoning the complimentary dinner roll. Some operators explain it as cost-cutting measure. Lincoln's Alan Popovsky, meanwhile, cites a [...]
So much for critics waiting one full month before visiting a new restaurant. On his Facebook page, chef R.J. Cooper reports that he spotted Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema at his brand-spankin' new eatery Rogue 24 last Thursday, the restaurant's second night in business: "Mr. TS from Wash post just left the house. Suprised us [...]
I was trying to get to the restroom during my most recent visit to Graffiato, Mike Isabella’s new neo-Italian starfucker clubhouse, when a photo-op blocked my way. Isabella and fellow Top Chef alums Carla Hall and Antonia Lofaso were huddled for a snapshot. As it happens, you see a lot of these snapshot sessions at [...]
