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Farmers Fishers Bakers (formerly Agraria, etc.) - Chef Joe Coetze Also Works With Founding Farmers


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So I guess its okay to trash this place now?

I stayed out of the whole debate, but it seems to me that the advice "don't eat at this not too cheap restaurant which doesn't have a chef, but its okay to go for drinks since the guy providing them is known to be excellent" is common sense. Just my two cents.

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Let's not forget that the restaurant is not closed, and could still use the support of all those who professed their admiration for the concept, farmer Bruce, etc....

Exactly! Was it all just a bunch of talk becuase Derek was there? Hopefully the staff keep mixing great drinks and now that they have their chef the kitchen can get rolling.

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While it is true that the patient is not dead yet, one should step back and examine the basics of Agraria's business plan. Putting aside the flaws in the execution, would a rational investor who has conducted adequate due diligence undertake this project? Many of the people on this board, knowing what they know about G'town in general and the waterfront area in particular, would probably advise against such an investment.

The Georgetown area is a mecca for tourists and summer itinerants and students the rest of the year, groups not generally known to possess budgets of the sort that the Agraria business plan seems to require. There are few restaurants in the area that locals frequent, likely because of traffic and low parking availability.

At the waterfront, there are several restaurants that have struggled for years. Sequoia has changed hands a few times and the venue Agraria chose was occupied by a failed restaurant. What is it about Agraria's concept that would suggest it would fare better in this environment, I can't think of anything. I'm not even sure the "farmer" concept is unique in this area as several restaurants pride themselves in sourcing from small local purveyors.

The whole notion that a North Dakota agricultural co-op would recoup an investment of several million dollars in such an environment seemed dubious to me from the moment I heard about Agraria.

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Well, the bar at Agraria is pretty damn awesome, physically, and this is based on my extensive bar research. It's long, it's smooth, it's gleaming, it's seriously sophisticated, and if someone cared to cultivate it and fill it up with rows of smartly dressed people sipping sidecars and tucking into their plates, I am sure this can be arranged. But then again, maybe noone cares about cultivating that type of clientele.

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Four of us went to Agraria this past Saturday night at the suggestion of the birthday girl in our party, who was very interested in farm goods hook of the place, as well as the website Agraria feel and the overall warmth of the interior design. My wife and I parked in the garage just beneath Washington Harbor. That was convenient and set us back 7 bucks.

The place is well done architectually, as others on this thread have noted. The bar is a great space to hang out and the crowd on Saturday night filled every seat and it was standing room only along the rail. I thought the Maxwell McKenzie prints scattered through out the place was an added bonus. His photography is a unique look at the American landscape and goes well in the space. After dinner we took a walk around and the seperate rooms are very nice spaces for private parties. One of the room has a bit of a pre-function area for cocktails before moving into the adjacent dining room. My wife made some notes about the possibilities of our downtown office mates having a holiday function here. During this heat wave, the airflow through the space was very inconsistent. The bar area was very warm, as was the front dining room where we ate dinner. The seperate function rooms however, could have doubled as meat lockers.

We each got an appetizer/salad course and an entree, and we shared a dessert and a selection of cheeses after dinner. Our table was a nicely done banquet with what looked like wicker privacy barriers from the rest of the tables nearby. The sofas on each side of the table were filled with loose pillows to help take away that "I'm really sitting too far away from the table" feeling.

Just having glanced at this thread the afternoon before we headed to dinner, I wasn't sure if the permanent chef was in place yet, and I happened to mention that to our birthday girl as we were entering the restaurant. That made her pause, but we went into the dinner with great expectations anyway.

Of the four appetizer/salads we had, the crab and guacamole mash was the winning taste. A close second was the Beef Carparccio. Those two had the most flavor and were the more reasonably sized portions. Oddly, both of the Caesar and Mixed Greens salads were about a half of a cup mound of greens that were nicely dressed, but seemed very small in size.

