Borderstan Restaurants Rack Up The RAMMYs

From Alejandra Owens of One Bite At A Time. You can also find her on Twitter at @frijolita.

I love living in Borderstan. Seriously! I mean, we have amazing outdoor spaces, dog parks, night life, cocktail joints, schools, two farmers markets — and this year we can officially say we have some kick-butt restaurants in our midst. Last night, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington announced the 2011 RAMMY Award Nominees. Borderstan restaurants, chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers and mixologists brought in a whopping 13 nominations!

In case you were wondering, the RAMMYs, also known as the “Oscars of DC area restaurants,” has been around since 1982. The awards recognize excellence and achievement in the DC Metropolitan restaurant industry. I say the RAMMYs show us just how good it is to eat and drink in Borderstan!

Raise your glass to the neighborhood’s nominees:

• Birch & Barley, Upscale Casual Restaurant
• Tabard Inn, Upscale Casual Restaurant
• Bar Pilar, Neighborhood Gathering Place
• Estadio, Neighborhood Gathering Place
• Kyle Bailey, Exec Chef at Birch & Barley, Rising Culinary Star
• Justin Bittner, Exec Chef at Bar Pilar, Rising Culinary Star
• Tiffany MacIsaac, Pastry Chef at Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Birch & Barley), Pastry Chef
• Cork, Wine Program
• ChurchKey, Mixology/Beverage Program
• Estadio, Mixology/Beverage Program
• Tabard Inn, Mixology/Beverage Program
• Estadio, Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene
• Masa 14, Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene

Cheers to all the nominees! And thanks for helping make our neighborhood so great!