The James Beard Award nominations earlier this week brought lots of attention to an elite handful of area chefs. But a wider swath of talent will be honored with our local foodie awards, the Rammys.
Last night at the Ritz-Carlton, nominees for each of the award’s 16 categories were announced by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). The boisterous crowd was filled with PR reps and their wards—chefs, bartenders, and restaurateurs—plus some media types. Many were sipping drinks from nominated cocktail destinations such as ChurchKey, which offered the Alewife, a potent mix of herbal bitters from the Czech Republic and sparkling wine. Nibbles came from best new restaurant nominees—Ris served its much-loved scallop margarita, and Michel put out salmon tartare—though as usual, they didn't silence the party-goers as the emcees pleaded for a quieter audience.
The winners will be announced at a bash called "Carnevale de Cuisine,” held June 26 at the Marriott Wardman Park. RAMW president Lynne Breaux said the festival theme is representative of the "wonderful, colorful, crazy business we call the restaurant industry."
Most of the award categories are decided by judges, but the public has power in four areas: Neighborhood Gathering Place, Hottest Bar Scene, Power Spot of the Year, and the Voter's Favorite Restaurant. Scroll through the nominees below, and cast your vote starting on April 28 through a a ballot appearing in the the Washington City Paper or at ramw.org.
And the nominees are…
Chef of the Year
Bertrand Chemel, 2941
Todd Gray, Equinox
Haidar Karoum, Proof
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika
Bryan Voltaggio, Volt
Fine Dining Restaurant
Bourbon Steak
Citronelle
Rasika
The Source
Trummer’s on Main
Pastry Chef
Rebekka Baltzell, Restaurant Eve
Fabrice Bendano, Adour
Chris Kujala, Ris
Tiffany MacIsaac, Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Tom Wellings, Equinox
New Restaurant
Estadio
Kushi
Michel by Michel Richard
Pizzeria Orso
Ris
Rising Culinary Star
Will Artley, Evening Star Café
Kyle Bailey, Birch & Barley
Justin Bittner, Bar Pilar
Shannon Overmiller, The Majestic
Javier Romero, Taberna del Alabardero
Mixology/ Beverage Program
Bourbon Steak
ChurchKey
Founding Farmers
Proof/Estadio
Tabard Inn
Wine Program
2941
Citronelle
Cork
Dino
Taberna del Alabardero
Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene
Bourbon Steak
Chef Geoff's, Tysons Corner
Estadio
Masa 14
PS7's
Upscale Casual Restaurant
Bibiana
Birch & Barley
The Liberty Tavern
Proof
Tabard Inn
Neighborhood Gathering Place
Bar Pilar
Bastille
EatBar
Perrys
Ted’s Bulletin
Power Spot
The Bombay Club
Carmine’s
Equinox
The Palm, downtown DC
The Source
Restaurant Employee of the Year
Julie Albert, Brasserie Beck and Marcel's
Freddy Bastidas, Blue Duck Tavern
Estaban Gueverra, Dino
Ryme Lansari, Café Atlantico/Minibar
Adam Sackett, PS7's
Restaurant Manager of the Year
Reagan Corbett, Jackson 20
Dan Festa, Morton’s The Steakhouse, downtown DC
Ryan McCarthy, DC Coast
Atul Narain, Rasika
Hans Olson, Clyde’s of Reston
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
Follow the Best Bites Bloggers on Twitter at twitter.com/bestbitesblog
More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
