Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Wow that took it to a whole new level of weirdness.  Do you think they told the server that?  I wonder what type of dish it is, dessert, or like spaghetti?  I don't want to know, oh but I do, oh no no no I don't.  In my professional line of work I come across a lot of weird stuff, that one, nope can't say I have ever heard that one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are there any other inquiring minds out there who want to a little more about this?  And are slightly frightened of finding out?

It was the "intimately" that did it for me.  It's not that odd for people to order an extra dish to take home.  They know they won't have time to make lunch/dinner the next day or something, or they're going to be up all night working.   That's not what this seemed to be. The wording was interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was the "intimately" that did it for me.  It's not that odd for people to order an extra dish to take home.  They know they won't have time to make lunch/dinner the next day or something, or they're going to be up all night working.   That's not what this seemed to be. The wording was interesting.

I haven't read this yet, but I often over-order, knowing what I'll be having for lunch the next day (or, depending on how much I have to drink, what I'll be having at 1 AM). ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I'm just in a junior-high frame of mind, but I'm not sure which made me snigger more in this morning's chat: the person who was excited that their "top" was taking them to dinner at Rasika, or Tom announcing, "My computer went down on me twice!" Or maybe editing a deadly dull manuscript just makes me more susceptible to innuendo.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you see the nastygram someone sent into his chat yesterday, March 26?

Q.
Time for someone new
Isnt the Wp giving early outs? If so why dont you take one so subscribers and readers can enjoy someone new. Someone who isnt so prissy and pretentious and has a clue about food. Its time for you to start checking out assisted living communities.
 
A.
Tom Sietsema :

Have a nice day!

"“ March 26, 2014 11:18 AM
 
My reply would not have been nearly as gracious as Tom's.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw that too and wondered why he even bothered posting it.

And talk about a pointless complaint.  I would have liked to see examples of how he is prissy, prententious and has no clue about food.   Instead he basically said "you're old and you suck".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw that too and wondered why he even bothered posting it.

And talk about a pointless complaint.  I would have liked to see examples of how he is prissy, prententious and has no clue about food.   Instead he basically said "you're old and you suck".

I think he posts this stuff to show people what kind of crap he has to put up with generally.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are probably right. Compare the comments section of the NYT (thoughtful, insightful) for any story to that of the WaPo (hillbilly cage match).

You're insulting hillbillies with that comparison. Most of the ones I know also know not to get into the WaPo comments section (or, at least, most of them - the weather gang and Carolyn Hax comments seem pretty okay.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loved this response from Tom this week when someone was complaining about his spring dinning guide.  It was part of a thread in which a couple different posters asked questions about the guide and the star system.  I guess he reached a breaking point.

Q: Rating System

ï‚‚

At the prices the places in your dining guide charge, I'm not interested in a restaurant that is simply "good." And Volt is a bit far afield for someone who lives in the city and has no car.

A: Tom Sietsema

Then read another critic.

"” May 20, 2015 11:55 EDT

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loved this response from Tom this week when someone was complaining about his spring dinning guide.  It was part of a thread in which a couple different posters asked questions about the guide and the star system.  I guess he reached a breaking point.

Q: Rating System

ï‚‚

At the prices the places in your dining guide charge, I'm not interested in a restaurant that is simply "good." And Volt is a bit far afield for someone who lives in the city and has no car.

A: Tom Sietsema

Then read another critic.

"” May 20, 2015 11:55 EDT

Which was an incorrect answer. The correct answer would have been "Then you should read donrockwell.com".

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This chat has been brought to you by José Andrés and Mike Isabella.

I count "Andrés, ThinkFoodGroup, Oyamel, Jaleo, or Zaytinya" mentioned *15* times in this one chat.

I count "Isabella or Kapnos" mentioned 8 times.

Jeez, Tom.

As you frame it, it does seem excessive. But in the context of the questions being discussed, I think it's less so. Some of this had to do with the lack of dining options in Shirlington, and TS obviously reached out to two prominent restaurateurs who one could reasonably think might consider opening places there to get their responses (and made a civilized response to a later snarky comment about Andres). And plugging his new review of Kapnos Taverna is to be expected. While one might want some more imagination, which can fail anyone working on the fly, the recommendations were reasonable given what was being asked.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As you frame it, it does seem excessive. But in the context of the questions being discussed, I think it's less so. Some of this had to do with the lack of dining options in Shirlington, and TS obviously reached out to two prominent restaurateurs who one could reasonably think might consider opening places there to get their responses (and made a civilized response to a later snarky comment about Andres). And plugging his new review of Kapnos Taverna is to be expected. While one might want some more imagination, which can fail anyone working on the fly, the recommendations were reasonable given what was being asked.

