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.

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 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.

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

 

Barbeque Tips: Labor Day Edition

The unofficial end of summer is upon us as our days of hanging by the pool, beach vacations, and barbeques come to a close. While one third of consumers are expected to be restaurant patrons this Labor Day weekend, plenty others are preparing for barbeques and parties, it is important to keep food safety tips in mind. Below are some grilling tips so that everyone has a safe and pleasant holiday weekend.

• Wash your hands! Before you begin preparing hamburger patties and chicken, make sure that you wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before touching any meat. Your hands are the number one culprit for spreading dirt and bacteria when working with food.
• Avoid cross contamination! Make sure that you don't use the same plate to prepare hamburger patties and then cut up fruit without washing the plate in hot soapy water first. Bacteria can easily spread from raw meat or poultry to your cooked or ready-to-eat food. Make sure to use separate utensils when preparing and eating your food. Knives should also be cleaned and sanitized between uses. 
• Cook food thoroughly! When it's time to grill, be sure to have your food thermometer ready! Always use it to check that your food is cooked all the way through. Ground meats must be cooked to an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Poultry must be cooked to 165 degrees F; steaks, fish and chops must be cooked to 145 degrees F.
• Don't leave food outside too long! It may be tempting to set up for your barbeque early, but would you really want to eat something that's been sitting outside for 3 or 4 hours? Hot food should be kept at a temperature of 135 degrees F or above; use an insulated container to keep food hot before serving. Cold food should be kept in the refrigerator or cooler at a temperature of 41 degrees F or below. If food has been sitting out for 4 hours or longer, it's time to discard that dish. Bacteria on food can multiply rapidly often leading to foodborne illness. Better to be safe than sorry!

The information above is taken from the ServSafe® 5th edition course book, created by the National Restaurant Association. The Restaurant Association of Maryland partners with the National Restaurant Association to teach the ServSafe food safety certification program to restaurants and other foodservice operations in Maryland. Since 1994, the Restaurant Association of Maryland has trained over 50,000 foodservice employees through its Education Foundation.

Restaurant Association of Maryland Invites Restaurant Operators to Participate in Foodservice Industry Survey!

 

Restaurant Association of Maryland Announces 2011 Stars of the Industry Awards Nominees

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is excited to announce the finalists for the highly anticipated 2011 “Stars of the Industry” Awards sponsored by McCormick and Company  The awards honor the Maryland hospitality industry’s best in nine different categories. Winners of these prestigious awards will be revealed at the 57^th annual “Stars of the Industry” Awards Gala on Monday, May 16, 2011 from 6pm to midnight 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. Voting will continue until April 8, 2011.

2011 Award Nominees:

Voted on by the Dining Public:

Maryland’s Favorite New Restaurant (open 2 years or less)

• The Grille at Peerce’s, Phoenix
• Bridge’s Restaurant, Grasonville
• Langermann’s, Baltimore
• B&O American Brasserie, Baltimore
• Againn Tavern, Rockville

Chef of the Year

• Ian Campbell, Bistro Poplar
• Patrick Morrow, Bluegrass Tavern
• Quanta Robinson, Black’s Bar & Kitchen
• Tim Mullen, Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel
• Brian Boston, Milton Inn

Pastry Chef of the Year

• Susan Limb, Praline Bakery & Bistro
• Isaiah Billington, Woodberry Kitchen
• Rita Garruda, 8407 Kitchen Bar
• Bettina Clair, Blue Hill Tavern

Favorite Restaurant

• Lewne’s Steakhouse, Annapolis
• Casey Jones, Waldorf
• Ryleigh’s Oyster Bar, Baltimore
• Sunset Grille, Ocean City
• Dutch’s Daughter, Frederick

 Favorite Bar and/or Tavern

• Harborside Bar & Grill, Ocean City
• MaGerks Pub & Grill, Baltimore
• Looney’s Pub, Maplelawn
• Fish Tales, Ocean City
• Pickles Pub, Baltimore
• Tark’s Grill, Lutherville

 Wine and Beverage Program of the Year

• Mrs. K’s Tollhouse, Silver Spring
• Galaxy 66 Bar and Grille, Ocean City
• Victoria Gastro Pub, Columbia
• Redwood Restaurant & Bar, Bethesda
• 13.5% Wine Bar, Baltimore

 Green Restaurant of the Year

• The Crab Shanty, Ellicott City
• Brick Ridge Restaurant, Mount Airy
• The Rockfish, Annapolis
• Ricciuti’s, Olney

Voted on by Restaurant Association of Maryland Members Only:

Allied Member of the Year – Nominations

• Total Image Graphics, Jeff McCabe
• Coastal Sunbelt Produce, John Corso
• Payce Payroll, Brian Pfeifer
• Electronic Systems Services (ESS), Michael Tash
• Business & Commercial Ventures, Jerry Blumenthal

Restaurateur of the Year - Nominations

• Joe Barbera, AIDA Bistro
• Billy Carder, BJ’s on the Water
• Qayum Karzai, The Helmand
• Jeff Heineman, Grapeseed Bistro
• Karen Murray, TJ’s of Calverton

Be among the first to know the 2011 Stars of the Industry award winners and celebrate the Maryland restaurant industry by attending the Awards Gala in May.  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.

