The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) recently announced the finalists for the 2025 RAMMYS Awards & Gala during an exclusive reception attended by local chefs, restaurateurs, and industry leaders. Among the nominees for “Chef of the Year” is Olney resident Mike Friedman (Red Hen, All-Purpose, Aventino, Fossette Focacceria, and All Purpose Pizza Shop).
In order to qualify, the nominee must be “an executive chef or chef de cuisine who demonstrates consistent standards of culinary excellence. The nominee displays a dedication to the artistry of food and may be from any type of establishment. The nominee must have been a chef for the past five years with a minimum of two years based in the Metropolitan Washington area. The nominee must be a current member of RAMW, or be employed by a member business.”
Olney resident Chef Mike Friedman is a highly acclaimed chef and restaurateur based in Washington D.C. A native of Westfield, New Jersey, his culinary journey began somewhat unconventionally, as he initially earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in American history from Boston University.
His professional cooking career started as a prep cook at Mon Ami Gabi. He spent three years with Rich Melman’s Lettuce Entertain You group, quickly advancing to sous chef within eight months. He then honed his skills at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, graduating at the top of his class.
After culinary school, Friedman worked for renowned chef Jose Andres at Zaytinya for two years before embarking on a global culinary exploration, traveling and eating through Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Northern Africa to absorb various cultural nuances. Upon returning to the U.S., he staged in influential kitchens such as Incanto (San Francisco), Lucques (Los Angeles), Vetri (Philadelphia), and Scarpetta (New York).
He returned to D.C. as Executive Sous Chef at Proof, where he refined his craft under Executive Chef Haidar Karoum. In 2014, Friedman opened his first restaurant, The Red Hen, which quickly became a D.C. favorite and earned him a 2014 StarChefs Rising Star Chef Award and two RAMMY Awards for rising culinary star and best new restaurant.
Following the success of The Red Hen, he opened All-Purpose Shaw in 2016, a “love letter” to his New Jersey youth, focusing on antipasti, classic Italian-American dishes, and deck oven-fired pizzas. All-Purpose was named D.C.’s top restaurant by the Washington Post shortly after its opening. He later opened another All-Purpose location on the Capitol Riverfront in 2018.
More recently, he opened Aventino Roman Cucina and an adjacent AP Pizza Shop in Bethesda in 2023, offering Roman-inspired Italian cuisine. In 2024, he opened Fossette Focacceria, a sandwich shop next to his original All-Purpose Pizza in Shaw. He also launched a temporary Jewish deli concept called Delikatessen out of the All-Purpose Shaw location.
Chef Friedman was recognized as a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2017. He is known for his eclectic menus that offer seasonal, Italian-influenced dishes interpreted with Mid-Atlantic ingredients, and for creating nostalgic dining experiences.
All the candidates can be seen below and voting takes place here.
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Matt Adler, Caruso’s Grocery
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Rubén García Castilla, Casa Teresa
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Matt Conroy & Isabel Coss, Lutece and Pascual
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Carlos Delgado, Causa/Amazonia
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Mike Friedman, Red Hen, All-Purpose, Aventino, Fossette Focacceria, and All Purpose Pizza Shop
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