Restaurant Association of Maryland Blog

Restaurant Association of Maryland Announces 2012 Nominees for Annual Industry Awards!

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is excited to announce the finalists for the highly anticipated Annual Awards Gala sponsored by McCormick and Company.  The awards honor the Maryland hospitality industry’s best in such categories as Maryland’s Favorite New Restaurant, Chef of the Year, and more.  Winners of these prestigious awards will be revealed at the 58^th Annual Industry Awards Gala on Monday, April 16, 2012 from 6pm to 11pm at Martin’s West in Baltimore.   

Members of the dining public are strongly encouraged to visit www.marylandrestaurants.com/gala to cast their votes for their favorite nominees in each category.  Competition is steep: in the past, more than 30,000 votes per year have been collected. Voting will continue until March 9, 2012.  

2012 Award Nominees

Voted on by the Dining Public:

 Maryland’s Favorite New Restaurant

• The Americana, Baltimore
• Corner BYOB, Hampden
• de Lazy Lizard, Ocean City
• Fishnet, College Park
• Havana Road Cuban Café, Towson 

Chef of the Year

• Daniel Wecker, The Elkridge Furnace Inn
• Jeff Smith, The Chameleon Café
• Jim Barrett, Azure
• John Hufnagel, The Grille at Peerce’s
• Patrick Fanning, The High Spot

Craft Brew Program of the Year

• The Brewer’s Art, Baltimore
• Franklins Restaurant, Brewery & General Store, Hyattsville
• Frisco Tap House & Brewery, Columbia
• Max’s Taphouse, Baltimore
• SoBo’s Wine Beerstro, Salisbury
• Freddie’s Lobster & Clams, Bethesda

Favorite Restaurant

• Baldwin Station, Sykesville
• Box Hill Pizzeria, Bel Air
• Houlihan’s, Columbia
• Passage to India, Bethesda
• Peter’s Inn, Baltimore
• The Red Star Bar & Grill, Baltimore  

Favorite Bar and/or Tavern

• Buffalo Wild Wings, Statewide
• Johnny Rads, Baltimore
• Pusser’s Caribbean Grille, Annapolis
• Quarry House Tavern, Silver Spring
• Shenanigan’s Irish Pub & Grille, Ocean City

Wine and Beverage Program of the Year

• AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar, Columbia
• Bistro Blanc, Glenelg
• Mr. Rain’s Fun House, Baltimore
• Red Red Wine Bar, Annapolis
• The Tasting Room, Frederick

Favorite Food Truck

• The Gypsy Queen, Baltimore
• Haute Dog Fabulous Franks, Baltimore
• IcedGems, Reisterstown
• Kooper’s Chowhound Burger Wagon, Baltimore
• Miss Shirley’s Café, Baltimore

Voted on by Association Members Only:

Allied Member of the Year – Nominations

• Coastal Sunbelt Produce, John Corso
• The Columbia Bank, Del Karfonta
• Corporate Coverage, Tim Thompson
• Meetlocalbiz.com, Todd Sachs
• MICROS, Henry Pertman

Restaurateur of the Year - Nominations

• Anthony Clarke, Galway Bay Irish Pub
• Bill Herbst, La Hacienda
• Linwood Dame, Linwoods
• Matt Milani, The Rumor Mill Fusion Bar & Restaurant
• Tammy Patrick-Cebula, Galaxy 66 Bar & Grille

Be among the first to know the 2012 Industry Award winners and celebrate the Maryland restaurant industry by attending the Awards Gala in April.  Tickets are $175 per person and include a spectacular cocktail hour featuring food from Restaurant Association of Maryland member restaurants, an extravagant sit down dinner and dancing, all in addition to the awards ceremony.

Tickets are available to purchase at www.marylandrestaurants.com/gala. For more information on becoming a sponsor of this event, please contact Sarah Cunningham at 410-290-6800.

ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES FROM TUESDAY, June 21, 2011 (DRAFT)

Annual Meeting

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

   4:30 p.m.

Restaurant Association of Maryland

Columbia, MD 

 

Minutes

I. CALL TO ORDER and ROLL CALL

Chairman Jeff Owens called the meeting to order at 4:32 p.m. 

II.  ROLL CALL

Chairman Owens asked all members to sign the roll call sheet.

III.  APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Owens asked for a Motion to approve the agenda.

A Motion to approve the Agenda was made by Larry Wilhelm and 2^nd by Lynn Martins.  Motion carries.

