An interview with Scott Magnuson and Shaaren Pine of the Argonaut. By Julia Christian.

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Scott Magnuson and Shaaren Pine, owners of the soon-to-reopen Argonaut at 1433 H St, NE to find out a little more about them and to get the scoop on what we can all expect from the new and improved Argonaut.

Julia: The Argonaut was one of the first new restaurants to open as part of the H Street NE revitalization. What has it been like operating a business throughout a streetscape project?

Shaaren: We’re really lucky in that most of our patrons live in the community (and therefore walk to us). The construction didn’t seem to have much of an impact during the week (when most of our regulars come) and there’s no way to guage the impact on our weekend business because almost as soon as construction around the building was complete, we had the fire. It wasn’t easy, but we held on to the idea that it’ll be amazing when it’s done. And sure enough, the wider sidewalks, new grass, new lights, new starburst – the wait was truly worth it.

Julia: As you mentioned, the Argonaut suffered a fire last June. And here we are, on the eve of your re-opening. Tell me a little bit about how you were able to stay open during the re-construction process–which must have been rather challenging.

Shaaren: We, quite literally, were only able to stay open because of the support of the community. It’s almost impossible to convey, but I can give you a couple of highlights. The community raised $10,000 for our staff; donated kitchen equipment, bought t-shirts, painted murals; and (in an unprecedented show of support for a restaurant) helped us secure a temporary tavern license (in order to continue to operate). The list goes on and on and it is, in a word, humbling.

Julia: In November, the community voted for you to win the Hilly Award for Bar/Tavern of the Year. In December, you made a clean sweep taking home the Livable Walkable Community Award in the small business category. Both of those awards came during the construction process when the restaurant was not fully operational. What does it mean to you to see that the community has so much love for the Argonaut?

Shaaren: Just thinking about it makes me start crying. It’s indescribable, really. [tears] Oh, geez. Now Ara is asking me if I’m sad that the Ara-gaut had a fire. We have always wanted Argo to be a place that *we’d* want to hang out and we’ve kind of adopted the catchphrase “everybody is welcome at the Argonaut”. We’re just so happy that other people think those things, too. We learned a lot this summer, most importantly that the Argonaut is clearly not just ours. It’s everybody’s – and we’re really lucky to be a part of it. Every time we’re at the restaurant, I’m reminded of how lucky we are and I hope that our feelings of gratitude come through to the community.

Julia: As you look forward to the re-opening, what makes you most excited about Argonaut 2.0?

Scott: I’d say we’re most excited about being able to see everybody again! And hopefully Argonaut 2.0 will be better than the original! And we hope that we can continue to give the neighborhood something they can call their own.

Julia: Are there any particular new menu items or drinks that you’re particularly pumped for?

Scott: The Steamer Baskets – hands down. We’ll be able to serve steamed shellfish (with potatoes, corn, melted butter & lemon) all the time. Plus, steamed veggies.

Shaaren: We’re bringing a couple items back from our old menus–like the Mushroom Burger and Grilled Cheese & Tomato (both vegetarian). We’re also adding a vegetarian option for the fish tacos, and hoping to build in some gluten-free/specialty diet offerings. And it’ll be great to have a brunch again! Once we’re settled, we’ll bring back Fried Chicken Night and start a “Late Night Menu”, too.

Julia: Tell me a little bit about the expanded patio and indoor/outdoor bar.

Scott: Because of the shape of the building we have a lot of area to work with, but we really wanted to create a fun and relaxed outdoor space that is more about atmosphere than simply cramming as many seats as possible into an area. We’ll have a larger game area (where people will be allowed to drink and gather, but not eat) and have only slightly expanded the number of seats on the patio. In addition, we created an an outdoor bar with windows that open using a pulley system. People will be able to sit outside (well, when they figure out what type of permit to issue us – currently, they’ll have to stand), at a bar while talking to people sitting at the inside bar, or watching televisions that are specifically faced in the outside direction. Even inside (especially with the ceiling fans and all the windows that now open) we’ll have more of a “beachy” feel.

Julia: Beachy! How appropriate! Give me your best “elevator pitch” here. Tell me in a couple of sentences what you hope the community will take away from their Argonaut 2.0 experience.

Scott: Having risen from the ashes, so to speak, we will continue to be the place where everyone is a part of the family. The Argonaut 2.0: Friends. Family. Flagship. Phoenix.

Julia: Let’s talk about your family a little bit. You two are the parents of a 3-year old daughter. Is she excited for the opening?

Shaaren: She started jumping up and down yelling “I’m excited that the Ara-gaut is gonna get fixed!!!” I think that’s a yes.

Julia: What’s it like trying to balance parenthood with reconstructing, let alone running, a restaurant?

Shaaren: Are we balancing it? Sometimes I’m not so sure! Since I’m home with Ara, I do most of my Argo work when she’s sleeping. Thankfully, she usually takes a three hour nap (still!) otherwise, I’m not quite sure what we’d do. Scott’s life is all-Argo-all-the-time. He gets up early to go to work, works all day, and then (when we’re busy) works at night, too. For me, I’m guessing it’s no different than other busy stay-at-home parents who have additional jobs (and no childcare!).

Scott: It’s very difficult but I have a great wife who keeps us sane.

Julia: What are your top 3 go-to spots on the Hill?

Shaaren: Besides playdates at Shayla’s and Mika’s houses, or going to the library and Stanton Park? We always order take-out from Aatish on Christmas and we love Souk. And, of course our mid-week day off wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Frager’s.

Julia: Is any day complete without a trip to Frager’s? Last question (and perhaps most important): where will you display your Hilly and Bricky?

Shaaren: The Hilly & Bricky now reside on a special shelf above “our” table in the former bar area.

And there you have it folks! The Argonaut officially opens January 15. You can find them online at www.argonautdc.com. For those of you, like me, who are impatiently waiting, keep up with Scott and Shaaren on Twitter (@ArgonautDC) and be sure to follow the Hill is Home (@TheHillisHome) as they reveal a different picture each day of the newly renovated Argonaut 2.0.

All photos courtesy of Shaaren Pine