The 2013 RAMMY Gala: "Restaurants in Bloom" will be held on Sunday, June 23, 2013 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The area's top restaurateurs, culinary talents and industry power players will come together at the annual RAMMY Gala donning their most fabulous hats, to honor everything from "Best New Restaurant," "Chef of the Year," "Hottest Bar Scene" and the new category of "Casual Restaurant of the Year."
Selecting the Nominees and Winners
The Rammy Award winners are selected by two separate panels of judges, the voting public and, for just one award - the Joan Hisaoka Associate Member of the Year - the RAMW Executive Committee. Any RAMW member is eligible for nomination as long as they meet the qualifications of any given category. The nominees are then reviewed by an anonymous panel of judges comprised of food/restaurant writers, educators and HR professionals who ultimately select the five finalists in each of the categories. The public votes for the winners in three categories: Neighborhood Gathering Place, Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene and Power Spot of the Year.2013 RAMMY Nominees
- Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
The Ashby Inn & Restaurant
Blue Duck Tavern
The Bombay Club
Marcel's
Rasika
- Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
Birch and Barley
Cork Wine Bar
Estadio
Jaleo - Penn Quarter
KAZ Sushi Bistro
- Casual Restaurant of the Year
Bar Pilar
Bayou Bakery
C. F. Folks
Nando's Peri-Peri
Pete's New Haven Style Apizza
- Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year
Ardeo + Bardeo
Bastille
Evening Star Café
Nellie's Sports Bar
Willow Restaurant
- New Restaurant of the Year
Boqueria
DGS Delicatessen
Fuego Cocina y Tequileria
Mintwood Place
Rasika West End
- Chef of the Year
Tony Conte - The Oval Room
Haidar Karoum - Estadio/Proof
Tarver King - The Ashby Inn and Restaurant
Cedric Maupillier - Mintwood Place
Fabio Trabocchi - Fiola
- Rising Culinary Star of the Year
Scot Harlan - Green Pig Bistro
Tim Ma - Maple Avenue Restaurant
Marjorie Meek-Bradley - Ripple
John Melfi - Blue Duck Tavern
Nathan Shapiro - The Ashby Inn and Restaurant
- Pastry Chef of the Year
Beverly Bates - Vidalia
Peter Brett - Blue Duck Tavern
Alison Reed - Ripple
Susan Wallace - BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant
Tom Wellings - Fiola
- Wine Program of the Year
Adour
The Ashby Inn and Restaurant
Dino
Marcel's
Ripple
- Beverage/Mixology Program of the Year
Birch & Barley/Churchkey
Bourbon Steak
EatGoodFood Group
Rasika
Room 11
- Power Spot of the Year
The Bombay Club
Johnny's Half Shell
P. J. Clarke's
Seasons
The Source by Wolfgang Puck
- Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene of the Year
Bar Pilar
Fiola
Fuego Cocina y Tequileria
Hank's Oyster Bar - Capitol Hill
Jack Rose Dining Saloon
- Manager of the Year
Joseph Cerione - Blue Duck Tavern
Justin Guthrie - Estadio
Alex Muñoz - Hill Country Barbecue Market
Michael Nevarez - Vidalia/Bistro Bis/Woodward Table
Tyes Zolman - Black Restaurant Group
- Employee of the Year
Helene Jones - Poste Moderne Brasserie
Lauren Lowe - DC Coast
Luis Noriega - Zengo
Ali Schemeck - Chef Geoff's, New Mexico Ave.
Elizabeth Zelaya - Fiola
- Restaurateur of the Year
José Andrés & Rob Wilder - THINKFoodGROUP
Meshelle & Cathal Armstrong - EatGoodFood Group
Michael Babin - Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Ashok Bajaj - Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
Drew Kim, Mark Neal and Ty Neal - Matchbox Food Group
- Associate Member of the Year
Acme Paper & Supply Co.
BB&T
EagleBank
SYSCO Food Services of Baltimore
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
2012 RAMMY Winners
Fine Dining Restaurant - Bourbon SteakUpscale Casual Restaurant - BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant
Casual Restaurant of the Year - Mitsitam Native Foods Café
Neighborhood Gathering Place - Café Saint-Ex
New Restaurant - Fiola
Chef of the Year - Vikram Sunderam - Rasika
Rising Culinary Star - Ed Witt - 701 Restaurant
Pastry Chef - Fabrice Bendano - Adour
Wine Program - Cork Wine Bar
Beverage/Mixology Program - Estadio
Power Spot - Founding Farmers - DC
Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene - Black Jack
Manager of the Year - Reagan Corbett - Jackson 20
Employee of the Year - José Alex Medrano - B. Smith's
Restaurateur of the Year - Jeff & Barbara Black - Black Restaurant Group
Associate Member of the Year - Adams-Burch
2011 Rammy Winners
Fine Dining - The Source by Wolfgang PuckUpscale Casual - Tabard Inn
Neighborhood Gathering Place - Ted’s Bulletin
New Restaurant - Estadio
Chef - Todd Gray
Rising Culinary Star - Kyle Bailey, Birch & Barley
Pastry Chef - Tiffany MacIssac, NRG
Wine Program - Taberna del Alabardero
Beverage/Mixology Program - Founding Farmers
Power Spot - Carmine’s
Hottest Bar Scene - Chef Geoff’s, Tysons Corner
Favorite Restaurant - Carmine’s
Employee of the Year - Ryme Lansari, Café Atlantico, Jaleo
Manager of the Year - Hans Olsen, Clyde’s of Reston
Website: www.ramw.org
About the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington
Established in 1920, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington was formed to unite, represent and promote restaurants and the regional food service industry. Today, the organization has more than 700 members in DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland and serves as the voice of establishments ranging from casual eateries to internationally acclaimed fine dining restaurants.