Our entree's included the Rib Eye Steak, Sockeye Salmon, Scallops and Grilled Halibut. The fish dishes were served with a mixed grilled veggie medley that were done just about right, but a little on the crunchy side. The steak had mashed potatoes that everyone seemed to enjoy. I thought they were too creamy. The salmon was cooked just right and wasn't over seasoned. The Halibut had a nice crust from the grill but was overdone and just a bit on the dry side. The Scallops were the hit of the table. They were carmelized very nicely, and the sauce of creme' fraiche and caviar was a nice compliment

Our food runner was the same guy each time and he was just winging it. He guessed which app or salad went to whom, and he had two plates down in front of us before we could tell him he had it all wrong. He did the same thing with our entrees. I don't mind someone not knowing who gets what food, but it was almost as if he was trying to make us think he knew, when he had no idea.

Our server was a nice guy and seemed attentive, but he really had no answers for any of our questions that weren't simply re-reading the descriptions off of the menu. I know that we were very easy on him.

The dessert that our server recommended was the Triple Chocolate Terrine. The depth of chocolate flavor was nice without overpowering, and I liked the mint accent. My wife can't take that chocolate/mint combo for some reason, so it wasn't her favorite. The cheese plate was a hit with the two of us that ate most of it, but the cuts of cheese on the plate were very small and when the plate was delivered (by the food runner, again), there was no explaination of which cheese was which. So we waited for our server to swing by and he clearly had no idea, but proceeded to guess anyway. I started laughing after he left and asked our table if we believed him. Nobody did. The cheeses were great anyway.

We made it out of the restaurant for about $80 per person that included a round of drinks before dinner and a bottle of Australian Shiraz from Hugh Hamilton that was very nice with dinner. We then went to the bar for an after dinner drink and our server bought our birthday girl a drink on him. Very nice touch to a nice evening.

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Sunday lunch at Agraria was not cheap, but it was so filling we didn't need dinner afterward, which makes it economical in its own way.

Seriously. Huuuge sandwiches. Charcuterie sandwich, burger, hanger steak sandwich, all served with fries, and all delicious. Plus, I don't know what they put in their iced tea, but as far as I'm concerned it's second only to Palena's. Such a dark brown I thought it was cola at first. But smooth, slightly floral, utterly drinkable without sweetener.

Also, I have never had anything quite like the sweet corn pudding cake. It kind of looks like a cheesecake, but it's much lighter... creamy but not gelatinous... and not even cakey. What it is is delicious.

Get a booth facing the fountain, chill out with a limeade (or eight), and while away a pleasant afternoon. If our experience was anything to go by, you will not have much company, as most other lunchers had chosen to sit outside.

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So it's official now. I begin working as Assistant Maitre D’ and Assistant Sommelier at Citronelle mid-August. Thank you all for your comments. I'm grateful for all the support and feedback I've recieved while at Agraria.

While I know that Agraria has had its share of ups-and-downs, I'm leaving solely to pursue working with an amazing chef and staff, especially Chef Sommelier Mark Slater, at Citronelle despite much speculation about the longevity of Agraria. Many of you know that this opportunity doesn't come very often.

Agraria is a very important project. I know that they face many challenges, all new restaurants do, but none less then changing the perception of the waterfront. With a little support, I'm sure they can. I wish them the best of luck.

The best part? I can now sit back at the bar and enjoy one of those great cocktails and burgers :)

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So it's official now. I begin working as Assistant Maitre D’ and Assistant Sommelier at Citronelle mid-August. Thank you all for your comments. I'm grateful for all the support and feedback I've recieved while at Agraria.

While I know that Agraria has had its share of ups-and-downs, I'm leaving solely to pursue working with an amazing chef and staff, especially Chef Sommelier Mark Slater, at Citronelle despite much speculation about the longevity of Agraria. Many of you know that this opportunity doesn't come very often.

