Rammy Nominees Announced
The nominees for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington's annual restaurant awards, aka the Rammys, were announced last night.Nominees are chosen by an anonymous panel of food writers, educators and HR professionals. Winners from the following categories will be chosen by the judges, and announced at the annual gala June 24:
Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
The Ashby Inn & Restaurant
Bourbon Steak
Marcel's
The Oval Room
Rasika
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
Bibiana
Birch & Barley
BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant
Oyamel
Proof
Casual Restaurant of the Year
Bar Pilar
C.F. Folks
Hank's Oyster Bar and Lounge - DC
Mitsitam Native Foods Café
Room 11
New Restaurant of the Year
Elisir Restaurant by Enzo Fargione
Fiola
Graffiato
Hill Country Barbecue Market
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
Chef of the Year
Anthony Chittum - Vermilion
Tony Conte - The Oval Room
Haidar Karoum - Proof
Kaz Okochi - Kaz Sushi Bistro
Vikram Sunderam - Rasika
Rising Culinary Star of the Year
Justin Bittner - Bar Pilar
Logan Cox - Ripple
Claudio Pirollo - Et Voila!
Adam Sobel - Bourbon Steak
Ed Witt - 701 Restaurant
Pastry Chef of the Year
Cicely Austin - The Oval Room
Fabrice Bendano - Adour
Peter Brett - Blue Duck Tavern
Alison Reed - Ripple
Susan Wallace - BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant
Wine Program of the Year
Adour
Cork Wine Bar
Dino
Marcel's
Plume
Beverage/Mixology Program of the Year
Bourbon Steak
EatGoodFood Group
Estadio
Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Room 11
Manager of the Year
Anna-Marie Ashe - Smith Commons
Daniel Bortnick - Firefly
Reagan Corbett - Jackson 20 Alex Munoz - Hill Country Barbecue Market
Javier Velazquez - Taberna del Alabardero
Employee of the Year
Julie Albert - Brasserie Beck/Marcel's
Ting Forester - District Commons
Teo Leiva - Fiola
José Alex Medrano - B. Smith's
Paris Twyman - Founding Farmers - DC
Restaurateur of the Year
José Andrés & Rob Wilder - THINKFoodGROUP
Meshelle & Cathal Armstrong - EatGoodFood Group
Michael Babin - Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Ashok Bajaj - Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
Jeff & Barbara Black - Black Restaurant Group
The winners in these categories are determined entirely by a public vote. Votes can be cast on the Washington City Paper and finalists' websites or at ramw.org from April 12-29.
Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year
Bastille
Bistrot Du Coin
Café Saint-Ex
Et Voila!
The Majestic
Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene of the Year
Black Jack
The Hamilton
Hill Country Barbecue Market
Mad Fox Brewing Company
Marvin
Power Spot of the Year
701 Restaurant
Founding Farmers - DC
The Oval Room
The Source by Wolfgang Puck
Tosca Ristorante