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Againn, Downtown - British-American Gastropub Downtown with GM Romeo Santos - Closed


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Say hi next time!

It is amazing what a different experience we had last night. We showed up at 7 or 7:30, can't remember for our reservation, also used Living Social Coupon and Opentable. They were going to seat us at a two top near the windows, but I asked for one of the open booths right there because I get cold easily and they happily seated us there. Also most the caps people were rolling out as we came in.

Our waiter came promptly, brought me the cocktail list, then took our drink orders, he explained the specials, went through the menu with us. And was just really exceptionally nice all evening. I should have taken his name. He was really a nice guy. We both had cocktails, I had a Pimm's Cup, which was good, nice and refreshing and served in a large cup, I felt it was a pretty good deal, as many of those crushed ice drinks have so much ice and not enough substance, this one was great. I forget what Hubby had.

I had fallen off the gluten free wagon earlier at District Taco, so I decided to roll down the hill too. I had bread from the bread basket, with the country ham and sheep's ricotta starter. The bread was great. I really liked the country ham thought it was a great quality. I also loved the cheese, it was very tasty, smooth, but a little chunky, with a nice subtle taste and just a tiny bit tangy. Hubby and I split that starter and he really liked it too, he normally is pretty boring when it comes to cheese selection, but he liked this one a lot too.

For entrees I had the Shepard's Pie and Hubby had bangers and mash. It was a really hard decision between the shepard's pie and the pork belly with grits. I wish they noted on the menu that it comes with a small side salad, because I almost ordered a side veggie for some greens. The shepard's pie has really good lamb, that is really nicely seasoned. The quality of lamb used for shepard's pie is pretty impressive. I also love the flavor of the chive potato crust. I like the way it gets crispy on top too. I tasted part of Hubby's bangers and mash and man their sausages are good. Really incredible seasoning and spices in them. Waiter stopped by to see how our food was.

I had the banofee pie for dessert and Hubby had the hot chocolate. Mine came out before his, and the waiter came out and apologized that he wasn't sure who made the hot chocolate, so it took a few extra minutes, but would be out soon, which it was. I really liked the banofee pie. It was like banana pudding crossed with a blondie. Simple, but awesome. Hubby really liked the hot chocolate with the mint marshmallow's together. He also raved about the shortbread cookies, he is a big shortbread cookie fan. They happily took the living social coupon, no events. Even the manager stopped by to make sure we were having a nice evening. We had really great service actually. Anyway sorry your night wasn't like ours, amazing that two different groups can have such split experiences.

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Went on Friday evening as I too had a soon to be expiring LS coupon. Service was decent, but we sat at the bar. We started with some HH chips and a 1/2 pint of prawns with a couple of beers from their short and uninspiring list. The prawns were nothing special, just your normal cocktail shrimp. Was I crazy for thinking that they would be head on? Mains were the burger and the bangers and mash. Both were fine, but the caramelized onions that came with the bangers were a bit too sweet for me. I agree that the banofee pie was quite good and the star of the meal, at least to me. The prices for the mains seemed a bit high for what we got, but with the coupon we could not complain. Return? I really don't know.

BTW, if you are worried about bad service as a result of using a LS coupon don't give it to them until the check arrives. According to the fine print you don't have to provide it any earlier.

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Sorry for not placing the specific comments from Ktmoomau and mdt I'll refer to above these comments. I am still a relative luddite when it comes using this interface.

After I read how your experience differed from mine Ktmoomau, I asked my wife to read my original post and your observations. She knew I was posting to the DR board, but hadn't seen it. I was concerned that somehow my actions were wholly to blame for our experience and asked her what she thought. Her observation was that while I could have tried to force a resolution to the problem once we started getting cold at the table, it wasn't like the Manager and her Hostesses weren't aware of the difficulty we were having.

She told me that when she took off her coat and went to ask for directions to the ladies room, the women at the front desk (in her words) 'froze up' as if they were expecting a complaint or confrontation. When she just asked for directionas to the bathroom, they looked visibly relieved, and insisted on walking her all the way through the restaurant to the bathroom door (we had not discussed this event before my first post).

This tells me two things - First, they knew we were unhappy and they knew we were cold (donning winter coats in the middle of a meal - BIG clue). Second, they weren't going to do anything to address our obvious distress unless we demanded they do so. I interpret the query by the manager as her way of gaguing whether we were going to be vocal about our unhappy situation. Once they decided we were not going to cause a disturbance, they made the decision to ignore us and wait for us to go away.

