2019 RAMMY Winners “Blend the Best of Everything Our City Has to Offer”

Looking for the hottest spots to make reservations this summer? No doubt you’ll want to check out the winners of the 37th Annual RAMMY Awards. Last night (6/30/19) top foodservice industry professionals and their fans gathered at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center as Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington announced winners in 20 award categories.

With new restaurants opening all of the time, it can be easy to overlook the fortitude of some of the city’s top spots, but before the year’s bests were awarded, six area favorites were lauded for their longevity. Honorary Milestone RAMMY Awards were given to 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)!
Mayor Muriel Bowser joined the presentation to remember and honor John G. Laytham, co-owner of the Clyde’s

Restaurant Group, who passed away earlier this year, and to announce that November 12th — what would have been his 7th birthday — will be named John Laytham Day in the District. She also commended the industry on its contributions to making the city so exceptional:
“When I see all of the restaurant industry pour into our convention center to just have fun, and to be served and to celebrate, to have drinks and to be with one another, it brings joy to my heart,” she said. “Washington, DC is certainly a thriving city, everyone can agree with that. We celebrate the culture and nightlife and entertainment; we see nightlife as something to celebrate and to look forward to in all 8 Wards of Washington DC. Our restaurants blend the best of everything our city has to offer, exemplifying the diversity… and the vibrancy that is Washington, DC.”
The winners of the 37th Annual RAMMY Awards are:
Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year: The Veritas Law Firm
Upscale Brunch of the Year (voted by the public): Unconventional Diner
Casual Brunch of the Year (voted by the public): Compass Rose Bar & Kitchen
Favorite Gathering Place of the Year (voted by the public): Open Road
Favorite Fast Bites of the Year (voted by the public): 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