Best in DC food: 2019 RAMMY Awards finalists announced

Each year, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington celebrates the accomplishments of the city’s best chefs, bakers, mixologists and food industry professionals at the RAMMY Awards.

The big event is still months away, but the list of nominees is in. Check out this year’s RAMMY finalists.

Winners will be announced at the gala on June 30.

Upscale Brunch of the Year *Estadio
*Seasons
*The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
*The Source by Wolfgang Puck
*Unconventional Diner This is a public voting category. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Surrender to the siren call of carryout pizza and a good bottle of wine. (Getty Images)
Wine Program of the Year *Cork Wine Bar and Market
*Le Diplomate
*Maxwell Park
*minibar by JoséAndrés
*Trummer’s On Main (Getty Images)
Maketto on H Street NE
Casual Brunch of the Year *Brookland’s Finest Bar & Kitchen
*Casolare Ristorante & Bar
*Compass Rose Bar + Kitchen
*Maketto
*The Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse This is a public voting category. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Taco Bamba
Favorite Fast Bites of the Year *CHIKO
*Little Red Fox
*Rasa
*Shouk
*Taco Bamba Taqueria This is a public voting category. (Courtesy Greg Powers)
Packed with spicy, earthy, sweet and refreshing flavors, this cocktail compliments the bird, the pie, and all the sides served in between. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Cocktail Program of the Year  *barmini by José Andrés
*Bresca
*Daikaya
*Petworth Citizen and Reading Room
*Royal (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Paradiso-4.jpg
Beer Program of the Year  *B Side
*Caboose Tavern
*Pizzeria Paradiso – Dupont
*Republic
*Roofers Union (Courtesy Brian Hussein Stanton)
The Proper Burger, from Duke's Grocery (Courtesy Duke's Grocery/Credit April Greer, Thrillist)
Favorite Gathering Place of the Year  *Duke’s Counter
*Open Road
*Perry’s
*Quarry House Tavern
*Vinoteca This is a public voting category. (Courtesy Duke’s)
Restaurant Employee of the Year  *Oscar Ardon, Doi Moi
*Maria Contreras, Jaleo Crystal City
*Valentine King, Hummingbird Bar and Kitchen
*Eloy Juarez Alvarez, Mintwood Place
*Fred Uku, The Red Hen (AP/Francois Mori)
Restaurant Manager of the Year *Dave Delaplaine, Roofers Union
*Sabrine Marques, PassionFish Bethesda
*Donna Seal, Oceanaire
*Richard Stewart, iRicchi Ristorante
*Paris Twyman, Founding Farmers Tysons (AP/David Goldman)
Ambar is one of hundreds of area restaurants participating in Winter Restaurant Week. (Courtesy Goran Kosanovic)
Service Program of the Year *Ambar – Clarendon
*Carlyle Grand Cafe
*Iron Gate
*Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, & Stone Crab
*The Riggsby (Courtesy Ambar)
Pastry Chef of the Year *Fabrice Bendano, Le Diplomate
*Ana Deshaies, Unconventional Diner
*Pichet Ong, Brothers and Sisters, Spoken English
*Paola Velez, Iron Gate
*Meagan Tighe, Trummer’s On Main (Courtesy Ambar)
Call Your Mother deli
Rising Culinary Star of the Year *Javier Fernandez, Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly
*Adam Howard, Blue Duck Tavern
*John MacPherson, Three Blacksmiths
*Daniela Moreira, Call Your Mother Deli, Timber Pizza Company
*Kwame Onwuachi, Kith and Kin (Courtesy Call Your Mother/Mojalvo)
Casual Restaurant of the Year  *All Purpose – Shaw
*Bantam King
*Bindaas – Cleveland Park
*Maketto
*Royal (SCOTT SUCHMAN)
Vanilla-baked endive and pomegranate; roasted Brussels sprouts with apple marmellata; and three meat tortellini in broth on Amy Brandwein's Centrolina holiday catering menu. (Courtesy Centrolina)
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year *Centrolina
*Iron Gate
*Momofuku CCDC
*Sally’s Middle Name
*Sushi Taro (Courtesy Centrolina)
New Restaurant of the Year *Chloe
*Kaliwa
*Poca Madre
*Spoken English
*St. Anselm (Courtesy Centrolina)
Formal Fine Dining Program of the Year  *Blue Duck Tavern
*BOURBON STEAK
*Rasika
*The Source by Wolfgang Puck
*Trummer’s On Main (Courtesy Bourbon Steak/Scott Suchman)
Chef of the Year  *Kyle Bailey, The Salt Line
*David Deshaies, Unconventional Diner
*Marjorie Meek-Bradley, St. Anselm
*Russell Smith, The Source by Wolfgang Puck
*Nicholas Stefanelli, Masseria, Officina (Courtesy SCOTT SUCHMAN)
"It's been our dream to expand Atlas and further our mission of producing environmentally responsible beer," said Atlas Founder & CEO Justin Cox. "The tap room in Navy Yard will be double the size of the current tap room at our brewery in Ivy City, so it will definitely help us keep working towards that goal." (Courtesy Atlas Brew Works)
Regional Food and Beverage Producer of the Year  *Arcadia Farm
*Atlas Brew Works
*Ayrshire Farm
*Ivy City Smokehouse
*Logan Sausage Co. (Courtesy Atlas Brew Works)
Couple  Eating Lunch with Fresh Salad and Appetizers
Restaurateur of the Year *Victor Albisu, Poca Madre, Taco Bamba Taqueria
*Jackie Greenbaum & Gordon Banks, Bar Charley, El Chucho, Little Coco’s, Quarry House Tavern, Slash Rum
*Michael Friedman, Mike O’Malley, Colin McDonough, Gareth Croke, All Purpose Restaurants
*Rose Previte, Compass Rose Bar + Kitchen, Maydan
*Daisuke Utagawa, Katsuya Fukushima, and Yama Jewayni, Daikaya Group (Getty Images)
(1/19)
Surrender to the siren call of carryout pizza and a good bottle of wine. (Getty Images)
Maketto on H Street NE
Taco Bamba
Packed with spicy, earthy, sweet and refreshing flavors, this cocktail compliments the bird, the pie, and all the sides served in between. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Paradiso-4.jpg
The Proper Burger, from Duke's Grocery (Courtesy Duke's Grocery/Credit April Greer, Thrillist)
Ambar is one of hundreds of area restaurants participating in Winter Restaurant Week. (Courtesy Goran Kosanovic)
Call Your Mother deli
Vanilla-baked endive and pomegranate; roasted Brussels sprouts with apple marmellata; and three meat tortellini in broth on Amy Brandwein's Centrolina holiday catering menu. (Courtesy Centrolina)
"It's been our dream to expand Atlas and further our mission of producing environmentally responsible beer," said Atlas Founder & CEO Justin Cox. "The tap room in Navy Yard will be double the size of the current tap room at our brewery in Ivy City, so it will definitely help us keep working towards that goal." (Courtesy Atlas Brew Works)
Couple  Eating Lunch with Fresh Salad and Appetizers
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