When Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema found himself chatting with a couple of CIA agents at a cocktail party, he learned that one of the toughest reservations to score is the company dining room at headquarters in Langley, Virginia. With only 50 seats and open to everyone at the agency, it takes months to land a table.
To get into the restaurant, which only serves lunch, you have to give up your cell phone and enter your social security number. Sietsema had to receive special clearance to eat there. Located on the seventh floor, the dining room overlooks treetops. The chef, who only goes by his first name and previously worked at the World Bank and Rosa Mexicano, was tipped off about the critic's visit, "which is probably why we had she-crab soup as an amuse bouche," Sietsema says.
"I have eaten at the White House mess. I have eaten at the Pentagon, and this is some of the best government food I've had in a very long time," he adds. Sietsema believes the menu and specialness of the restaurant is designed to boost morale. With a limited time for lunch and the difficulty leaving and entering CIA headquarters, the meal better be worth the wait.
Sietsema dined in late fall and found handmade pastas, short ribs, warm bread, and seasonal salads on the menu, which changes quarterly. After his visit, Sietsema learned that the most popular item on the menu is the smash burger.
The restaurant doesn't serve alcohol, eschews tipping, and protects diners' identities by only accepting payment in cash. Sietsema joins the ranks of Willie Nelson, an actor who played James Bond, and all manner of secret agents who have dined there.