Agraria is a very important project. I know that they face many challenges, all new restaurants do, but none less then changing the perception of the waterfront. With a little support, I'm sure they can. I wish them the best of luck.

The best part? I can now sit back at the bar and enjoy one of those great cocktails and burgers :)

Thank you Derek, for all that you have done for Agraria in the few months that you have been there. From my three visits to Agraria (and my three visits with you), as well as from the comments on this board, I know that you will be missed and that you have contributed greatly to Agraria's future success.

I wish you luck and success as you move a couple blocks north and I hope to meet you again in a future visit to DC.

BTW, your future bottle of beer (barley harvest) is underway in my neck of the woods (I don't grow barley, I just drink it) and your future slice of bread (wheat harvest) and your future plate of pasta (durum harvest) is just a week away.

Farmer Bruce

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We had a meal at Agraria last night, the final night of RW Summer 2006. It's probably still a bit early to make any judgments on the new chef's menu, but here are our first impressions:

The location is a bit odd, I think. Obviously, Sequoia and Tony and Joe's are next to Agraria, but they seem to fit the waterfront atmosphere a bit better than does Agraria. Outdoor dining wouldn't be that appealing to me, I think. But inside, the decor is very nice--subdued, comfortable, yet impressive and chic. The bar looked great--we didn't spend any time there, but it looks like a good place to grab a drink. The restaurant was reasonably full by the time that we left.

Service was okay--a bit awkward, but competent and no mistakes. Our server seemed to struggle for words, was a bit weird, and made a point of calling my girlfriend 'madame' throughout the evening. But he was professional and we had no issues. After the meal we asked for a few details and he struggled to find answers, even after returning to the kitchen. We asked for the RW menu, to review our meals, and a manager promptly (and courteously) brought one over to us. It did seem like there were an abundance of non-cooking, non-serving managerial types about. Does a restaurant need 3 people in business suits (4 counting the guy with the reservation book outside) milling around?

Okay, the food: We ordered off of the RW menu, which had 3 first course, 4 main course, and 3 dessert choices, with their suggested wine pairings for an additional $20/person. The full menu, which they also gave us to review, was not considerably longer--perhaps 6 appetizers, 6 entrees. All of the dishes, from what our server told us, were from the new chef. I ordered Carolina Rock Shrimp as an appetizer, which was good if a bit odd. The dish had substantial amounts of corn that was just slightly undercooked, in my opinion. Plenty of fresh basil was added, and a small amount of sausage, giving the dish a very Thai feeling. My date had a salad, which was competently prepared and had very fresh greens. Mains were a halibut with succotash and lime butter for my date. She was impressed. I had a rib steak, medium rare. The steak was accurately cooked, but very thin and quite fatty. In both cases, the real winners on our plates were the veggies--my date's succotash was, according to her, very good, and the spinach, potatoes, and onions on my plate were really delicious. Desserts were good, too--a malted chocolate cake for me was fine--the cake wasn't anything special, really, but no complaints, and the bittersweet chocolate sauce was delicious. My girlfriend had some type (sorry for the lack of detail, but I was preoccupied with my chocolate sauce) of blueberry roll with a riesling sauce for my date that she enjoyed immensely.

Overall, we had no complaints. Everything tasted very good, and was a good showcase for the fresh vegetables that the restaurant says it is receiving from local farmers. Is the cooking elevated to a level of art, similar to other restaurants in the area with a similar price point? Not yet. Agraria has potential, I think, despite the personnel changes and apparent turmoil. If it survives, and continues to push the ideas that it has about the value of small farming, good things could happen. It would be nice to see more transparency in the menu concerning this--perhaps providing the exact source of the meat and produce that is offered, for instance. We will return--some of what we tasted was interesting enough to come back, and despite a few small quirks in service, out meal was pleasant and fulfilling.