IV.  APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

Owens asked for a Motion to approve the Minutes from the 2010 Annual Membership Meeting.

A Motion to approve the Minutes from the 2010 Annual Membership Meeting was made by Larry Wilhelm and 2^nd by Steve Smith.  Motion carries.

V.  CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Chairman Owens thanked everyone for coming today and supporting the Restaurant Association of Maryland during this past year. 

VI.  PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Weston thanked Chairman Owens for his service during the past year.  He noted that this has been a year of great changes at the association and he looks forward to the association continuing to promote, protect and improve Maryland restaurants.

VII.  BY-LAWS

Chairman Owens stated that there are no recommended changes to the By-Laws since the last annual meeting. 

VIII.  REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Chairwoman Lynn Martins presented the slate of new directors and asked that
they come forward when called.  The slate is:  Jeff Heineman, Grapeseed; Wendy Binder, Second Chance Saloon; Brian Boston, The Milton Inn; and Steve Comegys, Xpress Flooring.

IX.  ELECTION OF NEW DIRECTORS

Chairwoman Martins asked for a Motion to accept the slate of new directors. 

A Motion to accept the slate of new directors as presented was made by Steve Smith and 2nd by Norman “Doc” Hayes.  Motion carries.

X.  INSTALLATION OF NEW DIRECTORS

Larry Wilhelm, Chairman of the By-Laws Committee, administered the oath of office.

XI.  ELECTION OF NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Chairwoman Lynn Martins then asked to present the following slate of officers to serve for the 2011/2012 term:  Dan Stevens, Secretary; Eric King, Treasurer; Sherry Giovannoni, 3^rd Vice Chair; Doc Hayes, 2^nd Vice Chair; Steve Smith, 1^st Vice Chair; and John Knorr, Chairman.  Chairwoman Martins asked for a Motion to accept the slate of officers as presented.

A Motion to accept the slate of officers as presented was made by Randy Marriner and 2^nd by Larry Wilhelm.  Motion carries.

John Knorr presented Owens with a plaque in appreciation of his service.

XII.  NEW BUSINESS

Chairman Knorr asked if there was any new business.  There was no new business.

XIII.  ADJOURNMENT

Chairman Knorr asked for a Motion to adjourn the meeting.

A Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Dan Stevens and seconded by Larry Wilhelm. Motion carries.  Meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Frazier Kuhn

 

2012 RAM ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AGENDA

Annual Meeting

Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 4:30 PM

Restaurant Association of Maryland

Columbia, MD

AGENDA

I.           Call to order

II.          Roll Call of Attendees

III.         Approval of the Agenda

IV.         Approval of the Minutes

V.          Chairman’s Reports

                        A.  RAM

                        B.  RAMEF

                        C.  MRHSIF

VI.          President’s Report

VII.         Sponsor Recognition

VIII.        By-Laws

IX.          Report of the Nominating Committee

X.           Election of New Directors

XI.          Installation of New Directors

XII.         Recognition of Board of Directors

XIII.        Election of New Executive Officers

XIV.        New Business

XV.        Adjournment

RAM Member Named One of America’s Top 100 Romantic Restaurants

The Restaurant Association of Maryland announced today that one of their long-time members, the Elkridge Furnace Inn in Elkridge has been named on of Open Table’s 2012 Most Romantic Restaurants, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Over one half of our reservations for Valentine's Day have come from OpenTable and we are virtually booked from opening until close,” said Chef and Owner, Dan Wecker. “I think that it is wonderful that guests can put their parameters into their smart phones or computers and quickly find the type of restaurant and times that work for them.

The Open Table Diners’ Choice Awards for the top 100 most romantic restaurants is generated from nearly 5 million reviews collected from verified Open Table diners between January 2011 and December 2011. All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Each such restaurant was then scored based on its percentage of qualifying reviews for which “romantic” was selected as a special feature.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland website features a dining special section, with information on member-submitted specials for all occasions, including the upcoming Valentine’s Day! For more information, please visit www.marylandrestaurants.com.

Maryland Student Put Their Culinary Skills to the Test for State Competition



Students at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School in Northeast Baltimore are hard at work.  They are preparing for the Maryland ProStart Student Invitational.

It's a chance for students to put their culinary skills to the test and compete for over $600,000 in scholarships.

"I think that anytime you compete, you learn how to work together.  You learn how to communicate.  The opportunity to network with the industry professionals that are judging. We have folks from post secondary and master chefs that are judging those things are life changing," said LaDeana Wentzel, Senior Director of Development and ProStart.

