WASHINGTON, DC (March 22, 2011) – In the Washington, DC Metropolitan area restaurant industry, few awards hold the same esteem as the respected RAMMY awards.  Tonight ramped up the “RAMMY season” captivating the DC restaurant community and dining public alike.  Tonight, restaurateurs, chefs and key restaurant industry players attended the highly anticipated event at The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC as the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington announced the 2011 RAMMY Award Nominees.

“This year’s theme ‘Carnevale da Cuisine’ gives us the chance to celebrate this colorful, crazy business we call the restaurant industry,” said Lynne Breaux, President of RAMW. “They always say what a huge honor it is just to be nominated. Well, with The RAMMY Awards, the cliché is true.”

Selecting the RAMMY nominees, and ultimately the winners, involves two separate panels of judges, the voting public and, for just one award – the Joan Hisaoka Associate Member of the Year – the RAMW Executive Committee. 

Any RAMW member is eligible for nomination as long as they qualify for the given category.  The nominees are then reviewed by an anonymous panel of esteemed food/restaurant writers, educators and HR professionals who ultimately select the five finalists in each of the categories announced tonight.

The public will decide the winners in four categories: Voter’s Favorite Restaurant, Neighborhood Gathering Place, Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene and Power Spot of the Year. The winners in these categories are determined entirely by the public vote tallies. Votes can be cast through a special ballot appearing in The Washington City Paper on April 28 or online at ramw.org. Click here for 2011 RAMMY Finalists!