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FYI - Upcoming Slow Food USA event at Agraria (also posted in Media and News):

Slow_Food_Sustainable_Seafood_Gala.pdfFinal_release_SlowFoodSeafoodGala_9.25.06.pdf

ETA the link directly to registration for the event

Just a reminder of this upcoming event on Monday, September 25th at Agraria. The event chefs will be: Chef Robert Wiedmaier (Marcel's), Chef Cathal Armstrong (Restaurant Eve), Chef Todd Gray (Equinox), Chef Ricky Moore and Pastry Chef Robert Underwood (Agraria Restaurant). Hope to see you there!

-Camille

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I really don’t understand why Agraria gets slammed so much. I had an absolutely amazing brunch there last Sunday.

I started with the beet & goat cheese salad. Now, I am not a huge fan of beets, but the freshness of the arugula and the goat cheese was superb! Yes, the dish is a bit cliché these days, but I LOVED the way the tastes and textures complimented each other. superb!! My fiancé got the smoked salmon, which was also yummy and light. Perfect for a warm Sunday afternoon sitting outside, watching the world go buy…. wondering if they knew what they were missing by passing up such a great place.

Then as our mains, I had the omelette. It was kind of puny in size, but the herbs mixed into it and the light cheese sprinkled on top more than made up for the size. My fiancé had the French toast and even without any maple syrup, it was absolutely fabulous! Whoever invented vanilla-citrus bread deserves an award all of their own! YUMMY!!!!!!!

For sides, we had the lamb sausage which I hated. It was overcooked and weird tasting. We ordered the beef sausage as well, but it never came out of the kitchen so I don’t know how it is. We also had a side of potatoes and grits. The grits were WONDERFUL!!!! And I don’t usually like cheese in my grits. But these were perfect!

Oh, and they had one of my most favorite wines in the whole wide world—a Dr. Loosen Riesling (can’t remember the year). This place is alright with me!

OVERALL – A surprisingly pleasant and very enjoyable afternoon in the sun eating really great food. Forget Sequoias or any of those other places down at the harbor. The next time I am there, Agraria will get my business (not only for the food, but I LOVE the concept!). Gosh, I sure hope they don’t close soon……

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If it is any consolation...

I assist the Agraria pastry chef (in a small learning capacity) and soon their will be ShoeBox Oven favorites at the bar. End your meal with some cookies and milk or nibble on some White Chocolate Crunch with your booze.

Inevitable sticky weather before us, stroll down to the waterfront, pass by the tourists, walk into Agraria's open cascading doors, have a drink, enjoy the breeze and relax.

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I hate to say anything that would discourage folks from flocking to Agraria to taste ShoeBoxOven's fabulous treats (especially since we didn't have dessert), but our visit to the restaurant last night was expensive and disappointing. This was our first trip back since Derek left, which is plenty of time for the cooks and crew to settle in, and (except for the possible dessert-based visit) we won't be back. The service and flavor issues were endless, starting with food being delivered (the wrong item and without the utensil needed to eat it) before any beverages, with either underseasoned or overflavored (bitter -- almost angry!) dishes, and with high prices ($32 for two softshell crabs!!!).

Tripewriter was teasing me about being a food snob because of my disappointment with the experience, but I think that we just understand what good food is -- and what it isn't. I love Los Tios, I love Elevation Burger, I love Eamonn's, and I don't think any of those restaurants have any pretensions of glamor. I just don't think that I should have to rave over a "meh" ok meal -- especially when it costs $120 for two, including one cocktail, one glass of rose, and one beer, and no desserts. Sadly, and for all the reasons that have been mentioned before, this restaurant has been permanently scratched off my list.

