And the 2016 RAMMY Nominees Are…

Last night, the city’s top culinary artists and entrepreneurs gathered at The Hamilton Live to accept their 2016 RAMMY nominations for excellence in drinks and eats within the DC metropolitan area.

The excitement for the night’s nominees came from a mix of socialites, food bloggers, and assorted “plus ones” who gathered to celebrate and recognize the region’s most popular culinary destinations, many of which we’ve covered before.

Guests in attendance enjoyed samples from nominees like tender ahi tuna, lamb spreads, and drunken noodles, while mixologists from Bar Mini, Del Campo, and other featured restaurants and sponsors paired their cocktails and wines as a display of their best-in-show.

With the top talent of the DC food and spirit scene in attendance, the nominees were recognized with an invitation to the 34th Annual RAMMY Awards Gala show where the winners in each category will be presented.

The finalists for the 2016 RAMMY Awards are:

Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year:

• Supply Company & Acme Paper
• Coastal Sunbelt Produce
• Events DC
• Republic National Distributing Company
• USI Insurance Services

Favorite Gathering Place of the Year: 

• 1905
• ChurchKey
• Martin’s Tavern
• Northside Social Coffee & Wine
• Room 11

Upscale Casual Brunch:

• Blue Duck Tavern
• Fiola Mare
• Kapnos by Mike Isabella
• Osteria Morini
• The Source by Wolfgang Puck

Everyday Casual Brunch: 

• DGS Delicatessen – DC
• Duke’s Grocery
• Republic
• Tico
• Vinoteca

Favorite Fast Bites: 

• Bub and Pop’s
• Cava Grill – Chinatown
• G by Mike Isabella
• Red Apron Butcher – Union Market
• Taco Bamba Taqueria – Falls Church

Cocktail Program of the Year: 

• 2 Birds 1 Stone
• barmini by José Andrés
• Del Campo
• Kapnos by Mike Isabella
• Tico

Beer Program of the Year: 

• The Arsenal at Bluejacket
• Granville Moore’s
• Jack Rose Dining Saloon
• Republic
• Right Proper Brewing Company

Wine Program of the Year: 

• 2941 Restaurant
• Bourbon Steak
• Charlie Palmer Steak
• Le Diplomate
• The Red Hen

Employee of the Year: 

• Jorge Martinez, The Source by Wolfgang Puck
• Jim Mayo, PassionFish Reston
• Aniko Olah, Martin’s Tavern
• Yovani Peralta, B Too
• Andrea Raiello, Water & Wall

Manager of the Year: 

• Carlos Fernandez, Best Buns Bread Company
• Margarita Krivchikova, Belga Cafe
• Sudhir Kumar, Indique
• Jennifer Lucy, Estadio
• Atul Narain, Rasika

Service Program of the Year: 

• Bourbon Steak
• Fiola
• Iron Gate
• Rasika
• The Source by Wolfgang Puck

Pastry Chef of the Year: 

• Jemil Gadea, Masseria by Nicholas Stefanelli
• Eva Kronenburg, Convivial
• Alex Levin, Osteria Morini
• Bridie McCulla, Northside Social, The Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall
• Tressa Wiles, Bayou Bakery

Rising Culinary Star of the Year: 

• Erin Clarke, Casa Luca
• Brad Deboy, Blue Duck Tavern
• Jonah Kim, Yona
• Piter and Handry Tjan, Sushiko
• James Wozniuk, Maketto

Everyday Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: 

• Bar Pilar
• Daikaya
• The Fainting Goat
• Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
• Pizzeria Orso

Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: 

• Le Diplomate
• Osteria Morini
• Sushiko
• The Red Hen
• Zaytinya

New Restaurant of the Year: 

• Centrolina
• Clarity
• Convivial
• Maketto
• Masseria by Nicholas Stefanelli

Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: 

• Iron Gate
• Marcel’s by Robert Wiedmaier
• Rasika
• Restaurant Eve
• Trummer’s on Main

Chef of the Year: 

• Amy Brandwein, Centrolina
• Erik Bruner-Yang, Toki Underground, Maketto
• Scott Drewno, The Source by Wolfgang Puck
• Tarver King, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
• Cedric Maupillier, Mintwood Place, Convivial

Regional Food and Beverage Producer of the Year: 

• DC Brau Brewing Company
• Port City Brewing Company
• Don Ciccio & Figli
• Green Hat/New Columbia Distillers
• One Eight Distilling f

Restaurateur of the Year: 

• Cava Group (Cava Grill, Cava Mezze, Cava Foods, Sugo)
• Gruppo FT Restaurants (Fiola, Fiola Mare, Casa Luca)
• JL Restaurant Group  (Hank’s Oyster Bar, Hank’s Pasta Bar, The Twisted Horn)
• Mike Isabella Concepts (Graffiato, Kapnos, G, Kapnos Taverna, Pepita, Yona, etc)
• Paul Ruppert, Warehouse Industries (Room 11, Crane & Turtle, Petworth Citizen, Slim’s Diner)

The winners will be announced at the 34th Annual RAMMY Awards Gala on Sunday, June 12, 2016, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.