The food critic at the Washington Post has long been seen as an all-powerful — and totally anonymous — figure in the local restaurant industry. But the paper’s new critic, Elazar Sontag, is rejecting that anonymity for a more transparent approach. The first thing he did after replacing long-timer Tom Sietsema was bring back the star review system and introduce himself on the Post's Instagram.
”The work of being anonymous has largely become kind of a theater act,” explained Sontag. “ Sometimes I do get [special] treatment, but I want to be able to talk about it openly and transparently because critics have gotten that treatment for a very long time.”
Since November, Sontag has been eating out seven nights a week to get a sense of he DMV’s food scene. “ I am not trying to pretend that I understand D.C. as well as even [locals] might,” he explained. “I am just offering people a way to see the city and the region anew through my eyes.”
We had a long chat with Sontag about D.C.’s changing dining scene, the role of a critic, and the best spots he’s been so far. Below, a list of some superlatives we threw his way.
Best place to go on a third date with someone you want to impress?
“When I really want to impress my partner, who I've been with for closer to five years, I take him to Izakaya Seki…It’s very special and very romantic without feeling too stuffy.”
Best place to take your enemy, someone you can't trust.
“I would take them to Gemini. It's a little pasta bar that's standing room only. And I would position myself close to the door, so if they pulled out the butter knife, I could just run.”
Feasting at Izakaya Seki. (The Washington Post/Getty Images)
The most memorable dish you've had?
“[Chef Tan] in Vienna serves a dish of century eggs, which are these long-cured eggs in Chinese cuisine that turn black….They're served with crushed chilies, fermented bean curd, and eggplant.”
“It's rare in this line of work that I eat something that feels totally novel and exciting to me. And when that happens, it's like that moment in Ratatouille.”
Favorite martini you've had so far?
"The awful thing about a martini is you so rarely remember that you drank it. I had a nice one at Jane Jane though."
Best place to take your mother-in-law?
“Lutèce. It's a great little modern bistro, by the Popal group…Chef Matt Conroy's very talented and it's a very romantic little place for just you and your mother-in-law. If you can get in!”
Favorite dessert so far?
“At Maison Bar à Vins…there is a Basque cheesecake, which is a pretty wild dish. The center is barely baked. So it's just this lovely layer of cheesecake on the outside. And then at the center, it's this runny, sweet, funky, intense cheese.”
