Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 15th – or better yet, book a table. Kendall Square’s EVOO will be reopening after a two-year-long hiatus. Chef-owner Peter McCarthy and co-owner Colleen McCarthy closed their iconic Cambridge restaurant at the start of the pandemic, focusing their energies on Za, EVOO’s pizza-slinging neighbor and sister restaurant. But as of next week, EVOO is back.

Though the name is a reference to a basic staple in just about any professional kitchen (extra virgin olive oil, if you didn’t know), there’s nothing basic about the food at EVOO. McCarthy’s cooking mixes Asian and European influences with traditional New England ingredients for food that’s as innovative as it is multidimensional – and hyper local, too with ingredients sourced from area farms and, whenever possible, goodies from their own rooftop garden.

Originally opened in 1998, EVOO has garnered accolades and a loyal following. Bon Appetit named it one of the Best New Restaurants in America, the Improper Bostonian proclaimed, “EVOO is extraordinary,” The Boston Globe said it’s “instantly likable,” and Boston Magazine called it “EVOO-lutionary.”

With co-owner and General Manager Steve Kurland at the helm, EVOO will be open for dinner Tuesday-Thursday from 5:00-8:00pm to start. Reserve your spot online asap and get ready to welcome them back with a drink in one hand and a fork in the other.