High Schools across Maryland in the ProStart Program square off in the competition.  It teaches students about the restaurant and food services industry.

Students will go head to head in a culinary and management competition.  Students have one hour to prepare an appetizer, entree and dessert with two burners.

They will be judged on product check in, uniforms, knife skills and poultry fabrication, taste and presentation.

"I want them to be able to be proud that they were able to do this competition.  I want our students to be able to say that they had a good experience in High School in their Culinary Arts Program.  Some of the students are not particularly good at sports and this might be their moment to shine," said Patricia Robertson, Culinary Arts Teacher.

The whole process can be intimidating for students.

"I'm nervous and excited.  I'm excited to participate, but I'm nervous to see the different skills that we will go up against in the competition," said Jamia Boulding, a Senior.

"The hardest part for me is the nervousness of going to the competition because I have never been before and I am worrying about myself being ready for my team," said Jermaine Brown, a Senior.

Students take the competition very seriously.  The chefs will not say what they are preparing for the competition.

Jermaine Brown enjoys making desserts and looks forward to turning it into a career.

"I like working with sugar. Pastry art appeals to me and when I prepare my product, I see the expression people get on their face.  It's like pure happiness," said Brown.

Students practice weekly.  It will move to a daily practice as the competition grows closer.

The Maryland ProStart Student Invitational will be held on Tuesday March 13th at the Baltimore Convention Center.

The National Competition will also be held in Baltimore April 27th - 29th.

Original Source: http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/education/students-put-their-culinary-skills-to-the-test-for-a-state-competition

Restaurant Association of Maryland & Members Push To Amend State's Alcohol Tax

The Restaurant Association of Maryland and caterers around the state are hoping to get the alcohol tax amended.

Eddie Dopkin, co-owner of the Classic Catering People tells WBAL Radio that after the legislature passed the hike in the alcohol tax, companies like his learned that it included anything related to serving the drink.

"If you serve a drink at a wedding and you had a bar on a table with a tablecloth and glasses, the law says that the 9 percent gets applied not only to the alcohol served but anything in relation to it. So the tablecloth on the bar, the table you rented for the bar, the glasses," says Dopkin. He does not think the public or legislators understood what the law meant.

Dopkin says it is unfair and not what anybody in the restaurant or catering business expected.

He says its extremely complicated when you are trying to put a bill together for a client.

Melvin Thompson with the Restaurant Association of Maryland tells WBAL Radio that the law has created a lot of confusion for customers and made it really difficult for restaurant owners at the point of sale. He says they are now working with Delegate Shelia Hixson and Senator Nancy King who have sponsored legislation to make the changes.

Thompson says his organization believes this is an unintended consequence of the law and the legislators have been extremely receptive to working with the association in correcting this problem with the law.

Original Source: WBAL Radio (http://wbal.com/article/85813/3/template-story/Push-To-Amend-States-Alcohol-Tax)

Restaurant Association of Maryland Now Taking Nominations for Annual Awards Gala!

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is excited to announce that nominations are now being taken for the 2012 Annual Awards Gala sponsored by McCormick and Company.  The awards honor the Maryland hospitality industry’s best in such categories as Maryland’s Favorite New Restaurant, Chef of the Year, and more.  Winners of these prestigious awards will be revealed at the 58^th Annual Awards Gala on Monday, April 16, 2012 from 6pm to 11pm at Martin’s West in Baltimore.   

Members of the dining public are strongly encouraged to visit www.marylandrestaurants.com/gala to nominate their favorites in each category. Two NEW categories were added this year: Craft Brew Program of the Year and Favorite Food Truck. The nomination period will close on February 6, 2012.

2012 Award Categories:

 RAM Restaurateur of the Year Presented by Payce

RAM Allied Member of the Year

Chef of the Year

Favorite Restaurant

Wine & Beverage Program of the Year

Craft Brew Program of the Year

Favorite Bar or Tavern

Favorite New Restaurant

Favorite Food Truck

Be among the first to know the 2012 award winners and celebrate the Maryland restaurant industry by attending the Awards Gala in April. This year’s theme is “Pirates of the Caribbean”, so be sure to come dressed to impress in your pirate garb; eye patches are encouraged. Tickets are $175 per person and include a spectacular cocktail hour featuring food from Restaurant Association of Maryland member restaurants, an extravagant sit down dinner and dancing, all in addition to the awards ceremony.

To purchase tickets, or for more information on becoming a sponsor of this event, please contact Jennie Silver at 410-290-6800.

