D.C.’s dining association announced the winners of the 44th annual Rammy Awards on Monday, June 29, providing a snapshot of the restaurant industry around the nation’s capital. Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) doled out the awards
across nearly two dozen categories in a wildly different format than years past.
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Normally held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Shaw, the Rammys were held on a different day (Monday instead of Sunday, a la James Beard Awards); D.C. quadrant (Southwest versus Northwest); and across two venues instead of one, starting at the Wharf’s Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater for the awards ceremony, followed by a post-bash soiree at nearby music venue the Anthem. Also new this year: whittling down a list of semifinalists to finalists.
Notable awardees included Albi, chef Michael Rafidi’s wood-fired Palestinian marvel in Navy Yard that can’t seem to stop winning as of late, picking up the Rammy for Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year last night on the heels of a recent four-star review from the New York Times (the first top rating of its kind outside of NYC). And Adams Morgan’s Tsehay, the only Ethiopian contender across all categories, won Casual Restaurant of the Year. The Susan Lucci of the bunch went to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (the downtown staple nominated about a dozen times before but had never won) for Service Program of the Year.
An anonymous panel of judges in food and media ultimately chooses nominees and honorees across most food and beverage categories. Presenters in the arena-style format included Top Chef alum Carla Hall, podcast host Nycci Nellis, and NBC4’s Jummy Olabanji, Eun Yang, and Tommy McFly.
Here’s the full list of the winners:
- Chef of the Year: Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss of the Popal Group (Lutece, Maison Bar à Vins, Pascual)
- Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Albi
- New Restaurant of the Year: The Occidental
- Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Perry’s
- Restaurateur of the Year: Fernando González of 2Fifty Texas BBQ
- Cocktail Program of the Year: Amazonia
- Casual Restaurant of the Year: Tsehay Ethiopian
- Wine Program of the Year: Fiola
- Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year: Andy’s Pizza
- Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year: Rose Nguyen, Rose Ave Bakery
- Service Program of the Year: Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
- Manager of the Year: Juan Ramirez, Bastille Brasserie & Bar
- Employee of the Year: Jose Luis Salgado, Zinnia
- Beer Program of the Year: Pizzeria Paradiso
- Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Martel Stone, Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi
Five publicly voted categories were open to any eligible restaurant or food service operation in the area, regardless of RAMW membership, with a newly added Content Creator of the Year award for 2026. Those previously announced winners were:
- Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year: Joia Burger
- Favorite Gathering Place of the Year: Old Ebbitt Grill
- Best Brunch of the Year: Unconventional Diner
- Best Bar of the Year: Service Bar
- Content Creator of the Year: DCFoodGod
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The awards portion of the evening came with a tinge of controversy, with local union reps hovering outside the event to hand out flyers of restaurateur Stephen Starr’s alleged “illegal union-busting” tactics in D.C. — a topic that Eater covered extensively last year.
In addition to Mayor Muriel Bowser receiving the Capital Achievement Award, RAMW also presented Honorary Milestone Awards to legacy restaurants around the DMV that have reached “significant anniversaries of service”: The Diner (25 years), La Chaumière (50 years), and Giant Food (90 years).
