AGAINN, New Modern Gastropub to Open

Courtesy photo "I am extremely excited to be back in the diverse food town of Washington, DC, working among so many talented chefs," said Chef Wesley Morton.

Whisk Group LLC partners Mark Weiss and Bahar Makinaci have appointed Wesley Morton as Executive Chef of AGAINN, the new 140-seat British-inspired gastropub opening near Mt. Vernon Square in October.  
 
Morton's menu will offer a modern twist on traditional pub cuisine, focusing on organic, sustainable, locally-produced ingredients and family-style dining.
 
Prior to joining AGAINN, Chef Morton served as executive chef of the Alden-Houston hotel's award-winning restaurant, *17, in Houston, Texas, earning glowing reviews, including four out of five stars from the Houston Chronicle in 2008.  *17 was also named one of the best new restaurants in America by John Mariani in Esquire.
 
Chef Morton's career includes formative experiences on both coasts.  
 
From 2006 to 2008, he served as sous chef in restaurant Navio at Northern California's only AAA Five-Diamond resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. No stranger to the DC food scene, Chef Morton spent three years in two of Washington's most prestigious kitchens:  Citronelle under the tutelage of Chef Michel Richard from 2004 to 2005, and then at Circle Bistro from 2005 to 2006.  
 
Additionally, he staged in some elite restaurants including CityZen in Washington and Thomas Keller's renowned French Laundry in Napa Valley.  He worked from 2002 to 2004 in California as a tournant at Domaine Chandon where he was introduced to the five kitchen stations, and it was here that he truly fell in love with the culinary scene.  A native of Louisiana, Morton graduated from the New England Culinary Institute in 2001.
 
"I am extremely excited to be back in the diverse food town of Washington, DC, working among so many talented chefs," said Chef Morton. "I'm looking forward to incorporating ingredients from the Mid-Atlantic's bounty of local farmers and putting my own stamp on the menu at AGAINN."
 
In preparation for opening AGAINN, Morton has been exploring Pennsylvania and Shenandoah Valley family farms, searching for the highest quality ingredients.  By forging new relationships directly with farmers, he is able to source sustainably-raised lamb and beef along with pasture-raised heritage breed chicken and pork.
 
"Our chicken and some of our meat will be certified humane through the Certified Humane Raised and Handled program, which is beyond organic. Hopefully in the future we can encourage more farms to support this program," said Chef Morton. "The end product of this kind of farming truly speaks for itself."
 
Among the dishes Morton has planned for the menu at AGAINN are his interpretations of Shepherd's Pie; Ale-battered Fish & Chips with gribiche sauce; Cumberland Bangers & Mash; Grilled Amish Country Aged Cheddar Sandwich with Scallions and chips; Welsh Rarebit; Smoked Fish Cakes with lemon-horseradish cream; and Oysters Kilpatrick.  Prices will range from $9 to $25.
 
AGAINN is owned and operated by The Whisk Group LLC and will be open for lunch and dinner daily.  For reservations or additional information please call (202) 297-0601 or visit www.againndc.com.