Arepa Zone beat out four other proposed new eateries to win the second Launch Pad competition sponsored by Union Market, Mess Hall and RIS restaurant. They will take over Ris’ stall at Union Market free for 6-12 months beginning Aug. 31.

Arepa Zone co-owner Ali Arellano prepares an arepa at the Launch Pad final on Sunday. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Launch Pad is a project to identify and launch a promising new culinary concept. The process began with 18 entries, chef and judge Ris Lacoste told DC on Heels. That field was whittled down to 10 then to the final five, who presented their concepts and food samples at Union Market’s Dock 5 on Sunday. Joining Lacoste on the judges panel were Al Goldberg, founder of Mess Hall; Patrick O’Connell, owner and chef at the Inn at Little Washington; Aaron Silverman, owner and chef Rose’s Luxury; Katsuya Fukushima, chef and partner at Daikaya; Nora Poullian, chef and owner of Restaurant Nora; and David Hall, a partner at Revolution Ventures, an investment firm.

Mason Dixie Buscuit Co. won the 2014 Launch Pad competition. It opened in December and has already expanded to Baltimore and Charlotte, N.C.

Arepa Zone, which is owned by Gabriela Febres and fiancé Ali Arellano, opened its food truck 1 1/2 years ago. It serves authentic Venezuelan cuisine including 13 kinds of arepas, a grilled corn patty stuffed with meats, cheeses and other fillings, cachapas, a sweet corn pancake filled with cheese or cheese and meat, and tequeños, fried Venezuelan cheese sticks serving with AZ dipping sauce – a yummy garlic-cilantro sauce. It also serves desserts like rice pudding and flan, and Venezuelan sodas.

During a breakfast for the media, judges and investors in June, Febres told DC on Heels that the menu at Union Market would be the same as the food truck, which was voted Best New Food Truck and Food Truck of the Year at the 2014 Curbside Cookoff Food Truck Awards. “Its already proven successful, although we may add additional fillings,” she said. The two started Arepa Zone because there was “no places to eat authentic Venezuelan food” in the DMV.

Ali Arellano and Gaby Febres give their 5-minute presentation to Launch Pad judges. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Febres and Arellano met when he was a distributor of Central American products and worked at the Venezuelan embassy. They currently prepare their food in a commercial kitchen in Sterling, Va., but are building their own 2,200-square-foot kitchen in in Fairfax, where the food for the truck and stall will be prepared and delivered to Union Market daily to cook and finish. Dishes will cost from $6-$8.50 Febres told the judges. They hope to add a second food truck and a brick and mortar restaurant in the future.

Prior to presenting their businesses to the judges, the finalists had access to advisors such as Top Chef Spike Mendelsohn of Good Stuff Eatery, We the Pizza and Bearnaise; Mike Lenard of Takorean; Danielle Vogal of Glen’s Garden Market; Terrell Danley of D.C. Central Kitchen; and Richie Bradenburg, director of culinary strategy for Edens, which owns Union Market.

The other finalists in this year’s Launch Pad competition were:

• Bao Bros Bar: Louis Grayson and Nelson Wong proposed turning the traditional Taiwanese street food into a fast-casual dining experience. Their steamed bao buns would be filled with the traditional pork belly as well as beef, lamb, chicken or tofu and combined with a variety of house-made pickled vegetables and sauces. Grayson said he would quit his job at Expedia and Wong at Booz, Allen, Hamilton if they had won. Bao Bros Bar was the winner of the People’s Choice Award.
• Bene: Mark Baik, Mini Suh and Jin Woo Park proposed a fast, fine-casual Italian concept that would bridge the gap between the relatively inexpensive chain restaurant and expensive fine-dining eateries . Bene would have served high-quality fresh pasta bowls. Although all have Korean heritage, they all grew up in the New York Tri-State area and met in school. Their menu included salads, antipastas, as well as classic and specialty pastas.
• Half Smoke: Andre McCain proposed a concept serving pork, beef, chicken and veggie sausages “assembly line” style like Chipolte in buns, bowls or on flatbreads with customizable toppings such as chili, kimchi and artichokes. He also planned to offer seasonal sausages such as foie gras, duck and smoked elk along with sides such as tater tots, Brussels sprouts and funnel cake for dessert.
• Whisked!: Already an established presence at four farmer’s markets and more than 30 retail locations including Whole Foods Markets throughout the DMV, Jenna Huntsberger planned to expanded her current menu in addition to current offerings of quiches pies and cookies.

