RICHMOND, Va. — Over 800 people, both restaurant staff and patron, gathered Sunday night at Main Street Station for the 7th Annual Elby Awards.

The dining awards event, honoring the hard-working restaurant community, is name after Master Chef Paul Ebling, who currently oversees the French Film Festival.

The theme “Fancy Family Meal” was a play on the environment of a restaurant and how it works as a family and a shift meal: the meal before the “family’s shift” for the night.

Awards for the night:

Coffee Roastery: Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Company

Front-of-House Personality: Patti Wright of Pop’s Market on Grace

Global-Dining Experience: Peter Chang Scott’s Addition

Grab-and-Go Food: Union Market

Pastry Chef: Sara Ayyash of Lemaire/The Jefferson Hotel

Promoter of Sustainability: Ellwood Thompson’s

Product or Producer of the Year: Village Garden

The Restaurant Regular of the Year: Greg Gilliam and Richard Stone

Culinary Students of the Year: Grace Dupont of Culinard and Denton Taylor and Caroline Horiuchi of Reynolds

Restaurateur of the Year: Jared Golden and Michelle Williams

Best New Restaurant (Opened between Nov. 1, 2016 -Oct. 31, 2017): Little Saint

Best Family-Friendly Restaurant: Laura Lee’s

Brewery of the Year: Ardent Craft Ales

Classically Richmond: Edo’s Squid

Chef of the Year: Joe Sparatta

Beverage Program of the Year: Brenner Pass

Restaurant of the Year: Dutch and Company

Both Sparatta of Heritage and Dutch and Company celebrated this award as a second win.

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Congrats to all the 2018 #elbys winners, including Restaurant of the Year @dutchandcompany! Matt Ondishko (left) and Michelle and Caleb Shriver. Check out our story for more highlights from the evening. #rvadine #richmondmag #rva

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Hosts Susan Winiecki and Juan Conde recognized industry figures who passed away over the year; 2014 Elby Legacy Award-recipient Hollister Lindley and Michelle Turner, co-owner of Cafe Rustica.

New awards this year included Global Dining Experience and Restaurant Regular of the Year. Peter Chang on accepting his award promised more to the Richmond Dining Scene.

Restaurant Regular winners, Greg Gilliam and Richard Stone, wore shoes emblazoned with the letters of their regular ‘haunt’ L’opossum embroidered on the top.



“It’s absolutely incredible to be the first two non-industry winners. We could not have done it without the support of all the restaurant friends, and I certainly hope our speech paid them back for everything they have done for us! We heard excellent reviews on the food from everyone…the mac and cheese was the shining star,” Stone said.

Sixty-five industry professionals, food writers, and culinary instructors submitted nominations for the 2018 awards and out-of-town culinary judges visits the nominations in January and February to make the award selections.

Tickets to the event are open to the public and proceeds benefit the nonprofits Shalom Farms, Tricycle Gardens and the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Project.