RAMMYS Nomination Party!

Last night we headed to the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington RAMMYs Nomination Party at The Hamilton Live.

RAMW announced the year's top RAMMY awards finalists for its much anticipated annual black tie awards gala June 12. The Best Chef of the Year nominees include Centrolina's Amy Brandwein, Toki Underground's Erik Bruner-Yang, The Source's Scott Drewno, Patowmack Farm's Tarver King, and Convivial's Cedric Maupellier, whom we snapped with Nathalie Blackwell and Blake Smith.

The New Restaurant of the Year nominees, Centrolina, Clarity, Masseria, Convival and Maketto served a specialty menu item. Here, Masseria's Jeff Hatfield, Chef Nicholas Stefanelli and Wes Sampson created its prosecco grapefruit sorbet cocktail, and a bite of its burrata with oysters, cippollini onions and caviar.

Clarity had plates of charred yellow fin tuna with licorice, fermented black garlic and fresno chili mirin glaze. Centrolina Chef Amy Brandwein whipped up its delicious tagliolini and nduja, a traditional Italian dish. She's surrounded by Antonio Plentis, Rivka Alvial and Angie Duran.

Barmini by Jose Andres had sips of the floral cloud, which is their specialty gin cocktail with dry ice. They are nominated for Best Cocktail Program of the Year along with 2 Birds 1 Stone, Del Campo, Kapnos and Tico. Here, Linda Roth PR's Anthony Hesselius, and RAMW sponsors ProChile's Maria Jose Cuesta, Rodrigo Contreras and Scarlett Ramirez.