The Washington Post’s new food critic Elazar Sontag has been on the job nearly a month now, following the departure of Tom Sietsema, who held the position for more than 25 years. Already, Sontag—who was previously restaurant editor at Bon Appétit—is making some notable changes. For starters, he’s dropped any attempt at anonymity. He also announced today that he’ll be bringing back the star rating system that was abandoned during the pandemic. What else can readers and restaurants expect? We chatted with Sontag about his early impressions of DC’s dining scene, how he’s rethinking reviews, and becoming he youngest full-time print critic in America.

How familiar were you with the DC dining scene before moving here?

Not really. I would say I was familiar with the DC dining scene in the way t

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