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I just don't think that I should have to rave over a "meh" ok meal -- especially when it costs $120 for two, including one cocktail, one glass of rose, and one beer, and no desserts.

meh. even at $22 for one, Agraria isn't good. Last summer, when it opened, I recalled a hamburger worthy of Palena and an aviator cocktail, courtesy of Derek, that left me eager to return. Then prices went up and reviews went down and I didn't bother returning until yesterday, when I used a RW lunch to test the current waters.

meh. The beets in my beet salad were beautiful but the whole was painfully salty; my medium-rare hamburger was medium; my fries were hot but not crisp; my chocolate cake had no taste.* I asked my waiter, as he removed the uneaten half of my salad, to let the kitchen know that the dish needed a lighter hand in the salt cellar--the beets and baby arugula were too gorgeous to suffer such humiliation--but I gave up with the burger, eating half (over-cooked and strangely bland, it was still better than the lean cuisine alternative at the office), nibbled on the cake, and asked for my check. The service was good and kind. My waiter even removed the salad and the cake, about which I said nothing, from my bill, charging me just $16 for the burger instead of $20 for the full RW menu.

meh. meh. meh. Agraria, I want to like you, but your food is worthy only of your location.

*Note: ShoeBoxOven was not responsible for the cake. I asked: None of her delicacies were available for dessert.

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From James Beard:
After the success of their first restaurant, Agraria, the North Dakota Farmers Union is opening a second location of the restaurant in Foggy Bottom’s International Monetary Fund building on Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

Really....

"Success" is a portmanteau combining "Sucks" and "Excess."

I'm kidding! I'm kidding!

Rocks

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I planned on taking my wife to Agraria next week for her birthday dinner. After reading all of the bad reviews, I'm starting to rethink. Anybody had any recent experiences at the restaurant?

Normally I'd say "take one for the team," but not on your poor wife's birthday! :(

Citronelle Lounge instead.

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It's funny that you say that, because a little birdy told me that they would be closing some time soon.....

Not only is Agraria not closing, they'll be opening their second location downtown on September 8th, and based on my meal last night, they may be serving the best food in Georgetown south of M Street (outside of the obvious Citronelle, and perhaps Seasons). Russell Cunningham has taken over the kitchen - I believe he was formerly at Dupont Grille - and everything last night (including a braised maple ancho-chili pork belly special) was very good and worth ordering - rest assured, this restaurant is better than anything else you'll find at Georgetown Harbor. The service, patio, beer selection (in my case a draft Peak Organic IPA), and of course my young dining companion - sipping his Shirley Temple and still toting around his 3-D glasses from Journey to the Center of the Earth - all made for a really nice evening.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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I couldn't agree with Don more about the quality of what they are doing. It is a place I've had one of my best meals since moving here, and it sort of amazes me that it doesn't come up more on people's radar. I can't figure out if it's a location issue or something else. I've not been there in a while, but only because I've a small child now, so I've not eaten much finer dining over the last 18 months.

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I couldn't agree with Don more about the quality of what they are doing. It is a place I've had one of my best meals since moving here, and it sort of amazes me that it doesn't come up more on people's radar. I can't figure out if it's a location issue or something else. I've not been there in a while, but only because I've a small child now, so I've not eaten much finer dining over the last 18 months.
I think most people -- including me -- have shied away because we have yet to have anything close to a good experience here and -- until Don's post -- didn't know anyone else who had had one, either...this makes me think warily about maybe giving them a third try, but really, we're not eating out enough these days to "waste" an evening on what we've had at Agraria previously.

Still, maybe the third time will be the charm (particularly if there is a new chef at the helm...).

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I'll add another postive experience here.

My group has a very nice meal here back in January. The Sous Chef was in charge of the kitchen at the time [still a transition of Executive Chefs, until Russell Cunningham came onboard] & frankly we were quite pleased with the meals [talented guy, still there I believe]. Service was a still a work-in-progress at that time [has been an Achilles heal for Agraria in the past], but it didn't hinder the event much at all [just the Event Organizers really noticed and managed]

I'm looking forward to trying Chef Cunningham's food [maybe this Friday]

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Considering their original emphasis on sourcing, I'm a little surprised to see almost nothing on the latest menus to indicate where the ingredients come from. The descriptive text does mention using locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables "as often as possible", but otherwise does a lot of equivocating with terms like "originally" and "inspired by".

