Move over, Don Rockwell. There’s a new epicurean discussion board in town. If you can’t get enough of Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema between his dining column, travel column, or weekly “Ask Tom” online chats, then you might want to take a seat at Sietsema’s Table. Sietsema’s Table is the newest addition to the Post’s series of online discussion groups. Anyone with a washingtonpost.com account can sign in and join the group. Each week,…

Countdown to Westend Bistro It’s almost here. The opening that all the foodies in town have been waiting for. The one that all the critics are getting more than a little excited about. The chef that makes all the ladies swoon with his French accent. Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert at the Ritz-Carlton on Thursday, November 8. Menus have been posted to their web site leaving many, including Don Rockwell posters, mystified. Rather than…

Clockwise from top left: Comet Ping Pong, Red Rocks, 2 Amys, Bebo There are many factors that affect a pizza. The type of flour used for the dough. The temperature of the oven. The quality of the toppings. The skill and hands of the maker of the dough. The vigilance of the pizzaiolo (the person manning the oven). D.C. may not be known as much of a pizza town, but a few of the…

Are wine bars the next bistro? Following closely on the heels of Proof and Sonoma, Veritas Wine Bar will be opening next Monday, September 17. The list is largely composed of Euro-style California wines, with over 50 available by the glass starting at $8 and going up to $28. Also available are various red and white flights, chosen by varietal, region or cutesy names like “m&m&m” and “Mick’s picks”. Three deadly zins, anyone? The web…

Welcome to this week’s Feed, coming to you from Albuquerque, N.M.! This Feed will be a little more free flowing than usual. Why? I’m sitting on the patio, drinking a Fat Tire, enjoying the dry climate, and looking out on Sandia Peak. I just wanted to rub it in. 2007 RAMMYs To Feature Snakes That’s what “Black Tie and Boas”—the theme of this year’s RAMMY awards dinner—means, right? Tuxedos and Anacondas? Seems like a bad…

It’s hard to know where to start this week, given all the news in Washington’s food world. Chef changes, award nominations, scandals, and battles have enveloped us without us even noticing. Let’s dig right in, juicy stuff first. Review Not, that Ye be Not Reviewed A couple weeks back we told you about a fight between New York Times critic Frank Bruni and restaurateur Jeffery Chodorow. Now, close your eyes, replace Frank Bruni with a…

Red Sage Gets Along Little Doggies One of the restaurants who helped usher in the redevelopment of D.C.’s downtown, Red Sage, will close its doors next Thursday. Tom tells us that, despite serving 20,000 people a month (that’s over 160 four tops a night), high rents in the area are driving the proprietor away. How bad is it when you’re outgentrifying the gentrifiers? Though it’s not the best restaurant in town, Red Sage has always…

Thor Leaving Birreria, Taking Hammer With Him For those of you who haven’t been to Birreria Paradiso, the basement bar in Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown, I recommend you go now. Thor Cheston, the genius behind Birreria’s high-quality-only beer selection, is setting sail for different shores. In a posting to the D.C.-Beer mailing list, and re-posted to Don Rockwell, Thor said goodbye to Washington, indicating he was leaving for Philadelphia at the end of month. Damn…

Fish and Chips and Drinks and Fried Mars Bars After months of waiting, it appears that Eamonn’s, A Dublin Chipper (from the makers of Restaurant Eve) is almost ready to fling its doors open wide to welcome the unfed masses clamoring for fried fish, fried potatoes, and malt vinegar. Originally slated to open on Monday but now scheduled to open within the next two weeks, the place will also feature a bar called “PX” fashioned…

This week over on Don Rockwell, Sushi-Ko’s master chef, Koji Terano, has been taking questions from foodies about one of our favorite food genres: sushi. Although we enjoy reading “TomChats” and “chogs” with Todd Kliman, we also enjoy the rare opportunity to talk with chefs firsthand. Koji pulls back the nori, as it were, and dishes about buying fish, ordering sushi, and embracing Japanese chopstick customs, among other things. On fish quality Koji confirmed…