RAMMYs Honors Reception Spotlights DMV Culinary Leaders, Milestone Anniversaries and Mayor Bowser

The St. Regis Washington, Giant Food, L’Auberge Chez Francois, La Chaumière, Kramers, Mezè, and The Diner were among the milestone honorees celebrated at the annual RAMMYs reception.

Susan McLain Sullivan May 7, 2026

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Five attendees pose in front of a RAMW and RAMMY Awards backdrop at the Watergate Hotel during the 2026 RAMMYs Honors Reception, celebrating milestone restaurant anniversaries for The Diner and Mezè Restaurant and Bar. — Celebrating milestone anniversaries at the 2026 RAMMYs Honors Reception are (left to right) Iason Demos, general manager of The Diner; Constantine Stavropoulas, owner of The Diner; Kristen Barden, executive director of the Adams Morgan Business Improvement District; Suleyman, owner of Mezè Restaurant and Bar; and former co-owner Berker Hazar. Photo: Susan McLain Sullivan

WASHINGTON, DC – The region’s culinary crème de la crème gathered at the Watergate Hotel on May 5 for the annual RAMMY Awards Honors Cocktail Reception, celebrating milestone service anniversaries and recognizing Washington D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser for a decade of support for the restaurant and hospitality industry.

The work of the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia culinary community was spotlighted by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) at its 3^rd Annual “RAMMYS” Honors Cocktail Reception for “their lasting contributions to the Washington metropolitan area’s restaurant and hospitality community.”

Symone Sanders-Townsend and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser sit onstage in red chairs during a fireside chat at the 2026 RAMMYs Honors Reception. — Symone D. Sanders-Townsend, co-host of The Weeknight, moderates a fireside chat with Muriel Bowser during the 2026 RAMMYs Honors Reception at the Watergate Hotel. Photo: Susan McLain Sullivan

RAMW is the regional trade association representing restaurants and the food service industry. Notable recipients included “Milestone Award Honorees” for 2026—names of places familiar to diners, shoppers, and employees not only in the DMV but throughout the nation and also internationally:

The 2026 Milestone Award honorees included several iconic names in the region’s dining and hospitality scene:

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100 Years: The St. Regis Washington, D.C.
90 Years: Giant Food
50 Years: All Day Cafe at Kramers, L’Auberge Chez Francois, and La Chaumière
25 Years: The Diner and Mezè Restaurant and Bar

During the award presentations and brief “90-second” acceptance speeches, owners paid heartfelt tribute to the dedicated employees, loyal patrons, innovation, and hard work that helped sustain their businesses through decades of service. Additional honors included the Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year Award, presented to Events DC, and an honorary RAMMY Awards award recognizing The Stratus Firm, a longtime RAMW partner known for its event planning, production, and hospitality management services.

A purple and gold sponsor poster for the 2026 RAMMYs Honors Reception featuring logos of event sponsors displayed at the Watergate Hotel. — A sponsor disp Photo: Susan McLain Sullivanlay welcomes guests to the 2026 RAMMY Awards Honors Reception at the Watergate Hotel.

“We know that small businesses are the backbone of our city,” said retiring Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser who accepted the Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award, which recognizes an individual who has demonstrably elevated the profile and success of the greater Washington dining landscape and foodservice community.

Without delving into the many political and economic challenges restaurateurs faced during her decade in office, Muriel Bowser kept the tone light during a fireside chat with Symone D. Sanders-Townsend, co-host of The Weeknight. Bowser joked that after retirement she looks forward to finally enjoying the “boozy brunches” she has long missed because of her demanding weekday and weekend schedule.

“I like catching up with friends,” Mayor Bowser said with a laugh repeating her desire to be able soon to take in more boozy brunches while also revealing her “love for breakfast” including her preference for “crispy bacon” and her own homemade waffles to a smattering of light applause.

For more than a century, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, founded in 1920, has championed the region’s restaurant and hospitality industry through advocacy, marketing, education, small-business support, and high-profile events such as the RAMMY Awards.

Closing the evening on a practical note, Mayor Bowser emphasized the importance of continued public investment in local restaurants and hospitality businesses, announcing that new applications for $50,000 municipal grants were “made available today on D.C.Com.”

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