Local Individuals, Businesses Nominated For Annual Awards

OCEAN CITY — The Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) on Thursday announced the nominees for its annual Stars of the Industry Awards, and the resort area is once again well represented on the list.

RAM officials announced the finalists for its 2014 awards, which will be announced at a special Away at the Bay Awards Gala at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge on April 6. For the last several years, Ocean City has been well represented on the annual list of nominees in several categories and have brought home more than their fair share of awards.

Ocean City’s restaurants and bars and hospitality community have gone up against some of the heavyweights in the industry from the western shore in recent years and have held their own in the voting and brought home many of the top honors. This year should be no different with several resort area restaurants and hospitality leaders on the list of nominees in several categories.

In the Chef of the Year category, Chef Travis Wright of the Shark on the Harbor in West Ocean City joins a list of prominent nominees on the ballot this year. Wright is joined on the list by Michael Matassa of Alchemy in Baltimore, Jordan Lloyd of the Bartlett Pear Inn in Easton, Jean-Louis Evennou of Café Normandie in Annapolis, and Brigitte Bledsoe of Miss Shirley’s Café in Annapolis and Baltimore.

In the Favor Bar or Tavern category, Ocean City’s own Seacrets heads the list and is joined by the Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille, with the original location in Ocean City, a location in West Ocean City and other locations all over the state. Also on the list is Brew River in Salisbury, Nottingham’s in Columbia and Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore.

Tammy Cebula of the Galaxy 66 Bar and Grille and the Skye Bar in Ocean City is on the list of nominees for Restaurateur of the Year. She is joined by a prestigious list of nominees including Joe Barbera of AIDA in Columbia, Brian Boston of the Milton Inn, Wendy Binder and Declon Wood of the Second Chance Saloon in Columbia and Steve Newton of Mission BBQ statewide.

Fager’s Island is among the five nominees for Craft Brew Program of the Year. Ocean City also has two nominees for the state’s Hospitality Hall of Honor this year including B.J.’s on the Water and the Bayside Skillet-Crepe and Omelette Place. Voting is open from Monday, Fe. 17 through March 7 at www.marylandrestaurants.com/gala