Reviews, Press and News

Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington - Press Release, January 10, 2005

RAMMY Award Winners Revealed at 2005 Restaurant Awards Gala

Washington, DC- The winners of the coveted RAMMY Awards were announced on Sunday, June 5th, at the 23rd annual RAMMY Restaurant Awards Gala, presented by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). Masters of Ceremonies Sue Palka of FOX5 and James Adams of NBC4 presided over the event, which honored the best and brightest of Washington's restaurant community. "This was the biggest turnout in our event's 23 year history," said Gala Chair Jodi Lehr of Santa Lucia Estate Coffee.

» to read more

The Washington Post Magazine, October 16, 2005

2005 Fall Dining Guide

Eating in the serene "tasting room" at Eve reminds me of dining in a garden. Pictures of fruits and vegetables on the walls set the scene, while much of the food that comes from the kitchen revels in the season. If there are great tomatoes nearby, chef Cathal Armstrong finds them and tucks them into a paper-thin pastry shell with biting Roquefort, infant basil leaves and sauternes vinaigrette. And if there's a humble ingredient that needs an ego boost, the Irish-born chef is just the guy for the job. Tripe may not be something diners expect to find in a luxury restaurant, but Armstrong's version -- slowly braised in veal stock with citrus zest, arranged with house-made lamb sausage and dusted with chopped aromatics -- makes a convincing case. The chef's inspired tasting menus (take your pick from five or nine courses) are filled with pleasures great and small. The fish known as escolar is poached in olive oil, then sliced into wedges and drizzled with a haunting vinaigrette made with smoked ham. And lemon-kissed custard cake is lavished with the sweetest blueberries ever. This remarkable food is delivered by gracious and intelligent servers, and accompanied by fine wines and cocktails that raise the bar: Eve goes to the trouble of making its own tonic for its gin and tonic.

By Tom Sietsema

Gayout-Travel Guide - End of the Year Review, October 26, 2005

Rising Chefs 2005

Zakary Pelaccio, Richard Blais, Cathal Armstrong, Josef Centeno and Martin Heirling fall in our "almost famous" category. We celebrate the tremendous talent of these young chefs and predict that they are the rising stars who will ignite the culinary scene in years to come. Look out, these five promise to stir things up!

» to read more

John Marianni - www.johnmarianni.com - December 2005

What's New in Washington?

As hard as I try to get to every new, significant restaurant in the U.S., the task is obviously impossible. Which is why I missed Restaurant Eve (110 South Pitt Street; 703-706-0450; click) when it opened in 2004 in Alexandria, VA, to great local acclaim. Now that I have visited, I'm happy to agree. Indeed, Eve is one of those restaurants that have about them the aura of personality and professional intensity, along with a commitment to doing everything as well as they possibly can to please the greatest number of people.

» to read more

The Washingtonian, January 2005

100 Very Best Restaurants - The Finest Dining in Virginia, Maryland, and the District

After a slowdown of a few years, area restaurants seem to have recovered from the attacks of September 11, 2001. Restaurateurs say that business is now at pre-9/11 levels, and the number of new restaurants is increasing. At the high end, Yannick Cam’s Le Paradou and Eric Ziebold’s CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental hotel have opened their doors. In the “expensive” rather than “very expensive” category, we have Cathal Armstrong’s Restaurant Eve in Alexandria and Ceiba in downtown DC. At the more moderate price level, there are Black Market Bistro and the Divino Lounge in Bethesda. From the owners of Jaleo, Café Atlántico, and Zaytinya comes the new Oyamel in Crystal City. There seems to be a renewed optimism and energy among restaurateurs.

The Washington Examiner, December 30, 2005

Nutrition - Keeping Resolutions, one area chef at a time

» to read more

Food & Wine Magazine, October 2005

Best New Wine Lists 2005

Adventurous and innovative sommeliers are some of the wine world's most influential trendsetters. The seventh annual F&W Best New Wine List awards honor their achievements and their vision.

» see eve's listing

Food & Wine

Cocktails 2005 - Featured Cocktail

Restaurant Eve's Tomato Water Bloody Mary

» to recipe

The Washington Post, August 30, 2005 - Online Extra

It’s Cocktail thyme: Herbs and drinks just go together

In stylish bars across the country, bartenders who once mashed only mint for mojitos and juleps are bringing the rest of the herb roster into play. Among the cool drinks at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Va.

Herbs are key ingredients in dozens of late summer cocktails. Cilantro, rosemary and thyme are common. Every sort of herbal garnish goes. And with home gardens and farmers markets at a seasonal peak, plenty of fresh herbs are available. On a recent evening in the small, busy bar at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Va., three young women celebrated a birthday sipping tall, pink drinks with a dark ruffled leaf floating on the surface. “It’s a purple basil cocktail, smooth and delicious with no aftertaste,” says attorney Lauren Allen

» to read more

Humane Farm Animal Care - Press Release, March 10, 2005

Three Washington, D.C. Area Restaurants Receive "Certified Humane" Certification

Three new restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area are among the first restaurants in the country to be “Certified Humane” by the national non-profit organization Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC). Melrose in the Park Hyatt Washington and Marcel’s, also in Washington, and Restaurant Eve, in Alexandria, Va., will now feature only “Certified Humane” meat, poultry, egg and dairy products on their menus. Equinox in Washington, D.C., and Hunter’s Head Tavern at Ayshire Farm in Upperville, Va., were the first two restaurants to qualify for the “Certified Humane” designation.

» to read more

The Hill, February 17, 2005 - Capital Living

All About Eve: Old Town Alexandria's Newest Star

Can’t get your kid to eat spinach? Take the tyke to Restaurant Eve and ask for a side order of sautéed spinach, and don’t be surprised if he or she asks for a second helping.

Your finicky husband doesn’t care for mussels? Order the poached mussels with cider and shallots for yourself, and watch as he helps himself to half your order. You’re eating lots of fish because it’s heart-healthy but it’s beginning to taste all the same? Order the wild Scottish salmon with roasted cauliflower and Roma beans at Restaurant Eve and you won’t miss red meat at all.

» to read more

Washington Flyer Magazine, May 2005

Young, Hot & Cooking

They’re innovative. They’re talented. They’re fresh. Most important, they’re here.

In Washington, where every few years the newly elected arrive to send the old guard packing, it's nice to know that some folks stay and call D.C. home. What's even nicer is that some of them know how to cook—and very well, too. During the last few years, the restaurant scene in and around the capital has experienced an influx of new talent from all over the world. Veterans of Washington's kitchens will tell you that, now more than ever, the city has become a major culinary destination.

» to read more