Restaurant professionals and their allies gathered yesterday for the 41st Annual RAMMY Awards as the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) announced winners and a range of categories celebrating excellence in the industry, ranging from individual professional honors to accolades celebrating culinary concepts and service.
This year’s category changes included a move from Pastry Chef of the Year to Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year, ensuring the area’s many outstanding bakers and pastry chefs were recognized, and the introduction of Best Bar as a publicly voted category, recognizing the magnitude of nightlife establishments in the region.
Similar to past years, publicly voted categories were open to any eligible restaurant or food service operation in the region, regardless of RAMW membership. For the very first time, both the finalists and winners for the five publicly voted categories were chosen by the public.
The 2023 RAMMY Awards Winners are (*denotes publicly voted category*):
- Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year: Saval Foodservice
- New Restaurant of the Year: Causa/Amazonia
- Cocktail Program of the Year: Service Bar
- Beer Program of the Year: Shelter
- Wine Program of the Year: Reveler’s Hour
- Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Marcelle Afram, Shababi Palestinian Rotisserie Chicken
- *Favorite Gathering Place*: Tiki on 18th/The Game Sports Pub
- *Best Brunch*: Urban Roast
- *Best Bar*: Exiles Bar
- *Favorite Fast Bites*: RASA
- *Hottest Sandwich Spot*: Compliments Only
- Employee of the Year: Nabil Moussa, Le Diplomate
- Manager of the Year: Brittany Dye, Circa Foggy Bottom
- Service Program of the Year: Lutèce
- Casual Restaurant of the Year: Pennyroyal Station
- Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: L’Ardente
- Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year: Teresa Velazquez, Baked and Wired, A Baked Joint
- Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Xiquet by Danny Lledó
- Chef of the Year: Kevin Tien, Moon Rabbit
- Restaurateur of the Year: Rose Previte, No White Plates: Compass Rose, Maydan, Kirby Club