Arepa Zone will take over Ris’ stall in Union Market and open on Aug. 31. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

In addition to the stall at Union Market, Arepa Zone also won a free membership to Mess Hall culinary incubator, mentorship from Lacoste and introductions to investors.

The U.S. Bartender’s Guild-DC Chapter has teamed up with Campari to host D.C.’s Negroni Week to raise money and awareness for charities worldwide. During Negroni Week, June 1-7, a portion of the proceeds from every Negroni or Negroni-related item sold at participating retailers, bars and restaurants will be donated to charity. This year, 47 DMV bars and restaurants will offer their own custom versions of the cocktail.

Monday marks the start of Negroni Week in D.C. (Photo: Civilandnaval)

Negroni Week DC will end with “NegroniMania,” a rally of participating restaurants and their respective bartenders and mixologists for one final Negroni toast at Equity Eats, 918 F St. NW on Sunday June 7 from 2-6 p.m. Guests will enjoy unlimited Negroni tastings from participating restaurants as well as heavy hors d’ oeuvres courtesy of Prequel, D.C.’s first successful crowdfunded restaurant. Proceeds from NegroniMania will benefit Miram’s Kitchen. Tickets can be purchased for $60 at http://www.prequaldc.com PrequalDC.com

NegroniMania participatns include Copycat, Provision No. 14, Chaplin’s, Graffiatto, Found Farmers, MXDC, Tico, Daikaya, Vinoteca, Jack Rose Dining Saloon, Lupo Verde, The Gibson, Lincoln and Brine. A full list of Negroni Week participants is available on the website.

Chick-fil-a, Shanghai Tokyo Cafe coming to Columbia Heights

The Columbia Heights neighborhood is getting two new restaurants. Construction on both is currently underway.

Shanghai Tokyo Cafe will open in Columbia Heights were the former Oxxo drycleaner was. (Photo: Popville)

Shanghai Tokyo Cafe, which as has locations in College Park and Columbia, Md., will open at 1376 Park Road NW in the former Oxxo drycleaners beside Sticky Fingers.

The Columbia location serves Chinese, Japanese and Malaysian cuisine while College Park serves Chinese, Japanese and Thai. No word on what Columbia Heights will serve.

Chick-fil-a will open at 3100 14th St. NW, Suite 104, in the former Lime Fresh Mexican Grill in the DC USA development.

There’s no word on when either restaurant will open.

Hula Girl to open in Shirlington

Mikala Brennan, the owner/operator of the Hula Girl food truck, plans to open her first brick and mortar restaurant, Hula Girl Bar and Grill, in September at 4044 Campbell Ave., Arlington, in the former Aladdin’s Eatery space, which closed last October.

Hula Girl Bar and Grill plans to open in September in the former Aladdin’s Eatery space. (Photo: Google Maps)

Diners can enjoy their favorite Hula Girl truck dishes in the 3,600 square foot restaurant designed by Hapstak Demetriou. The space will have a retro vibe with seating for 100 guests, as well as an outdoor patio with seating for 25.

The restaurant will serve Hula Girl food truck’s classic Hawaiian fare such as teriyaki, plate lunches and Spam musubi, as well as traditional dishes like LauLau, butterfish and pork belly wrapped in taro and tea leaves. It will also serve Hawaiian cocktails, as well as mix of local and Hawaiian beers.

Brennan was born and raised in Hawaii. She opened her food truck, which is decked out like a 1960s Woody, in 2011. She opened her first restaurant in 1998 in San Diego. She sold it to a business partner in Canada and was tapped by Marriott International to lead its new food and beverage department, bringing her hands-on, from scratch cooking approach into this hotel giant’s corporate structure. In 2001, she opened Evolve Consultants, where she created, designed and opened over 40 domestic and international concepts.

DC Coast hosts Summer Crab Fest

Crab cakes are on the crab tower during DC Coast’s Saturday crab fest. (Photo: DC Coast)

Beginning today, DC Coast, 1401 K St. NW, will host a weekly Summer Crab Fest each Saturday evening starting at 5:30 p.m.

Executive chef and native Marylander Miles Vaden’s four-course family-style menu will include signature dishes as well as a new wave of peak-season crab specialties for $55 or $80 with optional wine pairings with each course.

