Yesterday we threw together a list of the people in the District we considered influential, taking after a similar annual list put together by GQ that compiles the movers and shakers on the federal side of the city. One of our nominees was Dorothy Brizill, a well-known civic activist and political gadfly who runs DC Watch, the closest thing we have to a citizens’ inspector general. And as we expected, last night she offered us…

Welcome to this week’s Feed, coming to you from Albuquerque, N.M.! This Feed will be a little more free flowing than usual. Why? I’m sitting on the patio, drinking a Fat Tire, enjoying the dry climate, and looking out on Sandia Peak. I just wanted to rub it in. 2007 RAMMYs To Feature Snakes That’s what “Black Tie and Boas”—the theme of this year’s RAMMY awards dinner—means, right? Tuxedos and Anacondas? Seems like a bad…

Written by DCist contributor Gayle Putrich We might get the shaft in Congress, but there is at least one place your vote counts, Washington: the 2007 Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington Awards; the Associations 25th (Happy Anniversary!). Of the myriad categories for the annual awards, affectionately known as the RAMMYs, three are determined by vox populi from a list of nominees. There’s also a write-in free-for-all for the “People’s Favorite,” where you just type the…

D.C.’s 2007 Taste of the Nation to support “Share Our Strength” was held last night at the Washington Hilton Hotel to raise funds to combat childhood hunger in our region. The event featured over 70 restaurants, chefs, and distributors from the D.C. metro area who all came out to support the cause and glad hand with their fans. An estimate of a whopping 1200 people showed up for good food, drinks, company, and a noble…

Written by DCist Contributors Gayle S. Putrich and Mike Roscoe Awards season: long gone in Hollywood; just getting started for D.C.’s restaurants. If you don’t believe us, just ask Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s, and the forthcoming Majestic. Armstrong has been named a contender for two awards in as many days: Best Mid-Atlantic Chef from the James Beard Foundation on Monday and now Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington….

Back to the feeding trough, all. After spending a weekend in the beautiful and delicious Bay Area, it’s nice to be back to the reality of dirty campaigning, impossible political prognostications, and the constant braying that the turrists are going to blow us up. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t love it… Restaurants in Anacostia? Is it time to put a sit down restaurant in the middle of Anacostia? That’s the question Washington Business…

Amid alcohol, music, rain, and a little glam rock style, the 2006 Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington awards — a/k/a the RAMMYs — were handed out last night at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Woodley Park. Fabio Trabocchi’s Maestro took home the Best Picture equivalent by winning the award for top Fine Dining Restaurant in the D.C. area, while tapas king Jose Andres earned Chef of the Year honors. Among the other victors were…

International Wine and Food Festival Those of you who intend to hit the 7th Annual Washington D.C. Wine & Food Festival this Saturday and Sunday at the Omni Shoreham may want to come up with a strategy before you arrive. With 1,200 wines from more than 280 wineries to sample and chef appearances aplenty, walking in will be like stopping by Target or Wegman’s without a list, just to pick up a few things….

Taming persnickety phyllo dough is the bane of many home cooks, but Zaytinya chef Abdel Hashhoush makes it look so easy. “Yes, brothers and sisters, yes?” Hashhoush asked the enthusiastic crowd several times while rolling out and flipping 24 gigantic paper-thin sheets of phyllo separated by tons of cornstarch — the secret to keeping it unstuck — on a rickety folding table at the Penn Quarter FRESHFARM market on Thursday night. His able “assistants,” Zaytinya…

No Rammies, No Rammies, STOP This week is mostly going to be about the Rammies. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington has released its nominees for its annual Rammy awards, setting the whole Washington area atwitter with speculation about who will win and who will be the sorest loser come the award ceremony in June. There are a lot of powerhouses on this list, which we delve into a little more after the jump, and…