Foodie & The Beast: 17 Years On-Air

A celebration in the studio, 17 years of Foodie & The Beast! David and Nycci are endlessly grateful to the hospitality pros who join us, and to all of you who tune in live or download every week. We packed the mics with an all-star lineup:

-Tom Sietsema — The Reveal & The Guide

After 25 years as The Washington Post’s mystery man, Tom Sietsema has announced he’s stepping out of the shadows. He joined us to talk about his swan song tradition, the Fall Dining Guide: 40 Best in DC and what comes next when you no longer have to dine in disguise.

-Irena Stein — Alma Cocina Latina

From Baltimore’s beloved Alma Cocina Latina, Irena Stein shared how photography, anthropology, and hospitality meet at Alma. With famed Venezuelan chef Héctor Romero, each plate maps a country —> Amazon to Andes, Caribbean to the plains —> in a room that feels like a lush Venezuelan home.

-David Hagedorn — Chefs for Equality (Oct 27)

Writer, critic, and dear friend David Hagedorn previewed the most delicious fundraiser of the season, Chefs for Equality. This year: five chef-collab dinners with cocktail receptions and multi-course pairings at
CUT by Wolfgang Puck (with Wolfgang himself), Moon Rabbit, The Duck & The Peach, Acqua Bistecca, plus Perry’s presenting “Drag Brunch for Dinner”—a lavish buffet curated by James Beard Award–winner Masako Morishita with performances by top DC drag superstars.

-Richard Hanauer — RPM Italian Pours

Richard Hanauer, Beverage Partner & Sommelier at RPM Italian, poured from RPM’s new single-vineyard, house-exclusive blends. We sniffed, sipped, and swirled through the lineup and yes, we found pairings we’re still thinking about.

!!But wait!! There’s more: stick around for the end of the show, where two of the area’s leading food critics, Tom and David, dig into the state of restaurant reviews and food journalism today.

Thanks for celebrating with us. Here’s to the next chapter: more stories, more chefs, more glasses raised. Catch the replay here.