Awards & Recognition

On behalf of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, Restaurant Associates has been selected as the Big Apple Award Honoree, celebrating your lasting impact on the NYC Restaurant Community.

NYATEP Business Leadership Award  (New York Association for Training & Employment Professionals) Winner

1906 at Longwood Gardens wins Best of Year Award for Fine Dining Architecture

1906 at Longwood Gardens recognized by Time Out as one of Philadelphia’s 25 Best Restaurants.

Forbes Travel Guide’s Inaugural Luxury Air Travel Awards: Best U.S. Airline Lounge: JFK Delta One Lounge

Longwood Gardens recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Greatest Places in the World in 2025.

The Farmhouse Bistro at the Crossvines was rated as #9 Best New Restaurant in the US by USA Today.

Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi nominated as a semifinalist for a James Beard Award® for “Best New Restaurant”.

Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi ranked #1 on The New York Times “New York’s 12 Best New Restaurants of 2023” where Pete Wells names his favorite arrivals in a year when bigger dining rooms and big-name chefs came back in force.

Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi ranked #1 on The New York Times “The 100 Best Restaurant in NYC” 

R/A concept, LaChino named the winner of the 2023 FM Best Concept Award in the Best Menu Concept category.

Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi receives 3 Stars in it’s New York Times Restaurant Review.

CEO Ed Brown honored at C-CAP’s annual benefit for his 30+ year partnership

Annual Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards “Best Places To Work” In 2021

The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities awarded R/A with the 2021 Customized Employment Award for our commitment to inclusion and diversity in the workforce by expanding employment opportunities for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities. 

Best Station Concept, 2020: Cooks Corner

R/A was honored in November 2019 from NYC Mayor’s office for their work with Hot Bread Kitchen (HBK), a nonprofit social enterprise that creates economic opportunity through careers in food through their culinary training

R/A was recognized with the Compass Group Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award, 2019

Albert Lukas, Supervising Chef for the Washington, D.C. region, is a James Beard Award finalist for the Sweet Home Cafe Cookbook, 2019

Numerous accolades and press for R/A’s service in U.S. Open Tennis 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020

Jerome Grant, Executive Chef, Sweet Home Café is a James Beard Award Semifinalist, Best Chef Mid-Atlantic 2019

Best New Facility, 2019: Capital One M2 Café

Best of Show, 2019: Citi Three Eighty Ate Café

CIA – New York Craft Beer Competition and Governor’s Cup (held by the New York State Brewers Association) Awarded The Brewery:
– 2019 New York State Brewery of the Year award!

Wedding Wire Couple’s Choice award, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014

Sweet Home Café

• Semifinalist for James Beard Award, 2017

• Jerome Grant Semifinalist for James Beard Award, Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic, 2018, 2019

• Albert Lukas Finalist for James Beard Award, Best Cookbook, 2019

Winterthur Museum & Country Estate

• Recognized by The Knot (and voters) as the Best of Weddings Winner, 2019
• Listed among the best 20 museum wedding venues in the country, 2015.

Best Menu, 2018: Not Junk Food

R/A received the first annual award from JOBPATH in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), celebrating Developmental Disability Awareness Month, March 2017.

Best Menu, 2017: Sweet Home Café, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture

Capital One, Richmond VA – B&I Culinary Innovator of the Year at West Creek Campus (RA also recognized), January 2016.

Capital One, Richmond VA – Best corporate cafeteria by Richmond Magazine, August 2014.

CIA – New York Craft Beer Competition and Governor’s Cup (held by the New York State Brewers Association) Awarded The Brewery:

• Gold medal in the Wheat Beer category for Mise en Place Wit
• Gold medal for Class Project for Br-Br-Br-Brown Ale
• Top 10 list of Best Campus Dining Programs (#5), October 2016

Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston

• Formerly known as Bravo, 465 Bar and Restaurant is a newly renovated space and menu located in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has received tremendous praise. Please visit our RAX page to learn more!
• Best of Boston Award for Best Museum Venue, 2016

Best Menu, 2015: Tiffin

OpenTable Diners’ Choice Awards, 2015.

Chef Rodolfo Contreras was awarded the Jefferson Evans Award for Culinary Excellence by BCA Global, 2014.

Chef Billy Strynkowski and RA recognized by The Wall Street Journal for their work in foodservice at the U.S. Open Tennis, 2014.

Best in Show, 2014: Multiple concepts included including Super Salads, Bird, Bulgogi and World Taco

Hearst’s Café 57 – Named as “The Most Tantalizing Office Cafeteria” by Ed2010, an independent website about magazine culture, February 2014.

Best Menu, 2013: Paninoteca