Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema on his career and what's next

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.

Michelle Goldchain:

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