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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