RAMMY Nominees Announced

The nominees for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington's annual restaurant awards, aka the RAMMYs, were announced tonight.

Winners from the following categories will be chosen by a panel of judges:

• New Restaurant: Adour, Art and Soul, CommonWealth, Cork, PassionFish

• Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: 2941, Blue Duck Tavern, Michel Richard Citronelle, Restaurant Eve, Vermilion

• Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Bastille, The Majestic, Oyamel, Rasika, Zaytinya

• Chef of the Year: Jamie Leeds, Hank's Oyster Bar and CommonWealth; Todd Gray, Equinox; Massimo Fabbri, Tosca and Posto; Vikram Sunderam, Rasika; Robert Wiedmaier, Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck and Brabo

• Pastry Chef of the Year: Michelle Garbee-Poteaux, Bastille; Kate Jansen, Willow; Melanie Parker, Equinox; Josh Short, Neighborhood Restaurant Group; Travis Olson, 1789

• Wine and Beverage Program of the Year: CityZen, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Willard Room, Oya, Zola

• Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Anthony Chittum, Vermilion; Daniel Giusti, 1789; Mike Isabella, Zaytinya; Cedric Maupillier, Central; Shannon Overmiller, The Majestic

• Restaurant Manager of the Year: Tom Burke, Marcel's and Brasserie Beck; Diego Zeballos, Jaleo; Ryland Johnson, Zola; Scott Weinstein, BlackSalt; Brian Zipin, Central

• Restaurant Employee of the Year: Jennifer Roe, DC Coast; Juan Francisco Lopez, Marcel's and Brasserie Beck; Marco Guzman, Cafe Atlantico; Yves Chassagneux, Willow; Jose Bermudez, Evening Star

And you, the dining public, will choose the winners in the following category (stay tuned for how to vote):

• Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year: Belga Cafe, Cork, EatBar, Liberty Tavern, Marvin

• Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene of the Year: CoCo. Sala, Marvin, Proof, The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Willow Creek Farm

• Power Spot of the Year: BLT Steak, Central, Charlie Palmer Steak, The Source, Teatro Goldoni

Winners will be announced at a gala June 7. Congrats to all the nominees!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Guess someone had a grudge against Komi.....
3/25/2009 6:17 PM
jburka said…
Funny, I was wondering where the hell Komi was on that list too!
3/27/2009 10:15 PM
Anonymous said…
yes, komi was missing...

but what bothers me more is that the same people end up on this list every year and it really has more to do with politics more than anything.

i don't think it is right to nominate someone, example: jamie leeds, for best chef when she is hardly a working chef. she owns restaurants. so put her in another category.
3/30/2009 1:28 AM
Amanda said…
I disagree about Jamie - why do you say she's "hardly" a working chef? I respect her greatly. There are too few women head chefs in this city, and her success with multiple restaurants is an inspiration.
4/01/2009 12:08 PM
Anonymous said…
at this point in her career, jamie leeds is a restaurant owner. not a chef.

i did respect her for her first hank's. but then she opened another one...and now she opens a "concept" gatropub...a little late jumping on the gastropub bandwagon...and steeling a lit too much from better restaurants she went and "researched"

i too want to see more women head chefs, but perhaps not one that simply does it like the boys.
4/02/2009 11:49 AM
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