Leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees, burly executive chef Will Artley of Evening Star Cafe in Alexandria’s Del Rey neighborhood exudes energy, enthusiasm for life and cooking, and an upbeat attitude. He also reveals some arty arm tattoos that include an Aztec god, a Polynesian symbol from Hawaii, a bear claw and some Chinese characters.

“I even have a tattoo of my dad’s Irish family crest on my leg,” he says. “That gives me stability.”