The results are in: The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington announced the winners of the 2024 Rammy Awards Sunday, July 22, celebrating the year’s top-tier restaurants, bars, and restaurateurs from around the DMV area. This year, multiple Northern Virginia restaurants had a place among the winners.
To be eligible for the award, the restaurants must be members of RAMW and meet all the requirements for the specific category. A panel of five anonymous judges decided most of the results, except five categories that voting by the public determined.
Ellie Bird, a modern American restaurant in Falls Church won the honor of New Restaurant of the Year. Since opening in April 2023, the spot has gained a lot of attention for its inventive dishes like a Vietnamese French onion soup; it scored the No. 5 spot on Northern Virginia Magazine’s 2023 Best Restaurants list and was named among The New York Times’ list 2023 Restaurant List.
The Colada Shop claimed the victory in the category Hottest Sandwich Shop, one of the publicly voted categories. The vibrant Cuban café concept has locations in Clarendon and the Mosaic District, in addition to several in Washington, DC, and one in Maryland.
In the category Favorite Fast Bites, also publicly voted, Fava Pot was the winner. This Egyptian restaurant serves up dishes like kabob, falafel, and stuffed grape leaves from locations in Falls Church and Dupont Circle, plus a food truck.
Some area restaurateurs got attention as well. The team from Long Shot Hospitality, including Kyle Bailey, Jon Ball, Jeremy Carman, Gavin Coleman, and Paul Holder, won the 2024 Rammy for Restaurateur of the Year. Long Shot Hospitality is behind popular NoVA and DC concepts including The Salt Line, Ometeo, and Dauphine’s.
Looking to get a Rammy Award–winning meal or drink next time you’re in DC? Other standout winners from the list include Georgetown’s Apéro for Wine Program of the Year; Duke’s Counter for Best Brunch; French bistro Lutèce as the Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year; and Causa/Amazonia for Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year.
Below is the full list of the 2024 Rammy Award winners. Asterisks denote publicly voted categories.
New Restaurant of the Year: Ellie Bird
Cocktail Program of the Year: Silver Lyan
Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Masako Morishita, Perry’s
Beer Program of the Year: Zinnia
Wine Program of the Year: Apero
*Favorite Gathering Place*: Mi Vida
*Best Brunch*: Duke’s Counter
*Best Bar*: Bar Chinois
*Favorite Fast Bites*: Fava Pot
*Hottest Sandwich Shop*: Colada Shop
Employee of the Year: Michael Wyatt, Annabelle Restaurant
Manager of the Year: Victoria Gradia, KNEAD Hospitality + Design
Service Program of the Year: Reveler’s Hour
Casual Restaurant of the Year: La Famosa
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Lutèce
Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year: Rochelle Cooper, The Duck & The Peach
Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Causa/Amazonia
Chef of the Year: Angel Barreto, Anju
Restaurateur of the Year: Kyle Bailey, Jon Ball, Jeremy Carman, Gavin Coleman, and Paul Holder, Long Shot Hospitality
Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year: Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School
Feature image of Ellie Bird by Shannon Ayres
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