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Hi There, I'm Jessica Sidman.

I am a Food Editor for Washingtonian magazine, where I've been covering the DC's food and drink scene for the past decade. Take a look at some of my top stories below.

I grew up in Colorado Springs, CO and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. I was previously Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist for Washington City Paper. 

​Follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
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​Email me. 

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Washingtonian​ longform features

Inside the Food Truck Mafia Wreaking Havoc Around the National Mall

What’s the Deal With Republicans and Steakhouses?

Vinoda Basnayake Is a Beltway Whisperer for Middle Eastern Royalty—and the Operator of DC’s Sceniest Nightlife Spots

Trump Hotel Employees Reveal What It Was Really Like Catering to the Right Wing Elite

DC’s Food Influencer Scene Is Booming. It’s Also a Hot Mess.

The Battle Between Diners and Restaurants: Bad Service, Rude Customers, and Confusing Fees

The Long, Surprising, and Not Totally Nerdy History of the Political Cocktail

Meet the DC Tech CEO With a Flip Phone and No Social Media

Spies, Dossiers, and the Insane Lengths Restaurants Go to Track and Influence Food Critics

The Wild Story of Two Online Poker Stars Who Traded the High-Roller Life for the Unglamorous World of Restaurants

Inside the Pampered and Personalized World of DC’s VIP Diners

Meet the Millennial Investors Funding DC’s Dining Future

How Donald Trump Lost His DC Restaurants

This 22-Year-Old Instagrammer Is One of the Most Powerful New Players in the DC Restaurant Scene

The Inside Story of Mike Isabella’s Fallen Empire

Washingtonian stories

Is the Political Cocktail Dead?

Many DC Restaurant Workers Fear Going to Work Amid Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

How Much Trouble Are DC Restaurants Really In?

Is Your Bartender a Spy?

How Eebee’s Became DC’s Hottest Bar

How Protesters Got Into the DC Restaurant Where Trump Dined

DC Restaurants Are Working the Back Channels to Get a Visit From Biden or Harris

Olivia Rodrigo, Joe Biden, and the Weird Case of the Ice-Cream Shoe Horn

Please Don’t Do Coke in the Bathroom at These Restaurants and Bars

Fine-Dining Star Maria Font Trabocchi Is Opening Restaurants in . . . Somalia

Restaurants and Bars Get Some Harassment but Mostly Support for Requiring Vaccinations

The Entire Staff Quit Over This Coffee Shop’s Racist and Covid-Denying Tweets. The Owner Claims They’re Not His.

The Agency That Protects Top Diplomats Trains at Le Diplomate

People Keep Telling Me to Stay Out of Politics and “Stick to Food.”

Why You Shouldn’t Ask Your Restaurant Server for a Recommendation

What The Trump Administration Means For Old Ebbitt Grill

Read my latest stories here.