D.C.’s Local Restaurant Awards Pivot With New Honors for Fancy Takeout, Pop-Ups, and Patios

Rather than treating 2021 as regular year, the D.C.-area’s local restaurant association is mixing up its annual Rammy awards with a long list of new categories that recognize how drastically the COVID-19 pandemic changed the hospitality industry.

This year’s awards, slated for Sunday, September 19, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, won’t include a Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, or a Rising Star. Instead Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington announced a batch of finalists yesterday in categories that honor creative takeout packaging, sandwich pop-ups, patio scenery, improvised markets, virtual cooking classes, and philanthropic efforts in the community, all of which mark a change from 2020’s mostly virtual awards.

RAMW is also opening up the awards to non-members, meaning restaurants don’t have pay dues to be considered. A large chunk of the categories will be decided by a month of online voting, starting Monday, August 2. General admission tickets to the gala cost $325 a piece, which covers the awards ceremony, dinner, dancing, and a reception. Here’s a look at all the finalists. The public votes on categories flagged with an asterisk , and a Rammy committee picks the others.

Formal Fine Dining in a Box

• Brasserie Liberté
• Bresca
• Chloe
• Cranes
• Fiola
• Mintwood Place
• Rasika
• Rooster and Owl
• Saund and Snyder
• The Dabney

Most Innovative To-Go Packaging Game

• Daikaya
• Jaleo
• Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, and Stone Crab
• Julii
• Oyster Oyster
• Rose’s Luxury/Rose’s At Home
• Stable DC
• Sushi Taro
• Sushiko
• The Duck & The Peach

Outstanding Covid-Safe Redesign (Indoors or Outdoors)

• Ben’s Chili Bowl
• Clarity
• Clyde’s Restaurant Group
• Equinox Restaurant
• Fiola Mare
• Glover Park Grill
• HalfSmoke
• Maydan
• St. Anselm
• The Park at 14th

Most Impressive Pivot to Provisions or Market

• ANXO Cidery
• Bar Charley, El Chucho, and Little Coco’s
• Coconut Club
• Founding Farmers
• Hank’s Oyster Bar/Current Catch
• Neighborhood Restaurant Group
• Officina
• Seoulspice
• Thamee
• Walters Sports Bar

Good Neighbor Award

Individual Honors

• Erik Bruner-Yang, Power of 10 Initiative
• Willa Pelini, Paola Velez, and Rob Rubba, Bakers Against Racism
• Anna Valero, Hook Hall Helps
• Mark Bucher and Medium Rare, Feed The Fridge
• Danny Lee, Support of Immigrant and AAPI Community
• Kevin Tien and Tim Ma, Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate - DC
• Jon Krinn, Chefs Feeding Northern VA, Taste of DC in VA
• David Guas, Bayou Bakery Soup Kitchen, BEAN-EFIT
• Micheline Mendelsohn and Spike Mendelsohn, National Guard Inauguration Program, and More
• Edward Lee, The LEE Initiative

Company/Organization Honors

• Coconut Club
• Immigrant Food
• Keany Produce & Gourmet
• KNEAD Hospitality + Design
• Little Sesame
• Peruvian Brothers
• Pizzeria Paradiso
• RASA
• Saval Foodservice
• World Central Kitchen

*Outstanding Ghost Kitchen or Pop-up Concept*

• Ama Ami “homakase”
• DC Ghostburger
• Denizen’s Brewing Co., Sunday Gravy
• Fat Choi Hot Pot
• Ghostline/Social Beast
• Happy Gyro
• Little Sesame @ Sugar Fox
• June
• Shababi
• The Red Hen - French Hen

*Coolest Cocktails and Beverages To-Go*

• Astoria
• Barmini
• Cactus Cantina
• Capo Delicatessen
• Jack Rose Dining Saloon
• Napoli Pasta Bar
• Serenata
• Service Bar
• Seven Reasons
• Tiger Fork

*Standout Family Meal Packages To-Go*

• Albi
• Cork Wine Bar & Market
• Liberty Tavern
• Muchas Gracias
• Oohh’s & Aahh’s
• Pennyroyal Station
• Ristorante i Ricchi
• Taco Bamba
• Thompson Italian
• Unconventional Diner

*Prime Pandemic Patio Scene*

• Caboose Brewing Co.
• Hi-Lawn
• Hook Hall
• La Famosa
• Lauriol Plaza
• Le Diplomate
• Lulu’s Winegarden
• Mercy Me
• The Salt Line

*Technology Trailblazers*

• DC To Go-Go
• Ensemble
• GoTab
• Great American Restaurants
• Rumi’s Kitchen
• Silver Diner
• Stellina Pizzeria
• The Roost
• Think Food Group
• TTT

*Splendid Holidays at Home Offerings*

• Centrolina
• Chef Geoff’s
• Ellē
• Et Voila!
• JACKIE
• Kinship
• Lebanese Taverna
• Punjab Grill
• Ridgewells Catering
• Royal

*Festive Foodie Experiences*

• Baker’s Daughter, CSA Box Cooking Classes
• Carlie Steiner, Various Virtual Classes
• Catoctin Creek, The Art of the Cocktail
• Eric Adjepong, Cooking with Eric
• Eva Kronenburg, YouTube Cooking Series
• Louise Salas and Gina Chersevani, Designated Drinker Show
• Kwame Onwuachi, Eat Clean While Quarantined
• Mess Hall DC, Some Disassembly Required
• Sticky Fingers, Virtual Baking Classes
• Xiquet, Cooking with Chef Danny Lledó

*Hottest New Sandwich Shop*

• AmperSandwich
• Bun Papa
• Compliments Only
• Fedwich
• Fight Club
• Itty Bitty Sandwich City
• Queen Mother’s
• Roaming Rooster
• Sandi Buns
• Your Only Friend

*Stellar Brunches at Home*

• All Purpose - Navy Yard
• Call Your Mother
• Convivial
• Duke’s Grocery
• Farmers Fishers Bakers
• Feast
• I Egg You
• KitchenCray
• Seasons
• The Fainting Goat

Managers of the Year:

• Otgontuya Davaasuren, All Set Restaurant & Bar
• Khawla Gasmi, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar, & Eatery
• Autumn Harriger, Destination Unknown Restaurants/Espita
• Jordan Lee, Thamee Restaurant
• Tylyn Mallon, Right Proper Brewing Company
• Brian McGahey, Modena Restaurant
• Gilbert Mejia, Nobu DC
• Robert Micheli, Dirty Habit
• Daurio Passaia, Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse
• Karina Wilkey, Sunnyside Restaurant Group

Employees of the Year

• Gabriela Araujo, Bresca
• Ruben Avila, PassionFish Reston
• Freddy Bastidas, Blue Duck Tavern
• Adrian Godinez, RPM Italian
• Rosa Martinez, Alta Strada & Nama
• Mileyda Montezuma, Immigrant Food
• Fredy Nataren, Tryst Trading Co.
• Celina Nava, Estadio
• Alicia Ramos, Convivial
• Maria Serrano, Sababa

The 2021 Honorary Milestone RAMMY Award

• Glory Days Grill (25 years)
• La Chaumiere (45 years)
• Peacock Cafe (30 years)
• Pizzeria Paradiso (30 years)
• Ristorante Piccolo (35 years)