🧑‍🍳 Who won big at the RAMMYS

What's CITY Talking About?

How One Man Monopolized DC’s Gas Stations

While D.C. is a town where many of its major players are in the public eye, sometimes the people influencing gas prices are a lot less visible. Washington Business Journal’s Mike Neibauer is on today’s podcast with a wild story about a businessman who’s had a monopoly on D.C.’s gas for years. [City Cast DC 🎧]

Trump Removed from Smithsonian Impeachment Exhibit

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has removed references to President Trump after a content review following pressure from the White House to also remove a museum director. The display has reverted to its 2008 form, which says that “only three presidents have seriously faced removal.” [Washington Post 🔒]

Marylanders Experienced Significant Federal Job Losses

Leading the U.S. in federal job losses due to DOGE cuts, about 3,500 jobs were lost in June alone — the largest drop for the state in nearly 30 years. Meanwhile, as Maryland’s unemployment rose to 3.3% in June, private sector jobs increased by 5,200 this year. [Axios]

More DMV Employers Offering Pet Benefits

Companies are increasingly offering pet insurance to attract employees, as about 94 million American households now own pets. Various surveys demonstrate pet owners are increasingly considering these perks crucial for job satisfaction. [Axios]

DC’s 2025 RAMMYs Winners

On Sunday night in D.C., chefs, restaurant workers, bloggers, journalists, and more gathered at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for the 2025 RAMMY Awards, a black-tie ‘do to celebrate the best of D.C.’s culinary scene.

The event, organized by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, seeks to recognize the accomplishments of the people and organizations that contributed to the D.C. region’s restaurant and food service industry. The winners are chosen by an anonymous panel, with the exception of a few publicly voted categories.

Shawn Townsend, President and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, kicked off the event by thanking Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Council for recently rolling back the phasing out of the tipped minimum wage.

Chef of the Year went to Carlos Delgado of Causa | Amazonia, who brought his five-year-old son on stage with him. Suresh Dundas at Daru was named Rising Culinary Star of the Year to big cheers. (Have you had Daru’s black daal burrata? It’s a must.) And Restauranteur of the Year, the night’s biggest prize, went to Laotian chef Seng Luangrath of Baan Mae, Thip Khao and Padaek. Accepting the award through tears, she said she was a self-taught chef and was especially proud that D.C. is home to the Lao Food Movement.

The restaurant industry is always known for being a tough business but a theme running throughout the awards this year was that it’s harder than ever. When the folks at Tail Up Goat won a RAMMY for best Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year, they noted the irony that they weren’t the only restaurant in their category that’s preparing to close. “There’s never been a harder time to do what we do,” they said.

What To Do