The annual RAMMY Awards are back for their 40th installment this year, honoring the D.C. region’s finest eateries and exemplary restaurant industry professionals.
“The 40th Annual RAMMYS return to honor excellence in long-standing and pandemic-era categories that range from individual professional honors to accolades celebrating culinary concepts and service,” the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington said Tuesday.
“A selection of categories also speaks to pandemic-era aspects that both restaurants and diners have continued to enjoy and employ — all of which will be decided via public voting that will begin in late April.”
Winners will be named in a ceremony at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center set for Sunday, July 24.
See the finalists below; categories that will be open for public voting are starred.
*Favorite Gathering Place of the Year:
- Casta’s Rum Bar
- Comet Ping Pong
- Pennyroyal Station
- St. Vincent Wine
- The Pug
*Best Brunch of the Year:
- A & Restaurant
- ala
- Blend 111
- Maialino Mare
- Nina May
*Favorite Fast Bites:
- Happy Gyro
- Little Miner Taco
- Little Sesame
- Pogiboy
- Sunday Morning Bakehouse
*Hottest Sandwich Spot:
- Cracked Eggery
- Mangialardo’s
- Queen Mother’s
- The Girl & The Vine
- Your Only Friend
*Outstanding Pop-Up Concept:
- A Presto! Italian Foods
- Bun Papa
- Della Barba Pizza
- JUNE
- Tacos A La Madre
*Splendid Holidays at Home:
- Bayou Bakery
- Convivial
- Kinship
- Stellina
- Unconventional Diner
*Standout Family Meal Packages To Go:
- 2Fifty Texas BBQ
- Mintwood Place
- Muchas Gracias
- Neighborhood Provisions
- Thompson Italian
Joan Hisaoka Allied Members of the Year:
- Congressional Seafood Co.
- CPA Eats
- Ecolab
- MarginEdge
- Saval Foodservice
New Restaurant of the Year:
- Caruso’s Grocery
- Daru
- Dauphine’s
- L’Ardente
- Oyster Oyster
Cocktail Program of the Year:
- Bresca
- Serenata
- Service Bar
- Silver Lyan
- The Imperial
Beer Program of the Year:
- Boundary Stone
- Caboose Tavern
- Quarry House Tavern
- Shelter
- Sweetwater Tavern
Wine Program of the Year:
- Albi
- Northside Social
- Queen’s English
- Reveler’s Hour
- Slate Wine Bar
Rising Culinary Star of the Year:
- Will Fung, China Chilcano
- Christian Irabien, Muchas Gracias
- Kat Petonito, The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, The Wells
- Suresh Sundas, Daru
- Elias Taddesse, Mélange
Employee of the Year:
- Raphael Beltran, Et Voila
- Amanda Bell, All Purpose — Shaw
- Nicole Burdette, Taco Bamba — Springfield
- Oscar Iglesias, Moon Rabbit
- Herman Machado, The Salt Line — Navy Yard
Manager of the Year:
- Gian Mario Cabiddu, Alta Strada, DC
- Sylvain Frances, Et Voila Restaurant
- Rob Heim, Shaw’s Tavern
- Atul Narain, Rasika and Rasika West End
- Laure Tartar, Bresca
Service Program of the Year:
- Chloe
- Iron Gate
- Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
- Rose’s Luxury
- Tail Up Goat
Casual Restaurant of the Year:
- Baan Siam
- La Famosa
- Makan
- Ruthie’s All Day
- The Roost
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year:
- Albi
- Anju
- Nama
- Rooster and Owl
- Shilling Canning Company
Pastry Chef of the Year:
- Rochelle Cooper, The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, The Wells
- Tammy Saunders, Minibar
- Katherine Thompson, Thompson Italian
- Alicia Wang, No Goodbyes
- Aude Buisine, Un Je Ne Sai Quoi
Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year:
- Cranes
- Jônt
- Rasika West End
- 1789 Restaurant
- Xiquet by Danny Lledó
Chef of the Year:
- Matt Adler, Caruso’s Grocery
- Cedric Maupillier, Convivial
- Shamim Popal, Lapis
- Michael Rafidi, Albi
- Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster
Restaurateur of the Year:
- Michael Babin, Neighborhood Restaurant Group
- Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
- Mark Bucher, Medium Rare
- Andrew Dana and Daniela Moreira, Call Your Mother, Timber Pizza, Turu’s Pizza, Mercy Me
- Scott Drewno, Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective
