So much for critics waiting one full month before visiting a new restaurant. On his Facebook page, chef R.J. Cooper reports that he spotted Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema at his brand-spankin’ new eatery Rogue 24 last Thursday, the restaurant’s second night in business:

“Mr. TS from Wash post just left the house. Suprised us on our second night.”

In last week’s Young & Hungry column, “Critical Distance,” Sietsema dished a bit about his policy on reviewing new restaurants. While the city’s senior-ranking food critic says he tries to abide by the standard one-month wait when working on his starred reviews for the Post magazine, he sometimes takes an earlier peak for the paper’s separate “First Bite” column: “I feel free to visit new establishments as soon as their doors open to paying guests, although I’m not big on going the first night, when the paint is still drying.” He said nothing about going on the second night.

Photo by Greg Powers