The meal begins with Maryland crab bisque with sherry froth and Old Bay oyster crackers followed by a crab tower salad with crispy fried green tomato, avocado, frisée, mâche, basil vinaigrette and lime mustard aioli. The third course crab platter showcases an array of local fare with crab cakes, softshell tempura, crab andouille and crab hollandaise with sides of truffle potato salad, sweet corn succotash and creamed spinach. The meal ends with key lime pie with ginger graham crust, Island Rum dulce de leche and toasted meringue.

Del Campo launches asado menu, late night happy hour

Del Campo, 777 I St. NW, is gearing up for summer with an Argentine asado menu and late night happy hour specials.

All summer long Del Campo is offering its take on a traditional Argentine asado in the form of a new fixed-price menu. Served family-style, the menu starts with grilled provoleta and salad before a main event of flank steak, sweetbreads, chicken, short-ribs and chorizo. It is available for dinner throughout the restaurant for $45 per person.

The restaurant is also offering a late night happy hour from 10 p.m.-midnight Thursday through Saturday. The late night happy hour includes drink specials along with complimentary anticuchos, chorizo bites and grilled provoleta sandwiches at the bar and on the patio.

Richard Sandoval restaurants join Eat (RED) Drink (RED) campaign

This June, chef Richard Sandoval’s restaurants will participate in the Eat (RED) Drink (RED) Campaign, the worldwide culinary campaign to turn up the heat on the AIDS fight and raise money to eliminate AIDS. Throughout the month, Masa 14, El Centro D.F., Toro Toro and Zengo will feature a (RED) cocktail with a percentage of each cocktail going to RED. Each restaurant hopes to raise $1,460.

A portion of the proceeds from Zengo’s Yuva Fresca will go to the (Red) Campaign during June. (Photo: Zengo)

El Centro, 1819 14th St. NW and 1218 Wisconsin Ave. NW, is serving the Red & Smokey made with Mina Real mezcal, chili ginger and hibiscus for $12. Masa 14, 1825 14th St. NW, is offering a strawberry lemonade made with vodka, fresh strawberry purée, and fresh lemon juice for $8. The La Bamba Punch made with Luxardo cherry liqueur, dark rum, triple sec, fresh lemon juice, cranberry and Champagne will be featured at Toro Toro, 1300 I St. NW, for $10. And Zengo, 781 7th St. NW, will serve the Yuza Fresa made with Sobieski citrus vodka, lemon, strawberry puree, lemon and sour for $11.

Also, Sandoval has been selected along with a handful of others a U.S. Chef Ambassador for the Eat (RED) Drink (RED) Campaign.

DC Greens hosts inaugural K Street Farm dinner

DC Greens, an organization working to create a healthy food system in the nation’s capital, will host its first K Street Farm Dinner on June 2 at its urban farm at the corner of K Street and New Jersey Avenue NW. The rain location is Union Market’s Dock 5. The dinner features some of the area’s top chefs, who will prepare dinner on the K Street Farm, a parcel of city land that’s managed by the non-profit organization featuring locally grown produce.

The K Street Farm was formerly the Farm at Walker-Jones. (Photos: BadWolf DC)

Drinks at the welcome cocktail reception will be served from the farm’s potting shed, which will be transformed into a bar serving craft cocktails for the evening along with a vintage Airstream, which will serve local wine from Virginia’s Early Mountain Vineyards.

The family-style dinner will be prepared by local chefs including Ruben Garcia of MiniBar, Spike Mendelsohn of Good Stuff Eatery and Béarnaise, Mike Friedman of The Red Hen, Jeremiah Langhorne of the forthcoming The Dabney, Bryan Voltaggio of Aggio, Family Meal, Lunchbox, Range and Volt, Mike Isabella of Mike Isabella Concepts and Tiffany MacIsaac of Buttercream Bakeshop. Guests include Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, who are on DC Greens’ board of advisors.

VIP tickets are $600 each and include a welcome reception starting at 5:30 p.m., a gift back and dinner. General admission is $250 and includes the 5:30 cocktail reception and 7:15 p.m. dinner. Tickets are available http://www.dcgreens.org online.

Nage Bistro debuts summer wine specials

Nage Bistro, 1600 Rhode Island Ave. NW, has a new summer wine program. Guests can enjoy hard-to-find, traditionally expensive wines at special prices. The wines are offered by the bottle only and will change throughout the summer through Labor Day.

