Last night I got to attend the nominations gala as they announced the finalists for the 2010 RAMMY awards. Swanky! It’s funny, I don’t get starstruck talking to senators and cabinet members, but put me 5 feet away from a Top Chef finalist and suddenly I’m speechless.
Most of the categories will have their winner decided by secret panel, but a few categories are up for public voting. To me, the most interesting of the public categories is Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year. And the nominees are…
Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year
This nominee is a restaurant that demonstrates a high standard of quality and congeniality rooted in its neighborhood.
Bar Pilar
Belga
Cork
EatBar
Kemble Park Tavern
That’s some serious competition. I’m a big fan of both Bar Pilar and Cork, but I think Bar Pilar wins it by a nose for me. I love all their little plates, and the cocktails are amazing. The other two vote-able categories are Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene (nominees: Birch & Barley and ChurchKey, Bourbon Steak, Masa 14, Posto, POV) and Restaurant Power Spot (nominees: Art & Soul, BLT Steak, Bombay Club, The Source, Teatro Goldoni). I haven’t quite made up my mind which places I’ll pick for these categories, since a few of them are places I haven’t been to yet. But there’s plenty of time to make that happen; the ballot won’t go up on the Washington City Paper until April 29.
Anyone got a favorite horse in these races? If I could only make it to one of either BLT Steak, The Source, and Teatro Goldoni, where should I go? Does Bourbon Steak actually have a hot bar scene? Hmmm.
Gradually Greener 
Hmmm, I’d pick Churchkey for the hottest bar scene (which, if you think about it, is a sort of bizzare award category). Mostly because, of all of those places, it’s the place I’d most like to go. It manages to be chic and comfortable – like, I can go there in jeans and grab a beer, and not feel like I’m being stared at by The Beautiful People. And I love their food. But that doesn’t really make it a “hot” bar scene – just the one that best fits my personal style.
[…] Gradually Greener takes a look at some unexpected RAMMY award categories – the best neighborhood gathering place, hottest bar scene, and restaurant power spot. I can’t quite believe these are award categories, but they’re very interesting to think about. […]
[…] Gradually Greener takes a look at some unexpected RAMMY award categories – the best neighborhood gathering place, hottest bar scene, and restaurant power spot. I can’t quite believe these are award categories, but they’re very interesting to think about. […]