The 28th annual The 28th annual RAMMY Awards, the Oscars for local restaurant owners and chefs, has been rescheduled for Sept. 20 — and it will be different.
It was originally scheduled for July 26.
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, which sponsors the awards program, said there will still be a red carpet event for finalists, sponsors and the media at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, but much of the awards ceremony will be virtual for other attendees.
More than 2,500 people attended last year’s RAMMY Awards.
RAMW said the format for the awards program and event will be updated in line with current safety guidelines, with more details as the date approaches.
“In this year, where restaurants have encountered so much, the RAMMYS have even greater significance as they are an opportunity to rebuild, to create marketing visibility where it is needed, and to engage partners to be part of that industry resurgence,” said Kathy Hollinger, president and CEO of RAMW.
This year’s finalists for Casual Restaurant of the Year:
- Bantam King
- CHIKO, Capitol Hill
- Duke’s Counter
- Little Pearl
- Stable
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year finalists:
- Centrolina
- Chloe
- Maydan
- Poca Madre
- Unconventional Diner
Rising Culinary Star of the Year finalists:
- Marcelle Afram, Maydan
- Faiz Ally, Poca madre
- Angel Barreto, Anju
- Jocelyn Law-Yone, Thamee
- Yuan Tang, Rooster & Owl
A full list of 2020 RAMMY finalists is online.
In May, RAMW announced the winners of its 2020 Honorary Milestone Award, given each year to restaurants that have been around for decades.
Those winners were Mrs. K’s Tolle House, Vice Italian Delicatessen, and Rocklands Barbecue and Grilling Company.