Opening options include 2012 Chateau de Sancere Loire, France; 2010 Domaine JA Ferret Pouilly-Fuisse Tete de cru Les Perrieres Maconnais, France; 2006 Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz Pyrenees, Australia; 2008 Domaine Berthet – Reyne Chateauneuf du Pape Rhone, France; 2009 Sequoia Grove Cambium Blend Napa Valley, Calif.; 2012 Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve Barboursville, Va.; 2008 Rodney Strong Reserve Cabernet Alexander Valley, Calif.; 2012 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet/Shiraz Southern Australia; and 2009 Far Niente Cabernet Oakville, Calif.. They are priced from $40-$99 per bottle.

EatWell DC names two new chefs

Shabier Bahramy (Photo: EatWell DC)

EatWell DC has named two new chefs de cuisine at its Logan Circle restaurants.

Shabier Bahramy will head up the kitchen at Logan Tavern, 1423 P St. NW, while Victor Garcia takes over Commissary, 1443 P St. NW. Both previously worked at EatWell DC restaurants.

“The decision to promote from within at both locations showcases the commitment and connection we have with our staff,” said EatWell DC principal David Winer in a press release. “Both chefs have strong culinary backgrounds and understand our vision of farm-to-table neighborhood cuisine, and that made them the obvious choice.”

Victor Garcia (Photo: EatWell DC)

Garcia has been with EatWell DC for the past seven years and was most recently the executive sous chef at Logan Tavern. Prior to joining the company, he started his career at Chef Geoff when he came to the United States from El Salvador in 2005.

Bahramy was most recently the executive sous chef at The Pig, where he worked for the past two years. Following his career launch at Wildfire in McLean, Va., Bahramy apprenticed for The Pig’s chef Michael Bonk at The Queen Vic before moving with him to The Pig. He holds a Culinary Management degree from the Art Institute of Washington.
 
 

Mango Tree gets new executive chef

Adrian Salazar (Photo: Mango Tree)

After only just opening in January, Mango Tree, 929 H St. NW in CityCenterDC, has replaced Paul Kennedy with Adrian Salazar as executive chef. Salazar previously worked as a sous chef at Zaytinya before coming to Mango Tree as a sous chef last December for its January opening.

Since his promotion, Salazar has wasted no time enhancing his reputation as a local sourcing and farm-to-fork fanatic, persuading local farmers to start growing Thailand aubergines for the restaurant. In June, he plans to visit Chesapeake Bay’s oyster and soft-shell crab fishermen to foster a closer relationship and get the inside track on the best and freshest seafood, with a view to offering two or three locally-sourced seafood specials daily.

Salazar’s culinary career began at age 17, shucking oysters at Blue Point Kitchen and Bar in Tucson, Ariz. He worked in ever increasing positions of responsibility at Tucson establishments such as Wildflower American Cuisine and St. Francis in Phoenix.

Fall is here and that means cooler temperatures, falling leaves, Oktoberfest and the March of Dime’s Signature Chefs Gala. Mark your calendar now for 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 when the DMV’s culinary masters come together for an elegant evening of wine, cocktails and dining.

More than 40 of the area’s celebrated chefs, mixologists, bartenders and vintners will serve up tasty bites and drinks. The evening will also include auctions with unique dining, entertainment, travel and leisure packages. All proceeds benefit the March of Dimes, raising awareness for its mission and vital revenue to help prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Chef Lonnie Zoeller from Vinoteca grills squid. This will be his third year participating in the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Gala. (Photo: Chris Smith/DC on Heels)

This is the third year executive chef Lonnie Zoeller of Vinoteca, 1940 11th St. NW, is participating in the Signature Chefs Gala.

With so many food-centric events happening in the DMV, Zoeller said choosing which of the many good causes Vinoteca supports. “It’s a matter of timing. It is hard to be involved with every one. We pick one or two really good causes every seasons – the ones that are more important to us,” Zoeller told DC on Heels. “My daughter just turned 2 so I like to support the March of Dimes in educating parents and soon-to-be parents” about preventing birth defects.

Zoeller hasn’t decided what he’ll be serving since the event is still a few months away and he prefers “ingredient-driven cuisine, using what’s in season and what’s available to me.” The first year he served a smoked fish and potato salad and last year a country ham and white bean stew.

The chef explained that he prefers buying whole or half animals to create his dishes at Vinoteca so he “knows where the product comes from. It comes from the farm to us without going through a processor or two. It also keeps cost down and we can pass it on to our customers.”

Zoeller said he likes to keep the dishes easy to serve so he can have conversations with the people at the gala, where about 500 guests walk around the ballroom of the The Ritz-Carlton in Foggy Bottom sampling the chefs’ dishes and mixologists’ drinks.