Its that apparent decision by the management, to ignore us rather than seeking to determine what our problem was and address it, that cemented my decision to never go back there. When you tout your establishment as a high end dining destination, and with the Gastropub label and the prices they charge they have done just that, you are also creating an expectation of a different level of customer service. For us, in this instance, they fell woefully short.

I'm glad both of you had enjoyable meals at Againn - I'm just sorry we had a different experience.

TSchaad

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Sorry for not placing the specific comments from Ktmoomau and mdt I'll refer to above these comments. I am still a relative luddite when it comes using this interface.

After I read how your experience differed from mine Ktmoomau, I asked my wife to read my original post and your observations. She knew I was posting to the DR board, but hadn't seen it. I was concerned that somehow my actions were wholly to blame for our experience and asked her what she thought. Her observation was that while I could have tried to force a resolution to the problem once we started getting cold at the table, it wasn't like the Manager and her Hostesses weren't aware of the difficulty we were having.

She told me that when she took off her coat and went to ask for directions to the ladies room, the women at the front desk (in her words) 'froze up' as if they were expecting a complaint or confrontation. When she just asked for directionas to the bathroom, they looked visibly relieved, and insisted on walking her all the way through the restaurant to the bathroom door (we had not discussed this event before my first post).

This tells me two things - First, they knew we were unhappy and they knew we were cold (donning winter coats in the middle of a meal - BIG clue). Second, they weren't going to do anything to address our obvious distress unless we demanded they do so. I interpret the query by the manager as her way of gaguing whether we were going to be vocal about our unhappy situation. Once they decided we were not going to cause a disturbance, they made the decision to ignore us and wait for us to go away.

Its that apparent decision by the management, to ignore us rather than seeking to determine what our problem was and address it, that cemented my decision to never go back there. When you tout your establishment as a high end dining destination, and with the Gastropub label and the prices they charge they have done just that, you are also creating an expectation of a different level of customer service. For us, in this instance, they fell woefully short.

I'm glad both of you had enjoyable meals at Againn - I'm just sorry we had a different experience.

TSchaad

Certainly not an acceptable way for them to act. If the problem what that they did not have any other tables available they could have at least told you that and acknowledged your situation.

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Certainly not an acceptable way for them to act. If the problem what that they did not have any other tables available they could have at least told you that and acknowledged your situation.

I agree. I was in no way saying you were wrong at all, sounds not at all like a fun night and I would definitely be peeved too. Just kind of shocking how different our experience was on one night. There shouldn't be that kind of inconsistency. I also think restaurants should pay more attention to things like sound and air/heat circulation when designing restaurants. Having a whole wall of windows is pretty, but makes for a lot of problems too.

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We arrived on time for our reservation, but the hostesses couldn't seem to find it in their database. I had even brought my email confirmation, but since they couldn't find my name, they 'made do' by seating us right against the outside window on a two-top only partially set. I am not normally bothered by a cool room, but by the time our orders had been taken and my drink had arrived, my wife had put on her heavy coat. I eventually had to follow suit a few minutes later.

What was remarkable was that no-one - not the waiter or the floor manager, who came over right after we were served our entree to "see if we were enjoying our food", seemed to see anything out of the ordinary about our actions. At that point I was so annoyed that I decided not to say anything, but to just finish the meal and leave. Perhaps I should have insisted on another table, but I was concerned that my complaining would just make an unsatisfactory situation worse. I mean, how can service staff not at least be curious when people who have taken their coats off decide in the middle of a meal to dress as if they were going to a football game?

TSchaad

It seems that quite a few of us were at Againn on Saturday night. Like everyone else, we were there to use our LS coupon before it expired. This was our first visit. TSchaad, I have the greatest empathy for you. We were fortunate to not be near the window and yet it was still a bit chilly. I commented to my husband that I was so thankful we were not seated next to the window because it looked like it was very cold and, in addition, the light from the streetlights cast a supernatural, eerie glow over the tables. It did not appear at all to be a comfortable place to dine. I'm sorry that you did not feel that you could speak up. We were there in roughly the same time frame as you and I know there were empty tables around us for quite some time -- seems as though they could have easily relocated you. Over the years I have learned to speak up immediately if I am not satisfied with our table. If I see that we are being led to an undesirable location I will ask before we sit down to be seated elsewhere. I find that if we are clear in our request, there is usually not a problem.

