WASHINGTON 鈥� If you鈥檝e ever had the desire to drop in on some of the region鈥檚 best restaurants and rate the ramen or critique the聽肠辞苍蝉辞尘尘茅, now is your chance.
No, Tom Sietsema is not abandoning his post at the paper. Rather, local PBS station is looking for everyday foodies to be a part of its new program, 鈥�鈥�
The show, which is produced in other markets around the country, including Chicago and San Francisco, will highlight a variety of dining options in the D.C. area.
鈥淲e might look at a high-end fancy restaurant on the same show where we鈥檙e looking at a kebab shop in a mall somewhere,鈥� said the show鈥檚 executive producer Glen Baker.
Rather than featuring professional critics, 鈥淐heck, Please!鈥� will have local residents visit the restaurants and rate the dishes.
Here鈥檚 how it works: The show will feature three guest reviewers per episode. Each guest recommends a favorite dining destination in the region, and the other two go to check it out.
After all three restaurants are visited, the guests meet with the show鈥檚 host, Compass Rose owner Rose Previte, and discuss their experiences.
鈥淭his area has grown up so much in the last few years, and it鈥檚 really a foodie destination, and because of that, there is an entire class of people out there who just really know about food, and enjoy it and want to share those ideas with others,鈥� Baker said.
鈥淎nd I think in a lot of ways, people want peers, citizens, who are kind of like them 鈥� not necessarily the reviewer for the top magazine or something 鈥� but someone who knows something about food, who can tell them where to go.鈥�
Filming for D.C.鈥檚 鈥淐heck, Please!鈥� began earlier this month, and the show (12 episodes) is expected to air later this year. Despite having received interest from several hundred potential guest reviewers, WETA is still from interested locals.
Don鈥檛 worry 鈥斅燘aker says no previous experience in the food industry is required to participate.
鈥淲hen I say 鈥榝oodie,鈥� it means you like to eat. It doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e necessarily an expert,鈥� he said.
And while the show will, no doubt, shine a light on the area鈥檚 thriving food scene, Baker says the real goal is to encourage locals to explore the region鈥檚 diverse communities.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not all about trend-chasing. It鈥檚 more about the enduring appeal of good dining,鈥� he added.
