Celebrity Chef Armstrong No Longer Involved in Virtue Feed & Grain

Local celebrity chef Cathal Armstrong and mixologist Todd Thrasher are no longer involved with Old Town Alexandria restaurant Virtue Feed & Grain.

Armstrong and Thrasher continue to own and operate Alexandria's Restaurant Eve, The Majestic, Eamonn's Dublin Chipper, PX and Society Fair as well as Arlington County's E2 and TNT.

All operations have been transfered to their former partners operating under the name 106 Union Dublin LLC, according to restaurant spokeswoman Jennie Kuperstein.

That LLC was registered in February 2010. It also was the name cited on the lawsuit regarding ownership of Wales Alley, 106 Union Dublin v. Old Dominion Boat Club.

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"Everyone was thrilled that Virtue received many national and local accolades as one of Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants, Southern Living magazine's Best Gastro Pub's of the South and 2 1/2 Stars from the Washington Post," she told Patch via email. "Chef Armstrong and company look forward to an exciting and successful future for all and remain amicable with their former partners."

Murray Bonitt, a partner with 106 Union Dublin LLC, told Patch the group had a management contract with Armstrong. 

"I think they just wanted to get back to focusing on their core restaurants," Bonitt said. "We've brought in a new management team. ...I think Virtue is going to continue to do what Virtue does. In the next month to six weeks, I think you'll see some changes to the menu and we're excited about it."

The announcement of the change in ownership was first made on dining critic Tom Sietsma's Ask Tom feature on The Washington Post.

DC Eater also reported on the news.

Armstrong is currently photographing for his upcoming cook book, which knits together menus, recipes from his Irish upbringing and his grasp of the American culinary moment, Kuperstein told Patch. It is due out in March.