Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Argonaut Update

from the Argonaut (1433 H Street):

Darts
Argonaut is now forming dart teams to play in WADA. The season starts January 15th. We are looking for people who can play on either Tuesday or Wednesday nights. If you are interested, please email info@argonautdc.com (or stop by and fill out an application).

Trivia Night
I am looking for someone to help organize and run a trivia night at the Argo. If anyone is interested, please email info@argonautdc.com .

Hiring
The Argonaut is looking for people interested in part-time server positions. We are looking for dedicated and professional people who live in the area to join our new team for 2008. While experience and knowledge of wine and beer is not necessary, it would definitely be a plus. If you are interested, please email scott.magnuson@yahoo.com.

New for 2008!
Big changes are happening at the Argonaut, and if you haven't stopped by recently, please do so!
We have finished making changes to the dining room, the bar area and both bathrooms (although the men's room is not quite finished) and we are in the process of revamping our kitchen.
You can look forward to a new wine menu (created with help from Adam Manson, Wine Consultant from Veritas Wine Bar) and a new beer list (with a lot of smaller, US micro brews). Both the beer and wine lists have a strong organic influence, but don't worry, Booty Beer and some of your other favorites will still be available.
We are also in the process of hiring a new chef, and in the coming months we will have a new food menu that will feature free-range, organic, and/or locally grown products. We'll still offer some of our more popular sandwiches, and of course, the sweet potato fries!
Expect the new menu sometime around the beginning of March, followed by a new brunch menu. (I'd like to thank Teddy Folkman from Granville Moore's who has been offering us his culinary expertise.)

We wish everybody the best in 2008 and look forward to your feedback. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please email info@argonautdc.com .

Thanks,

Scott Magnuson
GM/Owner
Argonaut

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's to hoping the good old hamburger stays on the menu! It definitely has to be my favorite neighborhood bite, especially on the Sunday Brunch.

Mike said...

Scott,

As far as Trivia Night goes, I highly recommend reaching out to Neal Racioppo, who runs Quizzo on Tuesday nights at the Pour House on Pennsylvania Ave.

He also ran a short-lived version of Quizzo on Wednesdays at the Palace of Wonders. I've never learned why it died out, but I've always assumed it had something to do with the fact that it didn't start until 10 PM.

Even if Neal is not available to host it himself, I suspect he could put you in touch with one or two of the regulars from Tuesday night Quizzo who would be able to run a solid game, as well.

Neal's email address is neal.racioppo@gmail.com, or you can find him at dcquizzo.blogspot.com.

Anonymous said...

great news guys. I love the Arrrg, but has always seemed to be missing something. I heard you guys were removing some walls?? And the bathroom downstairs was downright scary. New beers are also huge. Don't get rid of the fooseball table as it is the only one around.

Mosby said...

There are some really tasty choices on the beer menu, particularly the stout (mmmm, roasty). I'd skip the Wild Hops, though. It's just Bud's idea of an organic "micro" brew.

I was disappointed when my Dark & Stormy arrived in a standard glass. What happened to the wavy ones?

Anonymous said...

Mosby - While a lot of them broke in the last two years, many of the wavy glasses grew legs and walked away...(They were provided by one of our vendors, and I can't seem to get my hands on any more of them).
Mike - Thank you for the info on Trivia Night!
C.L. - We WILL be keeping the hamburger on the menu!
The plan is to also have a late night pub menu that will be available all the time and after the regular kitchen closes(I am not sure how late yet, but at least midnight on Friday and Saturday).
Mike S. - The fooseball table is staying!

Thanks for all the feedback! Please let me know if there is anything we can do to improve.

Anonymous said...

Sounds awesome. I can't believe how much has changed since the Argonaut opened. Joe Englert said "the green will grow on you" (re: the color of the building)...Joe, the green hasn't but the bar sure has. Thanks guys.

Anonymous said...

I think this is all a good indication that the Argonaut if doing well! Would they be making all these improvements if it weren't. This is all great news for H Street. Scott, you're doing an awesome job. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

while i really love argo, i just find the new booths rather ugly and miss the pool table. I think the decor has lost some charm.

Anonymous said...

I like the booths, and the hamburgers!

Anonymous said...

damn!

thanks to inked for the forum, and scott for making the ARG! a responsive and dynamic neighborhood hangout (although, i know more than a few suburbanites that frequent the joint).

2008 is going to be the ARG's best year yet!

Anonymous said...

Nice to see the upgrades, especially the bathroom..... not even Larry Craig would have used that bathroom before....

And aside from just the physical changes it's nice to see the willingness to make changes and investments.... that's a terrific thing.

Anonymous said...

mmmm .. sweet potato fries

Anonymous said...

Well it seems that WADA (the dart league) will not accept our application to join the league!! They said that there is not adequate public transportation for the other teams. I guess they don't like taking the bus! So I would like to thank everyone who showed intrest, and if we can we will try to start our own in house league.

Mike said...

Scott,

I applaud your good attitude regarding this setback, and I'm sorry to hear that we're not welcome with WADA.

I really hope that some of the community leaders (ANC Commissioners, Councilmember Wells and his staff, Mr. Englert) hear about this, either from you or by reading it here.

To have an organization like WADA come right out and say that transportation is the reason they won't accept you into the league pretty much says that the Atlas District's existing transportation infrastructure is still considered inadequate, despite what we may say to friends and the press about the X2 or the weekend shuttle (is that even running anymore?).

This development has bigger implications beyond the dart league.

Erika E said...

One small suggestion for the Argonaut: the new booths along the wall are nice and comfy, but they would be even better if there were hooks in the wooden columns next to the booths for hanging coats and bags. It's hard to drape coats on the booths since they're back-to-back.

Meant to mention this last time I was there! The booth made watching the last Redskins game of the season more comfortable for our rear ends, even though the game was painful to watch...

Anonymous said...

Any thought on when Quizzo might begin?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the suggestion about hooks, I will look into it. I dobt it will be a problem

Quizzo, I have had a number of emails with people wanting to help. I plan on having a meeting next week and will email everyone that has shown intrest. Look for it to begin sometime durring the begining of Feb. Most likly on wednesday nights

Anonymous said...

We haven't been in for a while, but I hope the big stack of Pirate & Ship books is still there? They were great for keeping our son entertained.

And improvements to the beer list are much needed -- can't wait to check them out.

Thanks!