Will Artley - Evening Star Cafe

WILL ARTLEY
THE EVENING STAR CAFE
Will Artley’s creative, sophisticated and ingredient-driven
approach to his food has helped establish The Evening Star Cafe
as a warm, neighborhood bistro perfect for a memorable fine
dining experience or casual bite with a craft beer. His cooking is
centered on deceptively simple preparations and robust, seasonal
flavors that guides Evening Star’s constantly changing menu.
Artley’s steadfast dedication to local food is realized through The
Farm Table at Planet Wine, the adjoining wine shop, where he
creates unique menus from only the finest seasonal, regionallyculled ingredients, served to a small group of diners several nights
a week.
Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Artley discovered his passion
for cooking at a young age as he traveled the world with his
military parents. He soon turned that interest into experience,
training in some of New York City’s most preeminent restaurants
and later, enrolling in the Culinary Institute of America. Artley
completed his courses at CIA while taking advantage of more
hands-on opportunities including time inside the kitchen at
Aquavit Restaurant under the guidance of Chef Marcus Samuelsson, and later an externship with Chef Seth Bixby Daugherty at
D'Amico Cucina in Minneapolis. It was while studying under
Daugherty – one of Food & Wine’s Top 10 Chefs in 2005 – that
Artley first gained a lasting respect and commitment to cooking
with only the highest quality, freshest ingredients.
Upon graduation in 2003, Artley joined the opening team of
Colvin Run Tavern, located in Tysons Corner, Virginia, led by
well-known Chef Robert Kinkead. He honed his craft as a line
cook at Kinkead’s in Washington, DC and soon gained opportunities to further refine his style at fine-dining restaurants Indebleu
and Butterfield 9. In 2005, Neighborhood Restaurant Group
tapped Artley as Sous Chef of The Evening Star Cafe and in just
two years, he moved into the Executive Chef role.
Throughout his career, Artley has had the honor of participating
prestigious events including cooking at the James Beard House in
New York in 2003 and 2006. In February 2008, Artley was
selected as one of eight chefs to participate in the White House
guest chef program, where he prepared a luncheon for 80 cabinet members and commissioned officers. Recently, Artley was
selected to participate in DC Central Kitchen’s Food Fight as a
competing chef and Saturday Sips, benefiting Martha’s Table,
where he prepared his famous “BLT” Mac & Cheese.
Artley’s innovative food has led to feature coverage in publications including The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal and Northern Virginia, and on well-known blogs including
Metrocurean, Arugula Files and Capital Spice. In 2011, he was
recognized in the “Rising Culinary Star” nomination category by
the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.