Jessica Sidman

Washington, D.C.

Food Editor at Washingtonian

Food Editor, @Washingtonian. Proud member of @washguild.

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Articles

Joia Burger Opens In Glover Park

2 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Jessica Sidman

Joia Burger. 2414 Wisconsin Ave., NW. Joia Burger was an immediate hit in Mount Pleasant with its minimalist menu of smash burgers, fries, and purple ube soft-serve ice cream. Now, the burger shop has arrived in Glover Park—with an eye on further expansion. Patrice Cleary, who also owns Filipino restaurant Purple Patch in Mount Pleasant, debuted the first location last March.
Expert Tips: 5 Things to Know About Ordering Sushi

2 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Jessica Sidman

Think you know what makes great sushi? Sushiko and Daikaya owner Daisuke Utagawa explains a few things that might surprise you.
A Vinyl Listening Room and Natural Wine Bar Opens in Mount Vernon Triangle

2 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Jessica Sidman

The family behind Baked & Wired and a Baked Joint first opened La Betty in 2019 as an elevated comfort food restaurant. The Mount Vernon Triangle spot struggled to adapt to carryout during the pandemic and eventually closed in 2022. Now, it’s back—this time as a natural wine bar and vinyl listening lounge.
The Best Sushi Restaurants in the DC Area

2 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Jessica Sidman

Dear SushiChef Makoto Okuwa’s love letter to sushi is an $85 dinner omakase with snacks, a pair of hand rolls, nigiri, and a bite-size fruit-shaped dessert. The rustically sliced nigiri are presented in dueling old- and new-school styles—think a piece of bluefin tuna marinated in soy, alongside another adorned with torched uni and a touch of leek-miso paste. À la carte sushi, sashimi, and hand rolls are also available, as is a condensed $42 “omakase express” lunch.
This DC Sushi Restaurant Transforms Its Fish Into Art

2 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Jessica Sidman

As you enter the Capitol Hill sushi restaurant Omakase @ Barracks Row, the stairwell is lined with framed prints of Shizuoka rainbow trout, squid, and red cornetfish. Here’s how service director Gabriel Enjamio uses the Japanese art of gyotaku, or ink impressions, to create prints made from some of the whole fish that chef Ricky Wang later carves up for his 20-course omakase. 1.
44 percent of DC-area restaurants surveyed say they're 'likely to close' by the end of this year

2 weeks ago | wamu.org | Jessica Sidman

The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington put out a stark warning in March. According to a recent survey, 44% of D.C. area-restaurant owners said they were “likely to close” by the end of 2025. The Washingtonian‘s Jessica Sidman said that number betrays some pretty dramatic leaps in logic. “There are somewhere around 2500 restaurants, according to the city’s tourism board,” Sidman tells WAMU’s Morning Edition host Esther Ciammachilli. “So, let’s say 30% of those closed.
How Much Trouble Are DC Restaurants Really In?

3 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Jessica Sidman

The recent headlines were alarming: 44 percent of full-service casual restaurants in DC are likely to close this year. The stat, which was blasted across local and national news last month, came from a Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington survey of 217 restaurants, conducted from late January to early February.
The Hot List: April

3 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Ann Limpert |Jessica Sidman |Ike Allen

Ann Limpert joined in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
DC's Top Restaurant Albi Just Got a Makeover

3 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Jessica Sidman

Chef Michael Rafidi is arguably at the top of his game. His Navy Yard destination Albi recently ranked number one on Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Best Restaurants list, and Rafidi won the prestigious James Beard Award for “outstanding chef” last year. But Rafidi still sees room for improvement. So, he closed Albi for a couple weeks—it reopens today with an elevated look and slightly expanded menu.
Texas-Based Japanese Restaurant Uchi Is Coming to DC

4 weeks ago | washingtonian.com | Jessica Sidman

Uchi—the Austin-founded chain with seven locations spanning from West Hollywood to Miami—is set to make its DC debut downtown this fall. The restaurant, founded by James Beard award-winning chef Tyson Cole more than two decades ago, will offer a non-traditional take on Japanese fare and add to the city’s omakase scene. CEO Tony Montero says about 70 percent of the menu is the same across Uchi’s locations.