No doubt this is part of their comeback recipe (as it should be) but I'm kind of curious how far the pendulum has swung the other way, and what part North Dakota is playing now. Anybody have some insight here?

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I think most people -- including me -- have shied away because we have yet to have anything close to a good experience here and -- until Don's post -- didn't know anyone else who had had one, either...this makes me think warily about maybe giving them a third try, but really, we're not eating out enough these days to "waste" an evening on what we've had at Agraria previously.

Still, maybe the third time will be the charm (particularly if there is a new chef at the helm...).

I had an absolutely amazing experience there back in May of '07 (before I flew the coop to live down here in sunny Florida) and I absolutely LOVED it!! The food was fresh, imaginative..... great atmosphere. I am a huge fan!!

As a matter of fact, that may make my short lists of places to visit hwile I'm home for Chrismas this week. Along with Georgetown Cupcake! yes!! Yummmy!!

But yes, Walrus, I was definitely in the minroty back then..... Unfortunately.

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It's funny that you say that, because a little birdy told me that they would be closing some time soon.....

Not only is Agraria not closing, they'll be opening their second location downtown on September 8th, and based on my meal last night, they may be serving the best food in Georgetown south of M Street (outside of the obvious Citronelle, and perhaps Seasons). Russell Cunningham has taken over the kitchen ....

Perhaps I spoke too soon ... or not. The more things change ...

Agraria has now rebranded itself as Agraria Farmers and Fishers, complete with a new website and menu that's all over the map, trying to please everybody.

And you know what? It might just work. The original Agraria was the right concept, at the wrong time, in the wrong location; the new Agraria Farmers and Fishers is catching the Food, Inc. wave at just the right time, using Founding Farmers as a role model, and is quite possibly going to draw people over from across the fountain. I'm not a fan of "concepts," but this is a much better concept for 2009.

The bar area has more of a "gathering place" feel right now, with DC heading into prime tourist season. Last night there was a mix of family tourists and young, mildly hip patrons, some of whom are probably attracted to the (gag me with a green, plastic swizzle stick) Tiki-bar theme which as far as I'm concerned has become trite before it's really even taken off. This place is about as far from a Tiki bar as a place can get.

Russell Cunningham is still running the kitchen here, even though there appears to be no mention of him, either on the website, or on the menu. The new Agraria appears to be following numerous prominent leads in not "touting the chef," perhaps caring more about being a going-concern and surviving entity regardless of who is running the kitchen. It's not a bad strategy, and has worked for many places (even though I will always value the individual more than the institution, and this website will continue to reflect that).

My general impression about the menu here, seeing many plates arriving over the course of ninety minutes, is that prices appear lower, and plates of food appear bountiful - but from what I could see, there's an emphasis on starches (despite how the menu reads) at the expense of large portions of protein. This is an early observation that may turn out to be incorrect.

Baby Cheeseburgers ($9 for 3) are wonderful sandwiches, despite the meat patties having a circumference not-much-bigger than a Kennedy half-dollar. More nuggets than patties, they came out cooked to a pleasing medium, topped with Tillamook cheddar, a slice of pickle, and "special sauce" which is absolutely inspired by the Big Mac (not in a bad way). The buttered, grilled buns themselves are fantastic, and if you eat these just right, you can get a little dab of meat in each bite. I was surprised at how ample and good the serving of housemade french fries was that came with the three-burger order - it's a good deal at nine dollars.

They seemed to be out of tortillas last night (they use fresh masa), so no Truck-style tacos for me; instead I got a pizza made with American Artisan Salami and Tender Meatballs ($15). Agraria Farmers and Fishers boasts an 800-degree oven, and the crust came out with blisters and decent char, but still managed to be doughy and rubbery. The toppings sounded so good (*) - Creminelli Salami, hand-stretched mozzarella, organic tomatoes crushed into a pizza sauce - but this pizza was light on meat, and should have been much better than it was. It looked good, but just wasn't.

