Hats Off To The 2012 Rammy Award Nominees

Nominees for the upcoming 2012 Rammys—-the sort of Oscars of the D.C. food scene—-were announced Monday night during a brief ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton. You, the public, will decide the winners in three categories: Neighborhood Gathering Place, Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene and Power Spot of the Year. Cast your ballot right here at Washington City Paper from April 12-29. Winners in these and every category will be announced at a splashy awards gala on June 24.

And the nominees are…

Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year The Ashby Inn & Restaurant Bourbon Steak Marcel’s The Oval Room Rasika

Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year Bibiana Birch & Barley BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant Oyamel Proof

Casual Restaurant of the Year Bar Pilar C.F. Folks Hank’s Oyster Bar and Lounge – DC Mitsitam Native Foods Café Room 11

Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year Bastille Bistrot Du Coin Café Saint-Ex Et Voila! The Majestic

New Restaurant of the Year Elisir Restaurant by Enzo Fargione Fiola Graffiato Hill Country Barbecue Market Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

Chef of the Year Anthony Chittum – Vermilion Tony Conte – The Oval Room Haidar Karoum – Proof Kaz Okochi – Kaz Sushi Bistro Vikram Sunderam – Rasika

Rising Culinary Star of the Year Justin Bittner – Bar Pilar Logan Cox – Ripple Claudio Pirollo – Et Voila! Adam Sobel – Bourbon Steak Ed Witt – 701 Restaurant

Pastry Chef of the Year Cicely Austin – The Oval Room Fabrice Bendano – Adour Peter Brett – Blue Duck Tavern Alison Reed – Ripple Susan Wallace – BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant

Wine Program of the Year Adour Cork Wine Bar Dino Marcel’s Plume

Beverage/Mixology Program of the Year Bourbon Steak EatGoodFood Group Estadio Neighborhood Restaurant Group Room 11

Power Spot of the Year 701 Restaurant Founding Farmers – DC The Oval Room The Source by Wolfgang Puck Tosca Ristorante

Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene of the Year Black Jack The Hamilton Hill Country Barbecue Market Mad Fox Brewing Company Marvin

Manager of the Year Anna-Marie Ashe – Smith Commons Daniel Bortnick – Firefly Reagan Corbett – Jackson 20 Alex Munoz – Hill Country Barbecue Market Javier Velazquez – Taberna del Alabardero

Employee of the Year Julie Albert – Brasserie Beck/Marcel’s Ting Forester – District Commons Teo Leiva – Fiola José Alex Medrano – B. Smith’s Paris Twyman – Founding Farmers – DC

Restaurateur of the Year José Andrés & Rob Wilder – THINKFoodGROUP Meshelle & Cathal Armstrong – EatGoodFood Group Michael Babin – Neighborhood Restaurant Group Ashok Bajaj – Knightsbridge Restaurant Group Jeff & Barbara Black – Black Restaurant Group

Associate Member of the Year Adams-Burch BB&T EagleBank SYSCO Food Services of Baltimore Marriott Wardman Park Hotel

Logo courtesy of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington