Chef Fernando González came to the US seven years ago with nothing more than four suitcases. He and his wife Debby Portillo have since established their Riverdale smokehouse, 2Fifty, as one of the best barbecue joints—and restaurants—in the region. Tonight, González was named “Restaurateur of the Year” at the RAMMY Awards, celebrating the best in DC’s food and drink scene. In an acceptance speech at Arena Stage, he thanked the culinary community who “made us feel at home” and the award’s judges for recognizing that barbecue “deserves a place among the very best in our industry.”
Among the other notable wins of the evening: The Occidental was named best new restaurant, couple Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss of the Popal Group (Lutèce, Pascual, Maison Bar à Vins) both earned the title of “Chef of the Year,” and Palestinian restaurant Albi was recognized as “Formal Fine-Dining Restaurant of the Year.” (The latter is fresh off a four-star review from the New York Times and recently ranked sixth on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants—not to mention earning the top spot on Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Best Restaurants list for the second year in a row.) Meanwhile, Tsehay in Adams Morgan—named “Casual Restaurant of the Year”—became the first Ethiopian restaurant to win a RAMMY.
The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s annual awards are decided by an anonymous panel of food and media professionals. A handful of categories are voted on by the public, including best brunch, best bar, and—new this year—”Content Creator of the Year.” Only dues-paying members of RAMW are eligible for most of the awards, except the publicly voted ones.
The awards culminated in a sold-out party at the Anthem, the first time the gala has been held at the venue. See all the finalists here and the winners below (*denotes publicly voted categories).
Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Albi
New Restaurant of the Year: The Occidental
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Perry’s
Chef of the Year: Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss, The Popal Group
Restaurateur of the Year: Fernando González, 2fifty Texas BBQ
Wine Program of the Year: Fiola
Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year: Andy’s Pizza
Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year: Rose Nguyen, Rose Ave Bakery
Service Program of the Year: Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
Manager of the Year: Juan Ramirez, Bastille Brasserie & Bar
Employee of the Year: Jose Luis Salgado, Zinnia
Beer Program of the Year: Pizzeria Paradiso
Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Martel Stone, Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi
Cocktail Program of the Year: Amazonia
Casual Restaurant of the Year: Tsehay Ethiopian
*Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year: Joia Burger
*Favorite Gathering Place of the Year: Old Ebbitt Grill
*Best Brunch of the Year: Unconventional Diner
*Best Bar of the Year: Service Bar
*Content Creator of the Year: DCFoodGod, Tessa Alimahmoodi and Jason Fisher
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind DC’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.