Wine, Dine, Speak Your Mind at the 2012 Taste of Maryland Legislative Reception!

The Restaurant Association of Maryland, in coordination with the Maryland Tourism Council (MTC), Maryland Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (MADMO) and the Maryland Hotel and Lodging Association (MHLA), will host the 22nd annual Taste of Maryland Legislative Reception on Monday, January 16, 2012 at the Loews Annapolis Hotel from 5 – 7:30 p.m.

“The Taste of Maryland Legislative Reception is a celebration of the hospitality industry and an opportunity for our members to spend time with legislators.   With the important decisions facing lawmakers this session we want to ensure that our industry’s perspective is taken into consideration,” said Marshall Weston Jr., President & CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

The following is a full list of participating restaurants and their locations which can also be seen at www.thetasteofmd.com/restaurants.

Breeze Restaurant
C & R Pub
Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop
Carrol’s Creek Café
Clarence's Taste of New Orleans
Edible Arrangements
Galway Bay
Harris Crab House
Hollywood Casino Perryville
Harris Crab House
Isaac's Restaurant
Langermann’s

Main Ingredient
Maria's Italian Ristorante
Middleton Tavern
Miss Shirley’s Café
Molly Mason’s
Nespresso
O’Brien’s Oyster Bar
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse- Annapolis
Saval Foodservice
Shapiro’s Café
SoBo’s Wine Beerstro
The Melting Pot- Columbia

The evening will also feature an open bar serving MillerCoors products, wines provided by the Maryland Wineries Association. Food leftover from the evening’s event will be donated to the Maryland Food Bank.

Prior to the legislative reception, several education seminars will be held at the Loews Hotel. Seminars are included with your ticket purchase. Registration is now open at www.thetasteofmd.com. The schedule is as follows:

2:00 – 2:45 Seminar A – 3rd Floor of Powerhouse Building at Loews Hotel “Determining the Return on Investment (ROI) of using Social Media” With Speaker, Jason Cohen, RockIt Digital Marketing

                    Seminar B – 2nd Floor of Powerhouse Building at Loews Hotel “Let’s make a Deal, an effective approach to contracts and vendor agreements” With Speaker, Robert Franklin, Franklin & Prokopik

3:00 – 3:45 Seminar C – 3rd Floor of Powerhouse Building at Loews Hotel “Marketing and Branding your Restaurant” With Speaker, Randy Marriner, Victoria Gastro Pub

                  Seminar D – 2nd Floor of Powerhouse Building at Loews Hotel "Getting the Message Out that Tourism IS Economic Development" With Speaker, Maryland County Tourism Directors Panel

4:15 – 5:00 RAM Legislative Update & Preview of 2012 Session – 3rd Floor of Powerhouse Building at the Loews Hotel With Speaker, Melvin Thompson, Senior VP of Government Affairs at RAM

“Our restaurant members and sponsors understand the importance of this event and we are honored by their commitment to make this special evening possible,” added Weston.

Credentialed media interested in attending the reception should contact the Restaurant Association of Maryland directly at 410-290-6800 or jsilver@marylandrestaurants.com.

Tips for Decorating your Business for the Holidays!

• Consider hiring a contractor for unusually dangerous installations such as locations which require work over large atriums, roof tops and leading edges subject to falls greater than 6 feet from the walking surface. Be sure to obtain certificates of insurance, including a hold-harmless agreement, from a sub-contractor to verify insurance coverage for workers compensation and general liability.
• Refrain from using inappropriate substitutes for ladders, such as an unstable chair or box to reach overhead areas.  
• Electrical fixtures must be UL listed, be in good condition and not subject to damage and or overheating.
• Use caution when selecting the area to display decorative lights. Consider displaying decorations in low traffic areas and avoid creating a trip/fall hazard with light strings and/or extension cords.  
• Be sure to consult with local authorities regarding laws which prohibit the use of live trees in-doors within public places of assembly. In some jurisdictions the use of live trees for display or electrical lights is not permitted.

Questions? Contact the Maryland Restaurant & Hospitality Self-Insurance Fund @ 410-584-8412.

The 12th Annual Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation Car Raffle Fundraiser Has Begun!

The Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation announces their 12^th annual car raffle fundraiser to raise $50,000 for its ProStart^® school-to-career program.  The top prize is a 2012 Audi A3 from Valley Motors, with $10,000 and $5,000 as second and third prizes respectively. 