I agree with this - I didn't realize he reviewed Kapnos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It wasn't just the "let them eat cake" response (" Taskrabbit for instance, is one of multiple services offering human place-holders") to the cranky yet somewhat persuasive folks who wrote into complain about the lines at Little Serow (my last visit suggests it should have demoted in the Fall Dining Guide rather than upgraded, btw) and Rose's, but the way he tenaciously held to the point after being challenged a couple of additional times.  I don't think it would have killed him to admit a restaurant essentially telling you: "sorry about your arthritis, granny, but if you want dinner you have to flip a Benjamin to an unemployed English major before you can even get your name on the list," is maybe not the most hospitable welcome a restaurateur might extend. I think the guy may be getting jaded and out of touch -- he's more interested in novelty, buzz and interior design and less concerned with actual dining out these days.  

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It wasn't just the "let them eat cake" response (" Taskrabbit for instance, is one of multiple services offering human place-holders"to the cranky yet somewhat persuasive folks who wrote into complain about the lines at Little Serow (my last visit suggests it should have demoted in the Fall Dining Guide rather than upgraded, btw) and Rose's, but the way he tenaciously held to the point after being challenged a couple of additional times.  I don't think it would have killed him to admit a restaurant essentially telling you: "sorry about your arthritis, granny, but if you want dinner you have to flip a Benjamin to an unemployed English major before you can even get your name on the list," is maybe not the most hospitable welcome a restaurateur might extend. I think the guy may be getting jaded and out of touch -- he's more interested in novelty, buzz and interior design and less concerned with actual dining out these days.

I think his response was absolutely the correct one. If he were to go down this slippery slope, should he also downgrade pricy restaurants such as Inn at Little Washington for being beyond the financial reach of most people? Or any restaurant without a substantial vegan-friendly selection for being hostile to vegans?

And should I be retroactively upset that my grade school cafeteria made me wait in line (no cutting!) for lunch rather than offer me the option to reserve my space? And should I be picketing the food trusts since they often require substantial standing waits for their food?

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were a lot of good comments in the (shocker) "comments" section of Tom's chat going back and forth about the idea that having to wait in line should disqualify from a 4 star rating.

A few of good ones on both sides were: 1) people wait in line all the time for things they consider "worth it" like concert tickets or a museum exhibit and 2) being an out of town visitor to DC, I'm not going to spend a few of my precious few hours waiting in a line to eat a meal and 3) if the place wasn't worthy of the high praise, there wouldn't be any lines to worry about

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of Sietsema's most idiotic comments in this discussion:

I don't recall waiting in lines in other cities, but I *do* recall the hassle of buying * tickets* for popular restaurants in Chicago and San Francisco, among other markets.  The online system is worse, to me, than standing in line.

I guess he'd much rather go stand in line at the box office than order theatre tickets online, too, since the online system is so much more of a hassle than waiting in line at the box office. Recall what Mark Furstenberg said last year on this very website, in reference to his joint project with Frank Ruta:

I find it barbaric to ask people who want to come to your restaurant to wait in the street.  We are going to have at Bread Feast one menu, one dinner.  People will be able to buy a seat (or seats) first-come-first-serve on the Internet.  No waiting, no line.

Who are you going to go with, Mark Furstenberg or Tom Sietsema?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, it is akin to when TS downgrades a restaurant for the interior decor yet the food is outstanding.  Standing in lline is a "part" of the whole experience, and a restaurant that chooses that as their model should not earn 4 stars from TS, based on his history of reviewing restaurants, IMHO.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, it is akin to when TS downgrades a restaurant for the interior decor yet the food is outstanding.  Standing in lline is a "part" of the whole experience, and a restaurant that chooses that as their model should not earn 4 stars from TS, based on his history of reviewing restaurants, IMHO.

Aria Bizet Carmen

Someone pass the Habanera Sauce,

Raw Cecum

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is Tom getting burned out? He's frequently missed chats this year, including last week and next week, has been doing his "Best Food Cities in America" piece, which sends him away from DC for weeks at a time, and this week his "review" (other than his LA food city article) is a Q&A, which includes a snippet from a recent chat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is Tom getting burned out? He's frequently missed chats this year, including last week and next week, has been doing his "Best Food Cities in America" piece, which sends him away from DC for weeks at a time.

I don't think he's burned out.  I think he's enjoying his best food cities tour too much.  Personally, I don't see how one person can rank cities based on dining at a few restaurants (nor do I see the utility of such ranking....it's not going to change anyone's mind).  This seems to me to be mostly an excuse to travel on Wapo's dime.  I suppose it does benefit those readers who don't like to research restaurants in other cities on their own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He sort of addressed the "why Houston" question in the chat. Not the "why not San Antonio" question though.

Q: Interesting to see Houston on your itinerary

I don't have anything against Houston, but as someone who lived in Texas for many years, I was a bit surprised to see it on your list. Without spoiling your story, would you mind sharing how you decided to include the city in your travels?

A: Tom Sietsema

You don't say when you lived in Texas, or where, but the food scene in Houston has taken off in the past five years or so. The city reminds me of Los Angeles, with its many immigrant restaurants. I would have been remiss to leave Houston off a list of significant food markets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeff Bezos is trying to position the Post as one of the national newspapers of choice, even offering a free 6 month subscription of the online edition to Amazon Prime members.  I wouldn't be surprised if this is part of his plan to appeal in other major cities.  This is certainly one of the most high-value production series I've ever seen the Post roll out.

