Ada's on the River named Virginia's Restaurant of the Year; Sen. Bennett-Parker takes Legislator of the Year

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Ada's on the River, the wood-fired restaurant on the Old Town waterfront, was named Restaurant of the Year at the 2026 Ordinary Awards, the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association's statewide honors for the hospitality and tourism industry.

State Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-39), who represents Alexandria in the General Assembly, was named Legislator of the Year for her work on HB 975, the law that loosened Virginia's decades-old food-to-liquor sales rule for restaurants.

The association presented the awards Tuesday night, Sept. 15, at a sold-out ceremony at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump. The awards recognize people and businesses across Virginia's restaurant, lodging, travel and attractions sectors.

Ada's on the River

Ada's opened in January 2021 at Robinson Landing, the EYA development on the Old Town waterfront, at 3 Pioneer Mill Way near Duke and South Union streets. It was the first restaurant to open at Robinson Landing and is operated by Alexandria Restaurant Partners, which also runs BARCA Pier & Wine Bar next door.

The restaurant takes its name from Ada Lovelace, the 19th-century mathematician, and is built around a custom wood-burning grill. Its menu features wood-fired prime steaks, seafood and vegetarian dishes. The 260-seat restaurant has 160 indoor seats, including a 32-seat private dining room, and 100 seats on its patio overlooking the Potomac River. Adil Aghandous is the executive chef.

Bennett-Parker and the food-to-liquor ratio

VRLTA's Legislator of the Year Award honors a delegate or senator who has shown exceptional support for the state's hospitality and tourism industry. The association said Bennett-Parker worked closely with it on HB 975, which reforms the Mixed Beverage Annual Review ratio, the rule governing how much of a restaurant's sales must come from food rather than liquor.

Bennett-Parker carried the bill as a delegate during the 2026 General Assembly session, and Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed it in April. It took effect July 1.

Under the old rule, most restaurants with a mixed beverage license had to make at least 45% of their qualifying sales from food and nonalcoholic drinks. The new law ties the requirement to monthly food sales:

Restaurants averaging $48,000 or more in monthly food sales are exempt from the ratio.
Those averaging $25,000 to $48,000 must meet a 30% threshold.
Those below $25,000 stay at 45%, except that small venues with fewer than 30 seats and an occupancy permit under 60 people also drop to 30%.

The law also requires restaurants to have at least as many table seats as counter seats, and directs Virginia ABC to report to the General Assembly on its effects by Nov. 1, 2027.

Bennett-Parker has said the effort grew out of a conversation with an Alexandria small business struggling to stay in the city, and has credited former Del. Rob Krupicka, a former owner of Captain Gregory's in Old Town, with championing the issue.

"Senator Bennett-Parker has been a thoughtful and effective partner on public policy affecting restaurants and other hospitality businesses," VRLTA President Eric Terry said when the association announced the award. VRLTA said she listened to restaurant operators, learned how the existing rules worked in practice and built support for a workable fix.

"I am honored to receive VRLTA's Legislator of the Year Award and excited six restaurants and hotels in my district were also nominated for their establishments or staff," Bennett-Parker wrote on Instagram after the ceremony. "I am grateful for VRLTA's advocacy for Virginia's hospitality industry and I look forward to continuing our work together."

Bennett-Parker, an Alexandria native, joined the state Senate in February after winning a special election to succeed Adam Ebbin, who left to join Spanberger's administration. She previously served in the House of Delegates from 2022 to 2026 and was Alexandria's vice mayor from 2019 to 2021. The 39th District includes the City of Alexandria and parts of Arlington and Fairfax counties.

New categories and public voting

This year's awards introduced two new categories, New Restaurant of the Year and New Lodging Property of the Year, for businesses that began operating in 2025 or later. For the first time, the public helped choose the winners in those categories.

The new lodging award went to another property in Bennett-Parker's district, AC Hotel Arlington National Landing, which she also congratulated in her post. Good Ship Brewery & Eatery in Hopewell won New Restaurant of the Year.

"The Ordinary Awards are always a special opportunity to bring our industry together, but the energy surrounding this year's celebration was truly remarkable," VRLTA President Eric Terry said in a statement. "From a record number of nominations to a sold-out event, the response speaks to the incredible people and businesses that make Virginia's hospitality and tourism industry so strong."

The awards take their name from Chinn's Ordinary, an inn and tavern built around 1728 in what is now Middleburg. "Ordinary" was the colonial term for a tavern that served travelers. The building has operated as the Red Fox Inn & Tavern since 1937.

2026 Ordinary Award winners

Attraction of the Year: Winter Wander at Boar's Head Resort, Charlottesville
Bartender of the Year: Sara Albert, Ocean Eddies Seafood Restaurant
Brewery of the Year: Southern Revere Cellars, Louisa
Campground of the Year: Small Country Campground, Louisa
Charlie Buser Award for Attraction Employee of the Year: Thomas Knighton, Small Country Campground
Chef of the Year: Victoria Cosner, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards
Distillery of the Year: Belmont Farm Distillery, Culpeper
Golden Pineapple Lifetime Achievement Award: Mark Yardis, Shamin Hotels
Hospitality Hero – Business: Dover Hall, Manakin-Sabot
Hospitality Hero – Individual: John Zirkle Jr., Virginia Beach Hotel Association
Hotelier of the Year: Ravi Patel, SINA Hospitality
Jim Ricketts Award for DMO/CVB Employee of the Year: Cora Gnegy, Giles County Tourism
Jim Wordsworth Award for Restaurateur of the Year: Mark Litz, Massanutten Resort
Legislator of the Year: Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, District 39
Lodging Employee of the Year: Sean Hackney, Omni Hotel Richmond
Lodging Manager of the Year: Leidy Stinson, Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa
Lodging Property of the Year: Liberty Trust Hotel, Roanoke
New Lodging Property of the Year: AC Hotel Arlington National Landing, Arlington
New Restaurant of the Year: Good Ship Brewery & Eatery, Hopewell
President's Award: Gary Cohen, Glory Days Grill
Restaurant Employee of the Year: Shawn Taitano, Catch 31 Fish House & Bar
Restaurant Manager of the Year: Eric Emerson, Chix on the Beach
Restaurant of the Year: Ada's on the River, Alexandria
Rising Pineapple Award for Hospitality Student of the Year: Taylor Borden, Virginia State University
Supplier of the Year: Agriberry Farm & CSA, Hanover County
Virginia ProStart Teacher of the Year: Scott Horne, Isle of Wight County Schools
Winery of the Year: Wolf Gap Vineyard, Edinburg

For more information, visit ordinaryawards.com.

Ryan Belmore is an Alexandria resident and the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief. Send tips, feedback, and story ideas to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.