As far as the rest of our experience goes, it was ok, but we wouldn't make it a destination. Our server was a former mortgage banker who lost his company to the economic meltdown, which probably explains why he didn't know much about the beers or the food. I completely sympathize with this man's situation -- he's doing what he has to do. I also applaud Againn for hiring someone in difficult circumstances. Fortunately for him and future diners at Againn, he will be starting a new job in his real field in a couple of weeks. As far as the food goes, I would give it overall a B grade, although my husband might rate it higher. He had the beetroot salad to start and the bangers and mash as an entree. He thoroughly enjoyed both. He gave me a taste of a banger and, indeed, it was very tasty. He had the banoffee pie for dessert and, unlike almost everyone else, he didn't find it all that good. And this is a man who loves sweets. I didn't get a taste, so I can't judge. I had the soup of the day which was a parsnip puree -- I love parsnips in almost any form, but I found this a bit lacking in parsnip flavor, and it seemed a little oily. My entree was the braised lamb shoulder with lentils and greens. The lamb was served in a perfectly round, condensed shape which I found to be quite dry and stringy. I was only able to eat a small quantity. For dessert I had the apple crisp with the salted caramel ice cream. This was the best dish of the night -- just delicious!

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According to their website, the Rockville location has closed. I really hoped this place would succeed, but I guess it just wasn't a great location. It wasn't as visable as some of the other restaurants, and just got lost in the endless strip malls on the Pike. Even that new Five Guys that opened a few doors down seems to be struggling...

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According to their website, the Rockville location has closed. I really hoped this place would succeed, but I guess it just wasn't a great location. It wasn't as visable as some of the other restaurants, and just got lost in the endless strip malls on the Pike. Even that new Five Guys that opened a few doors down seems to be struggling...

wow..so sad.. I still love the one on 11th st for my black pudding..

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Holy cow - I did not see this coming! A sad loss for the area, as Againn provided quality drinks and food in a very nice setting. I balked at the high prices for Rockville at first, but really appreciated their happy hours (especially the later in the evening versions) and lively, mature bar scene (very much lacking in Mo Co). Guess I should have seen a bit coming last week when I stopped in and they only had two beers on tap + the service and food was a bit ropey.

Guessing they just struggled to find a huge audience for the dining room - and Matchbox probably did them in. That place is so big that it draws some many people that they might kill off more than a couple Pike restaurants (just my thoughts and guesses though).

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Got an email from the GM on Saturday afternoon. They are quite closed. Very sad, but he has offered to transfer my scotch locker membership to the new space when they re-open. He said they are aiming for September.

Rockville is so funny to me. You could argue location was against them, but everything on the Pike is basically in a strip mall. People can't stay away from matchbox, but the same location didn't do a thing for PGA Tour Grill. Likewise with the Againn space - people loved Houston's, but it couldn't have been relative to the food at Againn, because it was no contest (to me, at least.)

I'm assuming the Whisk Group will be behind the next opening, so it will be interesting to see what we get.

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One article (Wapo?) said they were hoping to try a new concept in the space.

Post blog item on the closing and brief mention of Whisk's future plans for the space...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-gurus/post/again-tavern-in-rockville-closes/2011/05/27/AGlyuwCH_blog.html

"Despite Againn Tavern’s closing, Weiss has no plans to abandon the neighborhood. He is working on a concept in the same location, though he is tight-lipped on what that might be. “We do have plans to put a different concept there eventually, but it’s a little bit early to fully allude to it,” he says."

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I go to downtown Againn often given that it's close to my office and a nice place to have a lunch-time conversation. The food is good and so if you are in the area, I suggest you try it for lunch. Also, HH is 3-7, which I love because sometimes I do meetings in bars and am always looking for new places to perch.

Now that I'm done selling the place, I have a complaint which I voiced to my server today. Bring Back The Flaky Pie Crust on the Chicken Pie PLEASE!

I love me a chicken pot pie. I do not like Bobby Vans but that place puts out a fantastic chicken pot pie on occasion as a daily special. I loved that AGAINN had a CPP daily. It was yummy until my pie today. Dense, thick bread on top of a sludge of fillings and no broth really. It tasted fine but I didn't like the bread so didn't eat that.

PLEASE!

(we'll see if social pressure works. server said that chef was taking votes).

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Againn update, 1/18/12:

Lost reservation (made and confirmed directly with restaurant by telephone). Food quality excellent, but menu descriptions (esp. smoked salmon, which is a ground patty) misleading. Comparatively decent wine markup (2.5x retail). Table too small for two to enjoy full supper with wine (bread basket had to be placed on the windowsill), made entire meal awkward.

Private Scotch lockers tend toward Johnny Walker Black -- pretty funny! Apparently they don't have a very discerning clientele.

Nice bar, but not a place we'll be heading back to for a meal.

