For the first time this year, DC’s big restaurant industry awards are open to all—not just members of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. The change, just for 2021, will help make the annual RAMMY Awards more representative of the dining scene as a whole while bringing a spotlight to local favorites and talent that are typically ignored.
“This is not a year and winners and losers. It’s a year of, oh my God, can we all be together and celebrate?,” RAMW President Kathy Hollinger recently told Washingtonian. “People have just done remarkable things, so it’s finding away to recognize a whole bunch of people.”
That said, there are actually winners and losers, though the award categories have changed to be more pandemic-minded this year. Instead of declaring the best new restaurant or rising culinary star, the RAMMYS’s anonymous panel of food writers and other industry professionals will recognize the “most innovative to-go packaging” and “most impressive pivot to provisions or market.”
Publicly voted categories also have a Covid twist, including coolest cocktails to-go, best pandemic patio scene, and outstanding ghost kitchen or pop-up. Voting will go live from Aug. 2 through Sept. 2.
RAMW has also doubled the number of nominees in each category to a total of 10, so there are even more new faces than usual. Thanks to this year’s more inclusive rules, the team behind Komi is being recognized at the RAMMYS for the first time ever for their Greek-inspired vegetarian carryout Happy Gyro, a nominee for outstanding ghost kitchen/pop-up. Meanwhile, small non-restaurant operations like Saund and Snyder, which began delivering luxe chirashi boxes at the start of the pandemic, are also getting some attention (in the category of “formal fine dining in a box”).
After presenting awards virtually last year, RAMW will hold its gala in-person again on Sunday, Sept. 19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Here’s the full list of finalists:
Formal Fine Dining in a Box
Brasserie Liberté
Bresca
Chloe
Cranes
Fiola
Mintwood Place
Rasika
Rooster and Owl
Saund and Snyder
The Dabney
Most Innovative To-Go Packaging Game
Daikaya
Jaleo
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, and Stone Crab
Julii
Oyster Oyster
Rose’s Luxury/Rose’s At Home
Stable DC
Sushi Taro
Sushiko
The Duck & The Peach
Outstanding Covid-Safe Redesign (Indoors or Outdoors)
Ben’s Chili Bowl
Clarity
Clyde’s Restaurant Group
Equinox Restaurant
Fiola Mare
Glover Park Grill
HalfSmoke
Maydan
St. Anselm
The Park at 14th
Most Impressive Pivot to Provisions or Market
ANXO Cidery
Bar Charley, El Chucho, and Little Coco’s
Coconut Club
Founding Farmers
Hank’s Oyster Bar/Current Catch
Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Officina
Seoulspice
Thamee
Walters Sports Bar
Good Neighbor Award
Individual Honors:
Erik Bruner-Yang, Power of 10 Initiative
Willa Pelini, Paola Velez, and Rob Rubba, Bakers Against Racism
Anna Valero, Hook Hall Helps
Mark Bucher and Medium Rare, Feed The Fridge
Danny Lee, Support of Immigrant and AAPI Community
Kevin Tien and Tim Ma, Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate – DC
Jon Krinn, Chefs Feeding Northern VA, Taste of DC in VA
David Guas, Bayou Bakery Soup Kitchen, BEAN-EFIT
Micheline Mendelsohn and Spike Mendelsohn. National Guard Inauguration Program, and More
Edward Lee, The LEE Initiative
Company/Organization Honors:
Coconut Club
Immigrant Food
Keany Produce & Gourmet
KNEAD Hospitality + Design
Little Sesame
Peruvian Brothers
Pizzeria Paradiso
RASA
Saval Foodservice
World Central Kitchen
Managers of the Year
Otgontuya Davaasuren, All Set Restaurant & Bar Khawla Gasmi, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar, & Eatery
Autumn Harriger, Destination Unknown Restaurants/Espita Jordan Lee, Thamee Restaurant
Tylyn Mallon, Right Proper Brewing Company Brian McGahey, Modena Restaurant
Gilbert Mejia, Nobu DC Robert Micheli, Dirty Habit
Daurio Passaia, Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse Karina Wilkey, Sunnyside Restaurant Group
Employees of the Year
Gabriela Araujo, Bresca
Ruben Avila, PassionFish Reston
Freddy Bastidas, Blue Duck Tavern
Adrian Godinez, RPM Italian
Rosa Martinez, Alta Strada & Nama
Mileyda Montezuma, Immigrant Food
Fredy Nataren, Tryst Trading Co.
Celina Nava, Estadio
Alicia Ramos, Convivial
Maria Serrano, Sababa
Publicly Voted Categories:
Outstanding Ghost Kitchen or Pop-Up Concept
Ama Ami “homakase”
DC Ghostburger
Denizen’s Brewing Co., Sunday Gravy
Fat Choi Hot Pot
Ghostline/Social Beast
Happy Gyro
Little Sesame @ Sugar Fox
June
Shababi
The Red Hen – French Hen
Coolest Cocktails and Beverages To-Go
Astoria
Barmini
Cactus Cantina
Capo Delicatessen
Jack Rose Dining Saloon
Napoli Pasta Bar
Serenata
Service Bar
Seven Reasons
Tiger Fork
Standout Family Meal Packages To-Go
Albi
Cork Wine Bar & Market
Liberty Tavern
Muchas Gracias
Oohh’s & Aahh’s
Pennyroyal Station
Ristorante i Ricchi
Taco Bamba
Thompson Italian
Unconventional Diner
Prime Pandemic Patio Scene
Caboose Brewing Co.
Hi-Lawn
Hook Hall
La Famosa
Lauriol Plaza
Le Diplomate
Lulu’s Winegarden
Mercy Me
The Salt Line
Technology Trailblazers
DC To Go-Go
Ensemble
GoTab
Great American Restaurants
Rumi’s Kitchen
Silver Diner
Stellina Pizzeria
The Roost
Think Food Group
TTT
Splendid Holidays at Home Offerings
Centrolina
Chef Geoff’s
Ellē
Et Voila!
JACKIE
Kinship
Lebanese Taverna
Punjab Grill
Ridgewells Catering
Royal
Festive Foodie Experiences
Baker’s Daughter, CSA Box Cooking Classes
Carlie Steiner, Various Virtual Classes
Catoctin Creek, The Art of the Cocktail
Eric Adjepong, Cooking with Eric
Eva Kronenburg, YouTube Cooking Series
Louise Salas and Gina Chersevani, Designated Drinker Show
Kwame Onwuachi, Eat Clean While Quarantined
Mess Hall DC, Some Disassembly Required
Sticky Fingers, Virtual Baking Classes
Xiquet, Cooking with Chef Danny Lledó
Hottest New Sandwich Spot
AmperSandwich
Bun Papa
Compliments Only
Fedwich
Fight Club
Itty Bitty Sandwich City
Queen Mother’s
Roaming Rooster
Sandi Buns
Your Only Friend
Stellar Brunches at Home
All Purpose – Navy Yard
Call Your Mother
Convivial
Duke’s Grocery
Farmers Fishers Bakers
Feast
I Egg You
KitchenCray
Seasons
The Fainting Goat
The 2021 Honorary Milestone RAMMY Award will be given to Glory Days Grill (25 years), La Chaumiere (45 years), Peacock Cafe (30 years), Pizzeria Paradiso (30 years), and Ristorante Piccolo (35 years)—”dining staples celebrating a significant number of years serving locals and visitors in Metropolitan Washington.”
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