Other participating chefs include honorary chef Mike Isabella of G, Graffiato, Kapnos and Kapnos Taverna; chef Douglas Alexander of Art & Soul; chefs Christophe and Michelle Poteaux from Bastille; chef Erin Reed from Brabo; chef Geoff Tracy from Chef Geoff’s and Lia’s; chef Kyle Bailey of ChurchKey; chef Victor Albisu from Del Campo; chef Dean Gold of Dino’s Grotto; chef Sam Henderson from Food Wine & Co.; chef Spike Mendelsohn of Good Stuff Eatery, We the Pizza and Bearnaise; chef Jamie Leeds from Hank’s Oyster Bar; chef Michael Abt of Le Diplomate; chef Robert Wiedmaier from Marcels and Brasserie Beck; chef Matthew Adler of Osteria Morini; chef Kyoo Eom from Poste Moderne Brasserie; chef Travis Croxton of Rappahannock River Oysters; chef Javier Romero from Taberna Del Alabardero; chef Ethan McKee of Urbana; chef Adam Barnett from Westend Bistro; and chef Tracy O’Grady of Willow along with representatives of Oliva Macaron and Paul.

Participating bartenders and mixologists include Jo-Jo Valenzuela from D.C. Craft Bartenders Guild; Jamie MacBain of Bourbon Steak; Ben Wiley from Café St. Ex; Christine Kim of Tico; Paul Taylor from Rhodeside Grill; Aaron Joseph of Wit and Wisdom; Glendon Hartley from Cava Mezze and Rico Wisner of Graffiato.

Tickets and more information along with an updated list of chefs and mixologists are available here.

Bunch is popular with residents of the DMV and has become a real money maker for area restaurants. Most new high-end eateries – even those that only open for dinner during the week – are offering weekend brunch.

Bearnaise, Top Chef Spike Mendelsohn’s French bistro on Pennsylvania Avenue SE near the Capitol. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Béarnaise, chef Spike Mendelsohn’s French restaurant at 315 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, added weekend brunch service about two months ago, almost a year after first opening. Brunch is served from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

We stopped by last month to check out Béarnaise’s brunch. There are no wildcards. This isn’t a wildly experimental or memorable meal. If you go, don’t believe the flyers on the hostess stand: it is NOT bottomless brunch. Only the $15 mimosas or Bloody Marys are bottomless. Also,, the prices are high for the serving size. And, if you look at the brunch menu online, there are two. I’m not sure why, but the second has higher prices on it, so I assume they’ve either raised prices since our visit or are planning on it and haven’t removed the old menu from the website.

We were seated beside a table with a screaming child and service wasn’t very quick. I even flagged down the hostess once to ask a question of the menu since our waiter was MIA.

Fresh squeezed juices and pastries from BakeHouse Bakery started our brunch at Bearnaise. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

My guest and I started with fresh-squeezed juices – one orange and one grapefruit – for $5 each. (The second online menu lists the price at $6). It was definitely fresh squeezed, but served in a small rocks glass with no refills. We also ordered the fresh bakery basket for $8 ($10 on the second menu). While the five mini-croissants and fresh-baked breads from BakeHouse Bakery were delicious, they were tiny – only two bites each. There was one plus was that Chef Spike dressend in a T-shirt and jeans delivered them himself to welcome us, after just rolling in shortly after noon.

The menu is pretty standard and include L’Américan Breakfast with two eggs, ample glazed French ham, Applewood bacon, grilled country bread (toast) and frites (French fries) for $14; a French ham and brie omelette or a seasonsal vegetable omelette with a petite salad ($12); a croissant sandwich with scrambled eggs, gruyere cheese and bacon with a petite salad ($10 old menu/$12 new menu); steak and eggs with an 8-ounce flat iron steak, two eggs, béarnaise sauce and frites ($24); the Montreal special with a sesame seed bagel, Norwegian smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion and tomato ($10/$12); mussels dijon & frites with bacon, cream whole grain mustard broth, a farm fresh egg and fried onion straws ($20); and the brasserie burger and frites with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, truffle aioli and an egg ($15). House specialties include the chef’s hangover cure, a crispy pig’s feet hash with pig’s feet, bacon, leeks and potatoes served with an egg and béarnaise sauce ($14/$16). There are also three bennies served with a petite salad priced at $14 each: the French bennie with French ham, eggs, hollandaise sauce on a croissant; the Norwegian salmn benning with smoked salmon, eggs and hollandaise sauce on a bagel; or the spinach and eggs bennie with sautéed spinach, eggs and hollandaise sauce served on a croissant.

