Last night, restaurant owners, employees, and their loved ones gathered at the Marriott Wardman Park for the 2012 RAMMY Awards, the annual honors doled out by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. The theme of the evening—hats off to local restaurants—inspired presenters, nominees, and attendees to break out fascinators, fedoras, and all other manner of headwear in honor of the occasion.
The big winner of the night was the staff of Black Restaurant Group. They scooped up three awards, including a Restaurateur of the Year trophy for Jeff and Barbara Black. In his acceptance speech, Jeff Black recognized the commitment of the “incredibly strong people” he worked with, emphasizing that it wasn’t “about the bloggers.” Black repeated that point as a musical cue prompted him to leave the stage. This odd moment was followed up with a gracious and understated speech by Rasika’s Vikram Sunderam. He won Chef of the Year, the final award of the evening.
Other honorees included Mitsitam Native Foods Café—the eatery at the National Museum of the American Indian—as Casual Restaurant of the Year (a new category this year), and Fiola, the New Restaurant victor.
The 2012 RAMMY Winners:
Fine Dining Restaurant
Bourbon Steak
Upscale Casual
BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant
New Restaurant
Fiola
Casual Restaurant
Mitsitam Native Foods Café
Chef
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika
Restaurateur
Jeff and Barbara Black, Black Restaurant Group
Pastry Chef
Fabrice Bendano, Adour
Rising Culinary Star
Ed Witt, 701
Restaurant Manager
Reagan Corbett, Jackson 20
Restaurant Employee
José Alex Medrano, B. Smith’s
Wine Program
Cork Wine Bar
Beverage/Mixology Program
Estadio
Associate Member of the Year
Adams-Burch
Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award
Anthony A. Williams
Honorary Milestone
The Tune Inn
Neighborhood Gathering Place
Cafe Saint-Ex
Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene
Black Jack
Power Spot
Founding Farmers (DC)
Where Magazine Visitor’s Choice Award
McCormick & Schmick’s