“This year’s car raffle is a WIN-WIN for everyone involved”, stated Michael Birchenall Chairman of the RAMEF Board of Directors.  “There’s an incentive for people to purchase a raffle ticket because they’ll receive $325 worth of restaurant gift certificates right away – just in time for the holiday shopping season. The restaurants are excited to promote themselves to a pool of potential new customers and keep people dining out in Maryland. I won the car raffle in 2006! Yes, you can win a new Audi A3.”

Thirteen restaurants have teamed up with the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation to make this raffle worth every penny and more.  For every car raffle ticket you purchase, you will receive a $25 gift certificate from each of the 13 participating restaurants – that’s $325 worth of gift certificates that you use as holiday gifts or keep for yourself!  Either way, you can’t lose.

Tickets for the raffle are $300 each and only 325 tickets will be sold.  When you purchase a ticket you will receive a $25 gift certificate from all of the following restaurants (there’s no need to choose, you get them all!):

1. Ruth's Chris Steak House – Multiple Locations
2. DaMimmo Finest Italian Cuisine– Baltimore
3. The Milton Inn - Sparks
4. Victoria Gastro Pub – Columbia
5. The Melting Pot – Columbia
6. The Iron Bridge Wine Company – Columbia
7. Second Chance Saloon – Columbia
8. Brewer’s Alley – Frederick
9. Red Brick Station – White Marsh
10. Baldwin’s Station – Sykesville
11. Galaxy 66 Bar & Grille – Ocean City
12. Sunset Grille – Ocean City
13. Phillips Seafood – Ocean City

Proceeds from the raffle will benefit ProStart^® and the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation Scholarship programs.  The ProStart^® program is a high school culinary and hospitality management curriculum that also requires 400 hours of paid industry work experience in order to receive a ProStart^® National Certificate of Achievement. Students completing the ProStart^® program are qualified to enter the workforce in positions above entry level and are on a fast track to management careers.  ProStart^® is endorsed by the Maryland State Department of Education and also prepares students for post secondary education at culinary schools and hospitality management programs. There are currently over 4,000 high school students in the program in Maryland.

The Marcia S. Harris Legacy Fund, the Letitia B Carter Scholarship Fund and the Co-Branded Scholarship with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation are also managed and awarded through the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation. 

“This raffle provides an opportunity to get 13 gift certificates that you can use as holiday gifts and donate to a charity at the same time.  The best part of all, you could even get something for yourself, a new Audi A3!” remarked Marshall Weston Jr., President & CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland & the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation.

The drawing for the raffle will be held on December 19, 2011 at the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s Annual Holiday Party at the RAM Headquarters in Columbia.

Tickets may be purchased online or by phone at: 1-800-874-1313. More information on the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation and the car raffle can be found at www.ramef.org.

Restaurant Association of Maryland Members Participate in Dining Out for Life

Today only, Baltimore area restaurants are participating in Moveable Feast's Dining Out for Life event!

Moveable Feast raises money to help feed hundreds of men, women, and children right here in our community living with HIV/AIDS, and other life-challenging conditions such as breast cancer. By simply eating out for lunch or dinner today at any of the participating restaurants, at least 20% of proceeds from lunch or dinner (or both) will go towards Moveable Feast. View the complete list of participating Baltimore restaurants for full information.

Thank you to our members who have opted to participate in this event! Find the complete list of the Association's participating members below.

Breakfast:

• Bonjour French Bakery Cafe
• Marie Louise Bistro
• Miss Shirley's Cafe - Inner Harbor
• Miss Shirley's Cafe- Roland Park

Lunch:

• Bonjour French Bakery Cafe
• Clementine
• Joe Squared
• Marie Louise Bistro
• Minato Sushi Bar
• Miss Shirley's Cafe - Inner Harbor
• Miss Shirley's Cafe- Roland Park
• Mount Vernon Stable & Saloon
• The Rumor Mill Fusion Bar & Restaurant

Dinner:

• Alonso's
• The Brewer's Art
• Blue Agave
• Clementine
• Gertrude's Restaurant at the BMA
• Loco Hombre
• Cafe Gia
• Chameleon Cafe
• Giovanni's
• Joe Squared
• La Palapa Grill & Cantina
• Linwoods
• Marie Louise Bistro
• Meet 27
• Mia Carolina
• Minato Sushi Bar
• Mount Vernon Stable & Saloon
• The Rumor Mill Fusion Bar & Restaurant
• Saute Restaurant & Bar
• Sotto Sopra
• Todd Conner's