2011 Maryland ProStart Student Invitational Winners Announced!

Washington County & Baltimore County Students to Represent Maryland in National Competition

1st Place Winners in the Culinary Competition Program: North Hagerstown High School 

 Maryland’s top culinary and hospitality management students from 22 high schools across the state competed yesterday in the Maryland ProStart Student Invitational (MPSI), hosted by the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation. Students competed for over $1,400,000 in college and continuing education scholarships and the opportunity to represent the State of Maryland at the National ProStart Invitational in Overland, KS in April 2011.

“Each of the students that competed in yesterday’s competition is to be commended for their commitment to their craft. The culinary arts and hospitality management are intense and highly skilled professions and these students took another step forward into a successful and rewarding career in the restaurant and hospitality industry,” said Marshall Weston Jr., President & CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland and Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation.

A panel of 40 national and local foodservice professionals judged the students in both culinary and management competitions. Students trained for months to practice the preparation and execution of an appetizer, entrée and dessert, which they created from scratch in only one hour. All food was cooked with only two butane burners as heat sources, with no electricity or battery operated equipment allowed.

Judges scored participants on proper food safety and sanitation procedures, cooking methods, food taste, teamwork and menu difficulty. In the management competition, student teams presented judges with a business proposal for a new restaurant concept, developed prior to the event. Teams prepared a comprehensive written proposal, visual display and presented their concept to a panel of judges, who acted as potential investors in their new concept.

The winners of the 7th Annual Maryland ProStart Student Invitational:

Culinary Competition Winners   
1st Place:  North Hagerstown High School (Washington County)
2nd Place:  Reservoir High School (Howard County)
3rd Place: Glenelg High School (Howard County)

Management Competition Winners
1st Place:  Carver Center for the Arts (Baltimore County)
2nd Place:  Western School of Technology (Baltimore County)
3rd Place: Howard County Applications and Research Laboratory (ARL) (Howard County)

“Thanks to the generosity of our industry and its supporters, these students will have the opportunity of a lifetime at their fingertips,” said Michael Birchenall, chairman of the RAMEF board of directors.  “This was truly a statewide competition and I couldn’t be more proud of North Hagerstown High School and the Carver Center for the Arts for coming out on top.”

Also honored at last evening’s awards dinner at the Baltimore Convention Center, was the ProStart Teacher of the Year for the State of Maryland.  Laura Safrit, Culinary Arts Teacher at the Rising Sun High School will be honored by the National Restaurant Association at their annual trade show in Chicago, IL this upcoming May in addition to being recognized at the 2011 Stars of the Industry Awards hosted by the Restaurant Association of Maryland at Martin’s West on May 16^th. 

The Maryland ProStart Student Invitational is made possible by Platinum Scholarship Sponsor: McCormick and Company, Inc., Awards Dinner Sponsor: Centerplate, Culinary Competition Sponsor: Saval Foodservice, Management Competition Sponsor: Anne Arundel Community College, Scholarship and Official Seafood Sponsor: Whole Foods Market.  Baltimore International College is the National Team Sponsor and will help pay the expenses necessary to send both teams to the National ProStart Invitational.

Nominations Now Being Taken for 2011 Stars of the Industry Awards Gala!

The Restaurant Association of Maryland will host the 57th annual Stars of the Industry Awards Gala on May 16th at Martin's West. The Stars of the Inudstry Awards Gala recognizes excellence in the restaurant and fooservice industry, and commitment to the community. Tell us who you think should win by nominating an outstanding industry professional online today!

Nominations are being taken in the following categories:

• Restaurateur of the Year (Voted by Membership)
• Allied Member of the Year (Voted by Membership)
• Chef of the Year
• Pastry Chef of the Year
• Favorite Restaurant
• Wine & Beverage Program of the Year
• Favorite Bar & Tavern
• Favorite Caterer
• Maryland Favorite New Restaurant
• Maryland Green Restaurant

Please submit your nominations by Friday, February 11, 2011 at the latest. Only one nomination is needed to place the organization or person as a nominee. The nominee finalists will be slected by a committee of distinguished hospitality industry leaders. The final ballot will be available for online voting in March 2011 at www.marylandrestaurants.com/gala.

For event and ticket information, please contact Jennie at 410.290.6800 or email jsilver@marylandrestaurants.com.