2019 RAMMY AWARD WINNERS
The article was written by Brookley Valencia
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) hosted the 37th annual RAMMY Awards on Sunday, June 30 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. A truly tasteful night of food, drink and community. It was a celebration honoring our local foodservice industry professionals; A well-deserved party dedicated to the individuals that keep our lives full of flavor and provide our city with countless exciting spots to dine, drink and hangout.
It was a joyful evening of restaurant teams, friends and food enthusiast. Mayor Muriel Bowser was in attendance for the celebration and one of the announcers during the awards ceremony. “I want to thank you all for what you do each and every day to bring joy to people’s lives who live here, work here and visit Washington, DC,” Mayor Bowser said. “Our restaurants blend the best of everything our city has to offer, exemplifying the diversity that is Washington, DC and the vibrancy that is Washington, DC.”
The RAMMY awards included 20 categories such as Upscale Brunch of the Year, Cocktail Program of the Year, New Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year. The winners provide a new checklist for your must-eat and must-drink restaurants in DC.
The winners of the 37th Annual RAMMY Awards are:
Upscale Brunch of the Year: Unconventional Diner
Casual Brunch of the Year: Compass Rose Bar & Kitchen
Favorite Gathering Place of the Year: Open Road
Favorite Fast Bites of the Year: Taco Bamba Taqueria
Service Program of the Year: Ambar – Clarendon
Beer Program of the Year: Republic
Cocktail Program of the Year: barmini by José Andrés
Wine Program of the Year: Maxwell Park
Casual Restaurant of the Year: Royal
Employee of the Year: Valentine King, Hummingbird Bar and Kitchen
Manager of the Year: Donna Seal, Oceanaire
Regional Food and Beverage Producer of the Year: Ivy City Smokehouse
Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: The Source by Wolfgang Puck
New Restaurant of the Year: Spoken English
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Iron Gate
Pastry Chef of the Year: Ana Deshaies, Unconventional Diner
Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Kwame Onwuachi, Kith/Kin
Restaurateur of the Year: Michael Friedman, Mike O’Malley, Colin McDonough & Gareth Croke, Redstone Restaurant Group (All Purpose, Boundary Stone, The Red Hen)
Chef of the Year: Kyle Bailey, The Salt Line
Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year: The Veritas Law Firm
Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award: Virginia Ali, Ben’s Chili Bowl/Ben’s Chili Bowl Foundation
2019 Honorary Milestone RAMMY Award: The Bombay Club (30 years), Ristorante i Ricchi (30 years), Moby Dick House of Kabob (30 years), Silver Diner (30 years), Taberna del Alabardero (30 years), and Lebanese Taverna (40 years)
John G. Laytham Exceptional Leadership and Impact Award: Claude Andersen, Clyde’s Restaurant Group
For more information regarding the winners of these awards, visit therammys.org.
