Tom Sietsema’s surprise announcement that he’s stepping down as The Washington Post’s longtime food critic and revealing his identity landed like a thunderclap across D.C.’s dining scene: sudden, seismic and impossible to ignore.
For the past 26 years, Sietsema attempted to “eat under the radar” by remaining anonymous, while writing reviews, guides and Q&As that have been described by restaurant owners and chefs as “fair” and “honest.”
In an interview with WTOP, Sietsema spoke about how he became a food critic, what the reality of being a food critic is like, why he’s stepping down and what he hopes to do next. Read the full Q&A below.
The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.