Hot Spots: Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, VA

Maybe you're stuffed to the gills with stuffing, but I'd place a bet that you could still squeeze in a few bites at Restaurant Eve-- the best neighborhood bistro in the Washington DC area. The website may be a bit ambitious, a bit over-the-top bold, with their taunting boast: "Are you in the mood for a gastronomic epiphany?" But this place sure does deliver. (I've known Frenchmen even to swoon over the amuse-bouche.) The chef's tasting menus (choose from five or nine courses) include such delights as lobster creme brulee, olive oil poached escolar, and wild Scottish partridge. Yum. And who cares that this destination restaurant is a little outside the beltway? Alexandria's not really the burbs when it's got such historical charm.