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This evening, inside the Far West End’s soaring cathedral to beer, Hardywood West Creek, 600 guests arrived for the eighth annual Elbys, the Richmond region’s dining awards, hosted by Richmond magazine and benefiting Tricycle Gardens and its USDA-certified urban farmer program. Guests presenters ranged from the founders of the new Market at 25th, opening April 29, to a living embodiment of a Duke's Mayonnaise jar.

Named after master chef Paul Elbling, who now oversees Richmond's French Food Festival, the Elbys recognize the work of Richmond’s dining community visionaries, staffers, chefs, restaurateurs, producers and beverage makers. This year’s awards ceremony was a look into the future of food, with an Elby award that was created by Richmond-based Big Secret and based on the inside of a Magic 8-Ball toy.

Judges named Saison’s Thomas Owens as Rising Chef of the Year; Brenner Pass was named Restaurant of the Year, and Alewife was named New Restaurant of the Year.

A judge’s comment for Thomas Owens at Saison:

“In the end it was the high level of consistency that put Owens and Saison over the others. Each dish had an idea of what it wanted to be and was executed in a concise way so that the diner could understand it. They not only showcased good fundamental cooking techniques, but they successfully navigated some more difficult ones as well. In my personal opinion, Thomas Owens and Saison was without a doubt the best meal we had.”

A judge’s comment for Brenner Pass:

“A truly distinctive restaurant where you’ll find things you won’t find anywhere else. The sous-vide lamb neck was as tender as the first kiss of spring, its vegetables worthy of center-of-the-plate attention (who knew turnips could lead to ecstasy!), and a gâteau roulé complex in composition but uncomplicatedly delicious to enjoy. BP somehow hews to its Alpine theme while embracing the seasons and the region, producing pretty-as-a-picture presentations and tastes that make you scrape your plate clean.”

A judge’s comment for Alewife:

“It's nice to see Lee Gregory continue to invest in Church Hill, and this time with a Mid-Atlantic seafood-focused concept. It's easy to please crowds with overfished classics that leave a bad footprint, but this restaurant chooses the harder path that comes with trying to do the right thing. A smart choice, too, because it leaves the chef with great material to work with like oysters, skate, trout, perch, catfish and more — everything you'd expect at a Virginia seafood restaurant near the water, but right in Church Hill and looped through Gregory’s creative and clean culinary lens that has made his other restaurants and endeavors so popular and in demand. Don't sleep on the banana pudding either. “

Other awards included:

Culinary Students of the Year: John Bradley and Sam Bausone, Reynolds Community College

Food and/or Dining Community Change Agent — A person who has enhanced the Richmond region through innovative programming or event planning: Ida MaMusu

Most Valuable Staffer — The person in the restaurant who is the glue, be it in the kitchen, on the dining room floor or at the host stand: Chauncey Jenkins, Lemaire

Exemplary Farmer or Producer — Person or entity that is raising quality animals, fruits and/or vegetables and providing superior service to restaurants and/or general consumers: Amy’s Garden

Best Local Product — That local food or beverage product the rest of the nation should know about: AR’s Hot Southern Honey

Neighborhood Anchor Restaurant — This establishment consistently has provided quality food and service, and has served as a community hub for at least five years: Bamboo Café

Food-Business or Restaurant Legacy Family — Richmond is blessed with many families who have devoted their lives to producing great food, restaurants, hospitality and/or community work: The Eggleston Family

Bartender or Bar Manager of the Year — This individual is seen as a leader in the field and an expert in the craft: Lindsey Scheer, Heritage

Beverage Maker of the Year — Be it beer, wine, spirits, cider or mead, this person has a hand in crafting and nurturing a superior pour: Courtney Mailey, Blue Bee Cider

Best Bakery — Uses superior ingredients, produces outstanding creations and offers friendly customer service: Whisk

Best Food Truck and/or Mobile Catering Team — The outfit that knows how to produce for lines of customers and serves excellent fare: Goatocado

Best Coffee Shop — From the quality of coffee served to the quality of its fare and atmosphere, this is the place that epitomizes “Let’s meet for coffee at ___”: Lamplighter Coffee Roasters

Best Global Cuisine — Restaurant, cafe or market that is providing the most delicious and authentic fare of a particular country or region next to traveling there: Temple

Restaurant Employer Honorees: Brenner Pass/Metzger Bar & Butchery; EAT Restaurant Partners and Richmond Restaurant Group

Two hundred local industry professionals, food writers and culinary instructors were sent nomination surveys for the 2019 awards. Category winners were chosen by separate panels that included out-of-town judges and one local judge — among them a James Beard award winner, food critics and editors, roasters and brewers, and other industry experts — who visited in March and April. The panelists visited independently of one another. Judges included Rina Rapuano, a contributor to the Michelin Guide; Red Rooster coffee roaster Tony Greatorex; Matthew Korfhage, the new food editor and reviewer at The Virginian-Pilot; Warren Rojas, a food writer for Eater D.C. and Washington City Paper; chef and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author David Gaus; and Jacques Landry, a Charlottesville-based brewer. Other publication representatives included judges from Edible DC, Baltimore magazine and Northern Virginia magazine.

Event sponsors included Everyday Gourmet, Performance Food Service, Virginia Wine, Graduate Richmond hotel, Woodford Reserve, Reynolds Community College, Keany Produce and Gourmet, TriMark/Adams-Burch, Lyft, Richmond Region Tourism, U-fab, Virginia’s Finest, and Virginia Linen Service.

For a complete list of nominees and more about the Elby awards, see here.