Post Reports Dinner with The Post’s food critic
Oct 16, 2025
Tom Sietsema, a revered food critic for over 25 years, shares fascinating insights from his extensive dining career. He discusses his unique ordering strategies to evaluate the dining 'theater' and the importance of maintaining anonymity while reviewing. Listeners will learn how Tom chooses restaurants, the value of repeat visits, and his tips for enjoying a night out. He also reflects on the challenges of writing reviews and the evolving role of critics amid online reviews, all while cherishing the connections he made with readers.
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Food As A Window Into Society
- Food reveals broader stories about who grows, sells and cooks it.
- Dining connects culture, economics and personal choices into a single narrative.
Visit Multiple Times Before Judging
- Vary reviews by price, neighborhood and cuisine to serve diverse readers.
- Visit three to four times to capture a restaurant's typical performance and get an average view.
Maintaining Anonymity With Disguises
- Tom kept his face private for years and even used multiple credit cards and disguises.
- He says disguises and covert visits revealed treatment that confirmed anonymity was vital.