An overview of the Rammys 2024 last summer. | Dan Swartz The winners will be revealed at a glitzy gala on Sunday, August 3 D.C.’s resident dining association announced the finalists for its 43rd annual Rammy Awards, providing a snapshot of top performers and favorites acros s the local restaurant industry. The nominee ceremony returned to its longtime downtown venue, the Hamilton Live, on Monday, April 14. Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) will announce the winners across 20 award categories during a black tie soiree on Sunday, August 3 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. (It’s a bit later this summer, in part, to not overlap with the annual Tales of the Cocktail awards in New Orleans.) Nominees must be members of RAMW, and several categories have requirements regarding the length of time a restaurant has been operational or chef has been at the helm. An anonymous panel of judges in food and media ultimately chooses nominees and honorees. Four categories remain in the public voting section; Best Bar of the Year, Best Brunch of the Year, Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year, and Favorite Gathering Place of the Year. Voting for winners will run for the entire month of May via its local media partner NBC. For the first time, the Fast Casual Restaurant category will be picked by the judges panel. And now, this year’s nominees: Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: El Cielo DC Mita Rooster Owl Pineapple and Pearls Kappo Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Ometeo King Street Oyster Bar Tail Up Goat Petite Cerise Amparo Fondita Casual Restaurant of the Year: 2Fifty Texas Barbecue Stellina Pizzeria Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant And Bar I Egg You The Falls Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year: Emma’s Torch Yellow La Tejana Love on the Run at Love Makoto Andy’s Pizza New Restaurant of the Year: Ama La’ Shukran Kayu Pascual San Pancho Wine Program of the Year: ERA Wine Bar Beauty Champagne and Sugar Boutique Lulu’s Wine Bar Little Black Bird Easy Wine Company Cocktail Program of the Year: Amazonia Jane Jane Medina Moon Rabbit Quadrant Beer Program of the Year: Atlas Brew Works Pizzeria Paradiso Red Bear Brewing Co. Tall Boy Astro Beer Hall Service Program of the Year: Anju MITA Xiquet by Danny Lledó El Cielo Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak Stone Crab Chef of the Year: Carlos Delgado, Causa / Amazonia Matt Adler, Caruso’s Grocery Matt Conroy Isabel Coss, Lutece and Pascual Rubén García Castilla, Casa Teresa Mike Friedman, Red Hen Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Suresh Sundas, Daru Paolo Dungca, Hiraya Sara Ravitz, Shilling Canning Co. Fernando Gonzales, 2Fifty Texas BBQ Miguel Guerra and Tatiana Mora, MITA Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year: Alicia Wang, Yellow/Albi Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit Rachel Sherriffe, formally at Ellie Bird Carmelo Gil, Petite Cerise Rose Nguyen, Rose Ave Bakery Restaurant Manager of the Year: Lorena Reyes – Founding Farmers Antonio Chavarria , Metropolitan Hospitality Group Allison Williams – Pascual Tony Strowd Hamilton – Pizzeria Paradiso Luke Lin – CUT by Wolfgang Puck Restaurant Employee of the Year: Keiri Tobar Morales – RPM Italian Luis Jara – All Set Restaurant and Bar Juan Sanchez – Café du Parc and Willard’s Peacock Alley Daniel Fuentes – Madhatter Kristen Wilson – Causa/Amazonia Restaurateur of the Year: Seng Luangrath, Baan Mae Cici Yang, Yume Sushi, KYOJIN Sushi, and Rimtang Daniel Kramer, Duke’s Grocery Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurant Group Tea Ivonovic, Immigrant Food Favorite Gathering Place of the Year: Chloe Vagabond Bar and Kitchen The Dew Drop Inn A Baked Joint Balos Best Brunch of the Year: Sequoia Vera Cocina Bar Josephine J. Hollingers Waterman’s Chophouse Le Diplomate Best Bar of the Year: The Green Zone Metro Bar Service Bar Tune Inn Restaurant and Bar Royal Sands Social Club Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year: Your Only Friend Queen Mother’s Soko Butcher Jetties Ampersandwich at Shilling Canning Co. Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year: Congressional Seafood Co. Harmony Group Keany Produce Gourmet The Legacy Group, Inc. Preferred Insurance Ahead of the main event, RAMW will host its 2nd annual ceremony on Tuesday, July 1 to honor industry leaders in the following categories: Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award John G. Laytham Exception Leadership and Impact Award Milestone Award Joan Hisaoka Allied Member Award ...read more read less