2012 RAMMY Finalists

Posted by Clay Beacham on

The 2012 RAMMY nomination ceremony was held earlier this week at the Ritz-Carlton, and we were excited to hear that more than a few names of CityEats partner restaurants in the mix.  Among them are: Graffiato, Marcel’s, The Majestic, and Hill Country, to name just a few. The chosen winners will be revealed at the 30th annual RAMMY Gala, which will take place on Sunday, June 24th at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.  The theme of this year’s event is “Hats Off to Restaurants!”. We’ll toast to that.

Here’s the full list of the finalists:

 

Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year

The nominee is a restaurant that demonstrates a high standard of excellence in food, service and atmosphere and shows dedication to sophisticated culinary techniques. The nominee must have been in business a minimum of two years by December 1, 2011.
  • The Ashby Inn & Restaurant
  • Bourbon Steak
  • Marcel’s
  • The Oval Room
  • Rasika
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
The nominee is a restaurant that demonstrates a high standard of dining excellence. The nominee must have been in business a minimum of two years by December 1, 2011.
  • Bibiana
  • Birch & Barley
  • BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant
  • Oyamel
  • Proof
Casual Restaurant of the Year
The nominee is a restaurant that demonstrates a dedication to dining excellence, service and value in a casual environment. The nominee must have been in business a minimum of two years by December 1, 2011.
  • Bar Pilar
  • C.F. Folks
  • Hank’s Oyster Bar and Lounge – DC
  • Mitsitam Native Foods Café
  • Room 11
Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year
This nominee is a restaurant that demonstrates a high standard of quality and congeniality rooted in its neighborhood.
  • Bastille
  • Bistrot Du Coin
  • Café Saint-Ex
  • Et Voila!
  • The Majestic
New Restaurant of the Year
A restaurant that must have been opened between December 1, 2010 and November 30, 2011 and already distinguishes itself as a pacesetter in food, beverage and service.
Chef of the Year
The nominee is an executive chef or chef de cuisine who demonstrates consistent standards of excellence and serves as an inspiration to other food professionals. The nominee displays a dedication to the artistry of food, exhibits an ongoing commitment to the community and may be from any type of establishment. The nominee must have been a chef for the past five years with a minimum of two years based in the Metropolitan Washington area.
  • 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
The nominee is an “up and coming” chef who demonstrates exemplary talent, shows leadership and promise for the future. The nominee must have been based in the Metropolitan Washington area for a minimum of two years.
  • Justin Bittner – Bar Pilar
  • Logan Cox – Ripple
  • Claudio Pirollo – Et Voila!
  • Adam Sobel – Bourbon Steak
  • Ed Witt – 701 Restaurant
Pastry Chef of the Year
The nominee is a restaurant pastry chef who prepares desserts and pastries and demonstrates a high standard of excellence and culinary artistry. The nominee serves as an inspiration to other food professionals. The nominee must have been a pastry chef for the past five years with a minimum of two years based in the Metropolitan Washington area.
  • 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
The member restaurant is distinguished by the quality, diversity, clarity and value of its wine program. The nominee’s wine program best suits the cuisine and style of the restaurant while enhancing the dining experience. The nominated restaurant must have been in operation for a minimum of two years by December 1, 2011.
Beverage/Mixology Program of the Year
The member restaurant is distinguished by the quality, diversity, creativity, clarity and value of its beverage program. The nominee’s beverage program best suits the cuisine and style of the restaurant while enhancing the restaurant experience. The nominated restaurant must have been in operation for a minimum of two years by December 1, 2011.
  • Bourbon Steak
  • EatGoodFood Group
  • Estadio
  • Neighborhood Restaurant Group
  • Room 11
Power Spot of the Year
This nominee is a top choice member restaurant, a spot to “see and be seen” with the movers and shakers on the national and local political and business scene. It best exemplifies “how Metropolitan Washington works.”
  • 701 Restaurant
  • Founding Farmers – DC
  • The Oval Room
  • The Source by Wolfgang Puck
  • Tosca Ristorante
Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene of the Year
This nominee is a member restaurant or hotel bar that is innovative with an energetic scene (atmosphere, drink menu, etc.) with a hip and eclectic crowd and is a great people watching and meeting place.
Manager of the Year
The nominee is a manager or general manager in the food service industry who displays the highest level of professionalism and leadership with a member business. This person must be an inspiration and mentor to all his/her co-workers displaying outstanding service, an excellent work ethic and a positive image.
Employee of the Year
The nominee is a non-managerial employee of a member business who serves as a model employee by displaying outstanding service, an excellent work ethic and a positive image. This nominee must have been working in the food service industry for a minimum of three years by December 1, 2011.
  • 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

A working restaurateur who sets high standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 5 years. 
  • 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
Associate Member of the Year
The RAMW Joan Hisaoka Associate Member of the Year Award is given annually to an associate member who best exemplifies commitment to and support of RAMW.
  • Adams-Burch, Inc.
  • BB&T
  • EagleBank
  • Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
  • Sysco Food Services of Baltimore