A carryout order of Fall-Off-The-Bone Beef Ribs ($24) was a stingy portion of two long-braised short ribs, served with starchy "whippers" which seem to be Russet-like potatoes, mashed down, and not adorned with too much butter or cream - if you like high-quality, potato-centric mashed potatoes, then you'll like these a lot. A side of yellow squash, zucchini, and red peppers was bland and uninteresting. For the amount of meat this dish contained, it should have been priced at $18 maximum.

(*) My excellent bartender and I miscommunicated when I ordered the pizza; I ordered the Artisan Meat pizza which is a different pie. It didn't much matter to me, so I didn't say anything when the other pizza arrived. When I asked to take half of my fries home with me (the ones that came with the miniburgers), he offered to make a fresh batch with the short ribs, rather than take these back to the kitchen for repackaging. This was a nice gesture on his part, and I left him some extra tip for it.

As for the Tiki-bar drinks, which continue the unwelcome trend of double-digit cocktails in this city (whether they're made with skill or not), I stuck with bottles of Oxford Organic Ale ($6), sold as Clipper Organic Ale on the menu. I'll leave the Singapore Slings for the young, mildly hip patrons, and the overpriced wines for the tourists.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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And you know what? It might just work. The original Agraria was the right concept, at the wrong time, in the wrong location

Perhaps I don't understand what you consider the original concept, but I have been skeptical from the start.

Started during a time when anything but the five crops heavily subsidized by the federal government under the Farm Bill (corn, cotton, rice, wheat & soy which mostly goes to non-foods since cosmetics cost more than tofu) was considered a specialty crop, Agria was a blatant lobbying effort by distant farmers in an under-populated state that depends on a whole lot of money from the Farm Bill, often for the sake of not growing crops.

That means tomatoes, cucumbers, cherries, carrots, onions, broccoli, beets, etc. were specialty crops and the farmers that produced them got nothing from the feds, and dairy folk could apply for low-interest loans to hobble for a couple of years before they were forced to sell everything and go under.

They were here in Washington, D.C., the right place at the right time, so they could influence politicos the same way that Monsanto tries to influence us with radio spots and double-page spreads in Capitol Hill newspapers that proclaim its dedication to sustainable agriculture.

The North Dakota farmers wanted to keep the status quo and don't want to see their shares of the Farm Bill handed over to small farms that actually do practice sustainable agriculture.

From what I heard, Agraria's sense of fresh, seasonal foods had (has?) nothing to do with local*. Never saw their chefs at producer-only farmers markets in the area (or "Agraria" on jackets--if the anonymity is part of the restaurant's concept) whereas one thing that gives this metropolitan region a sense of pride is the fact that our professional kitchens are filled with the likes of RJ Cooper, Barton Seaver, Cathal Armstrong, and pretty soon, Ris Lacoste, again, among many, many others who shop for local foods (plant and animal-based) and don't believe you need to top sandwiches year-round with slices of fresh tomatoes. You wait until the Purple Cherokees get big, plump and ripe on vines rooted in fields under the sun.

If I am wrong about any of this, and I admit I could be, please correct me. This is the first I've heard about the new campaign of Self-Fashioning at Agraria.

*Lots of businesses claim their inventory is local when it is not and get away with it. New Jersey is local for D.C. according to companies based in Arizona.

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The original Agraria was the right concept, at the wrong time, in the wrong location; the new Agraria Farmers and Fishers is catching the Food, Inc. wave at just the right time, using Founding Farmers as a role model, and is quite possibly going to draw people over from across the fountain. I'm not a fan of "concepts," but this is a much better concept for 2009.

Perhaps I don't understand what you consider the original concept, but I was skeptical from the start.

I meant that entire paragraph to be interpreted solely from a marketing viewpoint.

I also know when to shut up and I'm going to shut up now.

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