Here Are the 2016 Rammy Award Nominees

An ambitious Taiwanese and Cambodian project, a trailblazer in NoMa and a cozy Shaw debut are among those places D.C.'s restaurant association named as the best new restaurants to open over the past year.

The 2016 Rammy Award nominations were announced last night at an event at The Hamilton downtown. The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington will reveal the winners at a gala event June 12.

Several restrictions govern these awards. All nominees must be members of the association. Several categories have requirements regarding how many years the restaurant has been open, and previous winners can't be eligible again for some time. The public will choose the winner in some categories, while an anonymous panel of judges is responsible for picking the rest. Here are the nominees:

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

Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year:
Acme Paper & Supply Company
Coastal Sunbelt Produce
Events DC
Republic National Distributing Company
USI Insurance Services

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

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)