The 26th Annual RAMMY Restaurant Awards Gala, themed Setting the Global Table, will be a celebration of the global influences on the cuisine of the nations capital.
At this years Gala, presented by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, the areas finest restaurants and culinary stars will be joined by renowned personalities and many of the citys celebrated embassies, in honoring the regions top chefs and restaurateurs on Sunday evening, June 29 at the Marriott Wardman Park.
You can find virtually every cuisine of the world in the Washington metro area, said RAMW President Lynne Breaux. Our talented chefs not only draw upon fabulous local produce, meat and seafood, but on stellar food products from other parts of the world. Celebrating the glamour that Washington area restaurants have brought to the metro region, The RAMMYS will be awash in rich, sparkling dcor with more than 1600 guests dressed in black tie and bling. According to Gala Chair Oren Molovinsky of Mie N Yu, this years event will feature an expanded reception with a global food and libation tasting. Dinner will continue the international culinary tour showcasing Nordic offerings provided by the countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and Chilean wine provided by ProChile and Wines of Chile.
Nominations for the awards were submitted by members of the restaurant industry. An anonymous panel of esteemed judges, including journalists and hospitality industry educators, is in the process of reviewing the nominations and has the challenging task of choosing only five finalists for each category. Finalists will be revealed on Tuesday, March 25 at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C.
The judges panel will determine the winners in the following categories: Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year, Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year, New Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Rising Culinary Star of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Wine and Beverage Program of the Year, Employee of the Year and Manager of the Year. RAMW will determine the recipient of the prestigious Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award and RAMW Associate Member of the Year Award.
In addition, the public will be able to choose the winners for Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year, Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene of the Year, Restaurant Power Spot of the Year, and Voters Choice Award by casting a vote through a special RAMMY Awards ballot that will be featured in a supplement in The Washington Post Magazine on Sunday, May 18th, as well as online at www.ramw.org.
Individual tickets for the 26th Annual RAMMY Restaurant Awards Gala are priced at $200 for RAMW members and $250 for non-RAMW members. Ticket and sponsorship information is available by contacting RAMW at 202-331-5990 or by visiting www.ramw.org.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington Education Foundations scholarship program. The program helps area high school students develop viable careers in the restaurant industry, by providing scholarships for post-secondary education in hospitality-related fields. Scholarship recipients who were funded by the RAMMY Awards proceeds last year are currently pursuing their culinary studies at the Culinary Institute of America and Johnson and Wales.
Major sponsors of The RAMMYS include The Nordic Countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden; ProChile; Wines of Chile; Christiania Vodka; and FIJI Water.
