Several Northern Virginia restaurants are finalists for RAMMY Awards that honor standouts in the DC area’s restaurant and foodservice community, and you get to help decide some of the winners.
The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington annually names its top picks. But for the first time, both the finalists and winners for five categories (Favorite Gathering Place, Best Brunch, Favorite Fast Bites, Best Bar, and Hottest Sandwich Spot) will be chosen by you. Voting remains open until May 31.
Ruthie’s All-Day in Arlington and Moby Dick House of Kabob, which has multiple NoVA locations, are both vying for the Favorite Gathering Place award, along with DC restaurants Chef Geoff’s, Crazy Aunt Helen’s, and Tiki on 18th/The Game Sports Pub. Ruthie’s is a Northern Virginia Magazine favorite for All-American Breakfasts and appears on the 2022 50 Best Restaurants list. “The great atmosphere — indoors or outdoors — and good vibes are as important as the food and drink,” said the association about the nominees.
Three eateries in NoVA — RASA, Roaming Rooster, and Stellina Pizzeria — are up for Best Fast Bites. RASA has locations in Arlington and Fairfax. Roaming Rooster locations include Vienna, Burke, Chantilly, and Manassas. And Stellina has a Shirlington location. Chef Skip 202 and Spice Kitchen West African Grill also are nominated.
Circa, a restaurant with four locations including Clarendon, is competing for the Best Brunch title against Founding Farmers, Maiz64, Seasons at Four Seasons, and Urban Roast.
Arlington’s Bar Ivy made the finalist list for New Restaurant of the Year. The others new restaurant nominees are Causa/Amazonia, Nama Ko, Opal, and Rania.
Salt in Arlington is competing for the top Cocktail Program of the Year award. The other nominees are Jane Jane, Service Bar, The Green Zone, and Silver Lyan.
Solace Brewing Company, which has locations in Falls Church, Sterling, and Navy Yard, is nominated for Beer Program of the Year, along with Boundary Stone, Lost and Found, The Midlands Beer Garden, and Shelter. The beer joints are judged “on the diversity and quality of their craft beer,” the association said.
Blue Rock in Rappahannock County is the one Virginia restaurant nominated for Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year. The other nominees are Jônt, Oyster Oyster, The Dabney, and Xiquet by Danny Lledó.
Restaurateurs or restaurant groups with ties to NoVA are nominated for the Restaurateur of the Year honor.
- Kyle Bailey, Jon Ball, Jeremy Carman, Gavin Coleman, and Paul Holder, Long Shot Hospitality;
- Greg Casten and Tony Cibel, Fish and Fire Food Group;
- Andrew Dana and Daniela Moreira, Timber Pizza, Call Your Mother, Turu’s, Mercy Me;
- Zubair, Omar, Fatima, and Shamim Popal, The Popal Group;
- Rose Previte, Compass Rose, Maydan, Kirby Club.
This year, instead of Pastry Chef of the Year, the restaurant association broadened the category to Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year. Bridie McCulla of the Liberty Restaurant Group, which runs the Liberty Tavern in Arlington, a Northern Virginia Magazine favorite for brunch, is among the five nominees. The others:
- Rochelle Cooper, The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, The Wells;
- Sam Cooper, Bread Alley, Le Diplomate, St. Anselm;
- Mary Mendoza, Bantam King, Hole in the Wall, Tonari;
- Teresa Velazquez, Baked and Wired, A Baked Joint.
The awards will acknowledge a Manager of the Year, non-owner or general manager. Snjezana Jaksic at Ambar Clarendon is nominated, along with Brittany Dye of Circa Foggy Bottom, Christine Kim of Service Bar, Javier Perez of Jaleo, and Cesare Sanchez of Maiz64.
MarginEdge in Arlington, a restaurant management software company, is nominated for the Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year award that goes to the associate member who best exemplifies commitment to and support of the restaurant association. Ecolab, Harmony Group, Keany Produce and Gourmet, and Saval Foodservice are the other nominees.
See all of the finalists online.
The winners of the 41st Rammys will be named on Sunday, July 9, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Feature photo by Alice Levitt
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