Alexandria Restaurants Shine at 2026 RAMMY Awards with Wins for Bastille and Andy’s Pizza
Bastille’s Juan Ramirez won Manager of the Year, Andy’s Pizza took home Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year, and several Alexandria favorites earned finalist honors at the region’s biggest restaurant celebration.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Alexandria’s restaurant scene had a standout night at the 2026 RAMMY Awards, with Juan Ramirez of Bastille Brasserie & Bar winning Manager of the Year and Andy’s Pizza taking home Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year at one of the D.C. region’s biggest hospitality celebrations.
The 44th annual RAMMY Awards, hosted by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, celebrated the region’s restaurants, chefs, managers, service teams, beverage programs and hospitality professionals during a glamorous evening that unfolded across two iconic venues at The Wharf in Washington, D.C.
Bastille and Andy’s Pizza Bring Home Wins
Among the heralded winners was Ramirez of Bastille Brasserie & Bar, who excitedly jumped out of his seat as his award was announced. Beaming, he told the crowd that the award capped a year of achievements for him, including finishing his college degree — drawing an impromptu round of applause — before delivering a brief acceptance speech.
“This is amazing!” Ramirez exclaimed. “I thank the owners, Michelle and Christophe Poteaux, who have been wonderful and, more importantly, my team who pushed me to be here.”
Andy’s Pizza also brought home a major win for Alexandria, earning Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year. Owner Andy Brown thanked his associates — “the 412 other people in our group” — for helping him win the award.
More Alexandria Finalists Recognized
Alexandria’s group of RAMMY finalists was notable. Ramirez and Todd Hunt of Oak Steakhouse were both finalists for Manager of the Year. Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen + Bar was a finalist for Best Brunch of the Year. Andy’s Pizza and Call Your Mother Deli were finalists for Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year, with Andy’s Pizza ultimately taking home the win
Matt Sloan, owner of Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen + Bar, recently opened Little Birdie across Mount Vernon Avenue. He said Alexandria’s growing reputation as a restaurant destination is well deserved.
“All well deserved,” Sloan said. “We have some great restaurants in Alexandria. I am glad it’s getting attention outside the district too.”
Afterward, Ramirez also praised Alexandria’s restaurant scene and acknowledged his friend Hunt, a finalist in the same category, as proof of the growing excellence and prominence of Alexandria’s restaurants within the industry.
“Honestly, it is just one more step on the way that we’re heading,” Ramirez said, adding that Bastille aims to continue “to be one of the best and to be here next year again.”
Inside the RAMMYs Celebration
The local wins came during a night of full-blown RAMMYs revelry.
A sea of elegantly dressed attendees — attired in colorful ball gowns, dashing tuxedos and smartly tailored suits — partied for hours at The Wharf in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the nominees, finalists and winners. In many ways, Monday night’s celebration rivaled a New Year’s Eve blowout.
For the first time in more than a decade, the celebration unfolded across two iconic venues, with a convention-like awards program at Arena Stage. As winners in a range of highly competitive categories were revealed on large screens, a sold-out crowd of guests and dozens of hopeful finalists — proudly wearing large purple ribbons identifying them as finalists — erupted in cheers as the honorees were announced. Some winners screamed, some cried, and some shared the stories of their journeys and how they reached this level of recognition.
After the confetti settled, the boisterous crowd walked two blocks to a gala reception at The Anthem, where high-decibel music blared, blinding lights bounced across its three stories, and hard-working vendors showcased food-service products. Everyone seemed to be partying like it was 1999 — including many folks who probably worked through that heralded event.
There was even a roaring karaoke stage tucked a level above the dance floor, though none of the dancers on the main concourse below seemed to notice.
Guests gather during the 44th Annual RAMMY Awards celebration at The Wharf, where the region’s restaurant and hospitality industry honored its 2026 winners and finalists. Photo by John Canery.
A Glamorous Night for the Hospitality Industry
“Tonight, we celebrate the chefs who inspire us, the beverage professionals who elevate every experience, the operators who lead with vision, the service professionals who create lasting memories, and the teams whose dedication brings hospitality to life every day,” said Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of RAMW. “The success of our restaurants, bars, hotels, and hospitality businesses is a testament to your hard work and passion … and we thank you for everything you do to make Metropolitan Washington a world-class hospitality destination.”
Throughout the night, the RAMW hospitality industry exhibited its glamorous side — away from the heat of the kitchens and the sometimes challenging aspects of food service. Champagne and other libations flowed, and thousands of pounds of delicacies — from beef to duck, oysters to shrimp, and even vegan fare to gourmet sorbets — were avidly consumed.
Among other important RAMW recognitions were Albi for Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year; the duo of Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss of The Popal Group for Chef of the Year; Fernando González of 2Fifty Texas BBQ as Restaurateur of the Year; and The Occidental as New Restaurant of the Year.
Unlike national awards like the James Beard Awards, the RAMMYs focus specifically on the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region — and notably recognize not just chefs, but the full hospitality ecosystem, including managers, service teams, and beverage programs.
