Review 2010 Fall Dining Guide By Tom Sietsema Sunday, October 17, 2010 Patrons leave Washington for London when they stroll through the door of the area's most dashing gastro pub, with its faux fox heads, dark leather seats and personalized Scotch lockers. Againn (pronounced ah-GWEN) doesn't just look the part of a pub across the pond: It tastes like the real deal, too. Black pudding (that's blood sausage, mate), topped with a sunny egg and set on a mash of onions, proves lusty eating. A shepherd's pie of lightly browned mashed potatoes paved over ground lamb leg braised with beer and bolstered with rosemary, anchovy paste and sofrito gives that typical dish of leftovers a fresh spin. New to chef Wes Morton's fall menu is terrific boudin blanc arranged on silken pureed potatoes that bring aligot, that rich French whip of spuds and cheese, to mind. The fish sandwich is a crumbly mess of cod mousse and salmon belly. Better are fish and chips. Even finer is whole roast branzino, its snowy flesh flattered with lemon and herbs. Beer is the obvious quaff of choice, except on Mondays and Tuesdays, when Againn offers all of its bottles for half-price.
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