Bearnaise’s crème brulee French toast (left) and croquet madame brunch selections. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

I chose the crème brulee French toast ($12), which was one brick-sized slice of brioche with maple crème anglaise and blueberry compote. My friend ordered the croquet madame ($14), French ham and gruyere cheese between two slices of toast covered in behámel sauce topped with a runny egg. Both were tasty, but average.

Brunch cocktails and coffee libations are priced at $10 each, the Royale Treatment – a carafe of sparkling wine with your choice of French liqueur is $35, and Spike’s Spicy Bloody Mary with pepper-infused vodka, Sriracha and Old Bay rum is $10.

While the food was all tasty, we were a bit disappointed with the value and the brunch selection at Béarnaise. We’ll stick with the restaurant’s prix fixe steak frites for dinner, which comes with soup or salad, an 8-ounce flat iron steak maison with béarnaise sauce and unlimited frites for $28. It is a much better value and a meal to remember, unlike brunch, which doesn’t stand out among the many restaurants in the DMV offering a bigger selection at a better value.

The 2014 Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week sponsored by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington will be here Jan. 13-19. The promotion encourages diners to dine out and eat up at their favorite restaurants and to discover new dining experiences.

Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week will be held Jan. 13-19. (Image: RAMW)

During summer restaurant week, more than 73,000 diners were seated who had made online reservations, that was up 22 percent from summer 2012, according to RAMW. Restaurant revenue generated from those online reservations was more than $2 million.

New this time is a Restaurant Week Restaurant Guide. The guide will be available at area hotels and at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. There will also be an interactive digital version. The guide will provide readers with the inside scoop on participating Winter Restaurant Week restaurants and can be used to help area diners find the perfect place to eat on future occasions.

More than 230 restaurants are offering prix-fixe $20.14 three-course lunches and/or $35.14 three-course dinners. Among new restaurants participating in restaurant week are Alba Osteria, Arsenal at Bluejacket, Bearnaise, El Centro D.F. Georgetown, G, Kapnos, M Cafe and Bar, MXDC, NoPa Kitchen + Bar, Table and Thally. You can see the full list of participating restaurants along with links to most of their Restaurant Week menus here. You can also make reservations at that website.

The Rammy Awards

Speaking of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, which sponsors The Rammy Awards each year, has opened nominations for the annual fete. The Rammy’s is the signature annual fundraiser for RAMW recognizing the best and brightest in the area’s restaurant industry. This year, the judging panel will select finalists from the pool of nominees, eventually awarding winners in 21 categories, including four to be chosen by public vote, at the 32nd Annual Gala to be held Sunday, June 22 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

the 2013 Rammys at the Marriott Wardman Park. (Photo: Chris Burch)

New beverage categories this year include Cocktail Program of the Year, awarded to a bar, restaurant, or other food service establishment with an exemplary cocktail program, and Beer Program of the Year, given to a restaurant, bar, brewery restaurant or brew pub with a diverse selection of high-quality beer. Other new categories include Service Program of the Year, honoring a nominee that demonstrates a high standard of excellence in service throughout the restaurant, Regional Food and Beverage Producer of the Year, awarded to an exceptional food or beverage artisan that creates a product utilized by area chefs and restaurants, Favorite Fast Bites, for an operator in a fast-casual environment that demonstrates a dedication to great food and superb service, as well as Upscale Brunch and Everyday Casual Brunch, presented to two restaurants that demonstrate a high standard of dining excellence and service for their brunches, one in an upscale environment and the other in a more casual, everyday environment.

Returning categories include Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year, Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year, Everyday 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 Program of the Year, Manager of the Year, Employee of the Year and Restaurateur of the Year.

The Upscale Brunch, Everyday Casual Brunch and Favorite Fast Bites, along with returning category Favorite Gathering Place of the Year are decided by the public. The other awards are decided by an anonymous panel of volunteer judges, consisting of food and dining journalists, educators and food service industry professionals.

RAMW will also honor two members with the Joan Hisaoka Associate Member of the Year, presented to an associate member who best exemplifies commitment to and support of RAMW, and the Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award, given for dedication and leadership that has helped transform Washington’s restaurant scene into today’s vibrant restaurant industry. These awards are determined by RAMW’s Executive Committee.

Nominations can be made by clicking here through midnight Jan. 29. Finalists will be announced in March.