Or, they are trying to get Sietsema a James Beard Award.

Just two theories.       

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeff Bezos is trying to position the Post as one of the national newspapers of choice, even offering a free 6 month subscription of the online edition to Amazon Prime members.  I wouldn't be surprised if this is part of his plan to appeal in other major cities.  This is certainly one of the most high-value production series I've ever seen the Post roll out.

Or, they are trying to get Sietsema a James Beard Award.

Just two theories.       

Or, Washington is filled with people that travel constantly, and appreciate his take on food in other cities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I confess, I grabbed the Food section yesterday, saw that nearly everything in it was about dining in Los Angeles, and stuffed it right into the recycling bin. Not what I want to read about in my local newspaper. I can read the LA newspaper(s) to get that info.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Despite my misgivings about the "top-ten" premise of the series, I've enjoyed the articles themselves, which I think feature some of TS's better writing in some time. I wonder if he's the beneficiary of having a different editor in the Food section from who he has in the Post Magazine. I regard them simply as nice guides to the food scene in many different cities from one critic's perspective at this point in time. As such, they are neither definitive nor do they necessarily have a long shelf life. The top-ten conceit basically is bowing to listicle culture, but the articles are more substantive than what one would expect from that (which is to say, I don't give it much credence).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For some reason I can't copy and paste the chat in my office (shit happens when you compute in a cloud), so I'll just summarize the complaints.

1.  Uncomfortable chairs.  Boo hoo, maybe the restaurant doesn't want people to loiter for hours because the chairs are too comfortable.  As far as I'm concerned, if the food is good, I can eat it in a box or with a fox.

2.  Menu with tiny font.  Whip out your iPhone and turn on the flashlight, go get Lasik, or put on reading glasses.

3.  Fork & Knife etiquette, eating with fingers, licking fingers.  I eat with my fingers all the time.  And when there's a sticky sauce, I lick my fingers too, before wiping with napkin.  If I ever eat with Tom, I'd make sure to lick all of my digits, perhaps even my toes.

4.  Restaurant directions.  Seriously, why doesn't the chatter look at a map on the interwebz so they know where the restaurant is, instead of calling the restaurant for directions.

I have too much free time today....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

maybe I'm young and just don't care, but can we have a moratorium of the "OMG why are restaurants so loud these days?" questions that pop up in every chat?

most any restaurant with designs of being popular will feature hard surfaces which promote loud environments, it's just the way things are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4.  Restaurant directions.  Seriously, why doesn't the chatter look at a map on the interwebz so they know where the restaurant is, instead of calling the restaurant for directions.

I get this one. It wasn't just directions but it was in relation to coming out of the metro station and there being more than one way out. "Go right out of the metro station" may work for some stations and some restaurants, but not most. If you do it right, you can come out of Gallery Place just across the street from Zaytinya, but you can also end up a block and a half away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1.  Uncomfortable chairs.  Boo hoo, maybe the restaurant doesn't want people to loiter for hours because the chairs are too comfortable.  As far as I'm concerned, if the food is good, I can eat it in a box or with a fox.

Disagree, how can you enjoy anything if you're uncomfortable??

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In theory, you are correct. Suffice to say that I've never sat on an uncomfortable chair for a meal. If you can't sit on a backless bar stool for a couple of hours, it's your problem and not anyone else's.

I'm guessing you've never had back problems (or known anyone who has)

I'm also guessing you don't work in the hospitality industry

I'm also guessing you're young and strong and your vision and hearing and physical body have not deteriorated in any noticeable way. Well, the joke's on you my friend, because Father Time is undefeated and unscored upon.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For some reason I can't copy and paste the chat in my office (shit happens when you compute in a cloud), so I'll just summarize the complaints.

1.  Uncomfortable chairs.  Boo hoo, maybe the restaurant doesn't want people to loiter for hours because the chairs are too comfortable.  As far as I'm concerned, if the food is good, I can eat it in a box or with a fox.

2.  Menu with tiny font.  Whip out your iPhone and turn on the flashlight, go get Lasik, or put on reading glasses.

3.  Fork & Knife etiquette, eating with fingers, licking fingers.  I eat with my fingers all the time.  And when there's a sticky sauce, I lick my fingers too, before wiping with napkin.  If I ever eat with Tom, I'd make sure to lick all of my digits, perhaps even my toes.

4.  Restaurant directions.  Seriously, why doesn't the chatter look at a map on the interwebz so they know where the restaurant is, instead of calling the restaurant for directions.

I have too much free time today....

Overall, I think Tom has allowed his chat to devolve into pointless bickering about finger licking, napkins, leftover boxing, etc. A shame, really, since some of the other discussions about noise, uncomfortable seating, and even food, are far more useful to most of us. I'd bet there are a number of trolls, attempting to evoke a response with their fictional comments/questions.

It's not unreasonable for people to know a bit about restaurants before they go, and noise level is a consideration. I recall reading about Mike Isabella's fondness for very loud spots. Great if you're up for it, but not so great if you're looking for a quiet evening.

Missing Todd Kliman's less structured, but usually more substantive chats. d

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...