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I went with my brother last week. Second time going for me, and I feel like the food should be good. It looks good. It just isn't that great.

we sat at the bar and ordered the potted pork, which had no flavor, and the scotch egg which was passable. I like that they have Fullers on tap. But that's about it.

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I've eaten there two times in the past two months. The menu changed in between them and I'm told it's changing again. They're going to do a "small plates" format. I hear that's all the rage. <_< Really good appetizer of black pudding with an egg that finishes cooking as it's brought out to you. I also really like the soups. I can't recall exactly but I think I had a corn soup with plenty of crispy bacon bits in it along with a touch of some kind of herb oil. It was very good, it's just that my memory isn't serving very well for what it was, exactly. I'm less impressed with the entrees. I think I opted for a fish special a couple months back that I very much enjoyed. The menu-listed lamb rump that I had on my last visit was nothing to write home about.

I always have to get a seat in the back at this place. Far too noisy up front such that I can't hear anyone I'm dining with.

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I've eaten there two times in the past two months. The menu changed in between them and I'm told it's changing again. They're going to do a "small plates" format. I hear that's all the rage. <_< Really good appetizer of black pudding with an egg that finishes cooking as it's brought out to you. I also really like the soups. I can't recall exactly but I think I had a corn soup with plenty of crispy bacon bits in it along with a touch of some kind of herb oil. It was very good, it's just that my memory isn't serving very well for what it was, exactly. I'm less impressed with the entrees. I think I opted for a fish special a couple months back that I very much enjoyed. The menu-listed lamb rump that I had on my last visit was nothing to write home about.

I always have to get a seat in the back at this place. Far too noisy up front such that I can't hear anyone I'm dining with.

This place was really special when it opened, huh? Now it's just ... sigh. I guess there's no way they could have supported their payroll - they had a formidable cast working a relatively modest restaurant. (Morton, Benchimol, Sergi, etc.)

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FWIW I used a Groupon that was about to expire a couple months back and my wife and I both declared that it would most likely be the last time we ever went. We liked the fried shrimp app and the tomato soup that was on special, but our entrees and the overall cost of the experience could not have been more disappointing. This place is a shell of what it was a couple years ago.

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(Edit to stress that these are only...) Rumors swirling that Againn will be shutting shop next month...

http://www.princeofp...new-york-ave-nw

I actually had a fairly decent visit there last week to use a Living Social voucher. Staff was friendly, drinks were good and the food was OK. Not surprised that they'll close as the larger restaurant group (or aspiration for it to become an actual restaurant group) seems to be toast.

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We had good service there on Friday and I enjoyed the food we ate. I was just sad to see so many fewer choices.

The cocktail program continues to be first rate. I have a friend who comes from NY just to have the Lady Macbeth. The chicken liver mousse and salmon tartare were excellent.

And then the entrees just stumbled. There were fewer, more expensive choices. All the meat options included some type of salsa or hot sauce. We had tex-mex for lunch and didn't expect to encounter those options at Againn.

I don't know that I would go back for a full price meal without the Living Social voucher.

I still miss the Rockville location.

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But it is a tough little center to get to and in and out of...so a restaurant really has to shine above all the competition in the area.  I guess neither Seasons 52 nor Chef Geoff's hit that mark.

Did Seasons 52 close or is it about to?

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My mistake.  Seasons 52 wasn't in that location. They are open.  Who was there between Houstons and Chef Geoff?  I forget.

Againn Gastropub.  We ate there once and said we would never go back there Againn (see how I did that).  The location had nothing to do with the failure of that restaurant.

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Againn Gastropub.  We ate there once and said we would never go back there Againn (see how I did that).  The location had nothing to do with the failure of that restaurant.

Do you remember the opening team downtown (which is now Casa Luca), and my "somewhat cynical" response to it?

I get criticized fairly often for being cynical about Hot New Places, but there's a really good reason that I am, and people forget that I've been doing this for thousands of hours per year, for over a decade.

Not too much conversation these days about Eric Ripert, or Susur Lee, or Michael Mina, or Daniel Boulud, or Todd English, or Alain Ducasse, or Antoine Westermann.

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Do you remember the opening team downtown (which is now Casa Luca), and my "somewhat cynical" response to it?

I get criticized fairly often for being cynical about Hot New Places, but there's a really good reason that I am, and people forget that I've been doing this for thousands of hours per year, for over a decade.

If I remember correctly, the website for Againn's parent "restaurant group" had all these different (non-existent) concepts and restaurant names laid out to sell to people/places/investors -- even when they just had one place up and running. Clearly the doing of a bunch of business focused guys who wanted to run -- a Matchbox Food Group -- before they could walk.

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