photo credit: John Canery Monday night, the DMV hospitality community got all Dorothied and made their way to Arena Stage for the 44th Annual RAMMYS Awards and what a night it was.I have to say, I loved every minute of being on that stage. Carla Hall, Eun Yang, and little old me were among the presenters, and I had the absolute honor of handing out two of my favorite awards of the evening. Giving the Cocktail Program of the Year to Amazonia was a moment, that program is extraordinary. And presenting Chef of the Year to Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss of The Popal Group? Loved seeing Chef Matt accept that award. It was a packed list of finalists, so well deserved.Then it was over to The Anthem, where three floors of the DMV's finest ate, drank, danced, and and yes, sang their hearts out. Because Danny Lee was running the karaoke stage and it was an absolute smash hit. But more importantly, the winners. Congratulations to all.44th Annual RAMMYS Winners-Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Albi-New Restaurant of the Year: The Occidental-Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Perry's-Chef of the Year: Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss, The Popal Group-Restaurateur of the Year: Fernando González, 2fifty Texas BBQ-Wine Program of the Year: Fiola-Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year: Andy's Pizza-Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year: Rose Nguyen, Rose Ave Bakery-Service Program of the Year: Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab-Manager of the Year: Juan Ramirez, Bastille Brasserie & Bar-Employee of the Year: Jose Luis Salgado, Zinnia-Beer Program of the Year: Pizzeria Paradiso-Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Martel Stone, Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi-Cocktail Program of the Year: Amazonia-Casual Restaurant of the Year: Tsehay Ethiopian-Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year*: Joia Burger-Favorite Gathering Place of the Year*: Old Ebbitt Grill-Best Brunch of the Year*: Unconventional Diner-Best Bar of the Year*: Service Bar-Content Creator of the Year*: DCFoodGod, Tessa Alimahmoodi and Jason Fisher*publicly voted categoryRAMMYS HonorsDuke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award: Mayor Muriel BowserHonorary RAMMYS Award: Stratus FirmJoan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year: Events DCHonorary Milestone AwardsCelebrating 25 Years: The Diner | Mezè Restaurant Celebrating 50 Years: Kramerbooks and All Day Cafe | L'Auberge Chez François | La Chaumière Celebrating 90 Years: Giant Food Celebrating 100 Years: The St. Regis Washington, D.C.

Carla Hall, is at the top of her game. But getting there was no picnic. In this theatrical one-woman show, Carla Hall invites you to “strap in” for a wild, hilarious, and emotional ride as she reveals how she learned to embrace her own authenticity, “work her quirk” and finally step into her power. From her Tennessee roots as an awkward theater camp kid, to Howard University, to a stint on the runways of Paris, to her irreverent takes on the confusing expectations of Black excellence, crushing sexism, and the many attempts to erase her uniqueness, Carla has had to battle every step of the way to find her true voice – and wait till you hear it. In this insightful and inspiring World Premiere, Carla reveals the secret ingredients to her greatest creation: herself. This intimate exchange will leave audiences laughing, thinking, feeling and… maybe even discovering a little of their own power in simply being themselves.Carla Hall: Please Underestimate Me runs June 3 – July 12 in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd, Olney, MD. Tickets are $47-$101 and available online or by calling the box office at 301.924.3400. Discounts are available for groups, seniors, teachers, active military, first responders, and students. Visit olneytheatre.org/discounts for details.Bridging the food and theatre worlds, Honorary Producers for the production include Chef Eric Adjepong of Food Network’s “Wildcard Kitchen,” author, restaurateur, and TV personality Chef Spike Mendelsohn, food and wine publisher Nycci Nellis, Emmy-nominated journalist and producer Erin Como, and Nina Oduro, Co-founder of Black Women in Food. 

Martinis are making a comeback in Washington, DC, and Nycci Nellis joined WTOP to share where to find the city's best pours. She highlighted standout spots including L'Ardente, Lucy Bar, Minetta Tavern, Mélange, and Ox & Olive, each offering unique takes on the classic cocktail. For budget-friendly options, Nycci recommended martini specials at All-Purpose, Ama, Cucina Morini, Queen's English, Six Ways to Sunday, and Last Call Bar. She also encouraged newcomers to start with a classic gin or vodka martini and ask their bartender for recommendations to discover their personal favorite.

Chef Vikas Khanna built Bungalow, the hottest table in New York City, after arriving in America homeless. This is the DC food podcast conversation that explains everything.Ten thousand people are on the wait list for Bungalow. Chef Vikas Khanna is not surprised. He did not open it to chase a reservation. He opened it at 54 as a promise to his late sister and his mother, to carry the full weight of Indian culture and cuisine into a dining room and set it free. If you follow the DC food and wine show, the Washington DC restaurant insider scene, or the hospitality industry podcast world, you already know guests like this do not come around every week. Chef Khanna was born with club feet in Amritsar, told he would never walk properly. He arrived in the United States with nothing. He earned a Michelin star at Junoon in 2011 and held it for eight consecutive years. He has authored more than 40 books, hosted MasterChef India for nearly two decades, directed films, spoken at the United Nations, and through Feed India, delivered more than 84 million meals to people in need. At Bungalow, he runs only 16 dishes, rotates specials nightly without repeating, and is currently running 36 weeks celebrating India, one state, one dish, one story per week. Nycci Nellis sat down with him and within five minutes understood why the New York Times used the word freedom to describe what he is doing. That word mattered more to him than any star.What You Will LearnChef Vikas Khanna opened Bungalow not to earn another Michelin star but as a personal promise to his mother and late sister, and every element of the restaurant from the Ganga Jal ceremony to the floral ceiling carries that intention.Khanna has documented more than 250,000 recipes from across India and distills that archive into a rotating menu of 16 dishes, proving that restraint and depth are not opposites in the DC dining guide conversation.The women in his life, his grandmother, his mother, his sister, a Muslim woman who sheltered him during the Mumbai riots, and designer Sheila Rizvi, shaped every instinct he brings into the kitchen and the dining room.Feed India grew from a single phone call from his mother during the pandemic and became an operation that converted 80 gas stations into food and healing stations for migrant workers and served hundreds of thousands of meals at Haji Ali Dargah during Eid.Khanna argued in Time magazine that civilizational cuisines cannot be judged through the narrow lens of Western restaurant standards, and the chef interview podcast world is still catching up to what that means for Indian food globally.Listen to the full episode here, and watch it here.