Hank's Oyster Bar in Old Town Alexandria

Friday night was date night.  After a long work week with late nights at the office, we went out to dinner at Hank's.  It's Restaurant Week in Alexandria, but we decided to indulge in some raw oysters and share some dishes along with a cold bottle of pinot grigio.  Hank's has a nice and laidback atmosphere that we enjoy, and some great seafood.

 Caesar salad with anchovies.

Lobster roll with fries. Larger chunks of lobster towards the bottom of the buttered bun.

Fried oyster po'boy with coleslaw.  Super plump and delightful oysters in a buttered bun.

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We shared everything and it was nice to have a bit of chilled lobster roll as well as the warm fried oyster po'boy.  Wonderful way to end the week with my favorite guy.

Hank's Oyster Bar in DC

The holidays have crept up so quickly.  Still haven't finished my holiday cards yet. Christmas shopping?  Yeah, haven't done that either.  Last night was a lovely gathering to catch up with a friend who spent her Thanksgiving in Spain, and another who's preparing to resume her world traveling.  We all love Hank's, so despite the cold we met at their 17th Street location.

 If you arrive before 6:30 pm, they have a happy hour oyster special where the types with an asterix on the board are $1 each.  Luckily I arrived at 6:28 pm and my friend quickly put in an order for 2 of each of the HH special oysters for each of us.  All three were excellent.  Cold, briney and one had a hint of creaminess to it.

 I've been thinking about lobster rolls since summertime.  Hank's version is respectable, but for $23 (plus $2 to substitute mac and cheesy for the fries) I think I could do a comparable rendition at home for less.  I think I like bigger chunks of lobster too.

Bouillabaisse special ($23)

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It was lovely to see my friends and share a relaxed dinner together.  After hearing the travel stories, I now want to go to Spain and eat copious amounts of tapas. I hope my traveling friend stays safe and happy in the new year.

Fish Market's Anchor Bar in Old Town

Capping off a full afternoon of P90X, running, walking and attempts at frisbee (I'm still working on the toss), we headed to the Fish Market in Old Town.  Given the option between the restaurant and the livelier Anchor Bar, we settled into a wooden booth in the bar surrounded by tvs showing football and sporadic Simpsons audio.http://www.fishmarketva.com/index.php?/site/menus/

 2 pounds of snow crab legs with coleslaw, butter and fries ($31.99).

The Captain's Fried Platter of oysters, scallops, shrimp, fish fillet and crab cake with coleslaw and fries ($25.99).

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We shared everything.  The crab legs were sweet and reminded me that we should pick some up the next time we go to Super H.  The fried crabcake was surprisingly good, not too much filler, and good flavor.  The scallops were plump, juicy and my favorite part of the mix.  The fried shrimp were forgettable.  The Fish Market's house pilsner is light and a good foil for the grease, and comes in 16 oz or 32 oz schooners. 

Old Ebbitt Grill in DC

We meant to go to the Rally to Restore Sanity and even rode bikes up from Old Town.  But my stomach started to protest once we hit the streets of DC.  Messages from my friend on the Mall confirmed that acquiring a seat, a well-earned beverage and some food was the better way to go.  http://www.ebbitt.com/

 Off the back bar there's a hidden, quieter nook and excellent perches for people-watching.  We saw many costumed-people carrying signs amble by.

On this cool crisp autumn day, oysters called to us.

 We ordered a dozen oysters from the East Coast.  ($23.95)

The East Beach Blonde (RI) and Harpswell Flat (ME) were my favorite.  The Raspberry Point (PEI) and Wellfleet (MA) were my boyfriend's favorite.

 We also ordered a dozen Jonah crab claws ($16.95)

The glutton in me wished there was a ramekin of drawn butter to dip the crabmeat into.

 French Dip au Jus sandwich ($10.95)

 Fish and Chips ($13.95)

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We should have just shared one sandwich after the raw bar order.  Our bike ride home was definitely slower.  Unfortunately the  bartender left a lot to be desired.  We saw he was getting busier, but providing plates and napkins with silverware after we ordered food would have been appreciated.  Then his slow pace and surly handling of the growing number of patrons was noticed by not only us but other parties nearby who waited and waited to order drinks.

Hank's Oyster Bar in Old Town Alexandria

I've liked Hank's Oyster Bar in DC for years.  http://www.hanksdc.com/menu.html It has a funky vibe, a great selection of oysters from the East and West Coast, and a variety of other seafood favorites.  It also introduced me to my favorite wine varietal from Spain, Albarino.  We headed to the Old Town Alexandria Hank's to indulge in some raw oysters.  Unlike the bustling 17th Street location, it's easier to get a walk-in table right away. 

 Old Bay Peel and Eat Shrimp $12

Raw Oysters

East Coast:  Tomahawk, Rappahannock, Kumamoto

West Coast:  Dragon Creek, Chef Creek, Quilcene

 Steamed Mussels with white wine and tomato $13

Fried Ispwich Clams with cole slaw and Old Bay fries $25

My Favorite Sandwiches

I love sandwiches. What's not to love? They're portable and versatile meals in your hand that require minimal clean-up. The following is a very subjective list of my favorites and where to find them.

"The Milano" at the Italian Store (big fan of the Philly and Roma too). http://www.italianstore.com/subs.html Worth the trip over the river into Virginia and the long wait in line. You can order ahead to pick up if anxiously grasping a deli ticket stub and waiting for your number to be called is not your thing. Also, you're silly if you don't order the large on a soft roll with everything. While you're waiting, check out their wines, refrigerated pastas and other Italian sundries.

Greek Deli gyro http://www.greekdelidc.com/. You will know you've found the hole-in-the-wall office-drone lunchtime take-out spot when you see the long line of people waiting to hear Kostas shout out "Next!" Know what you want to order, march up to the front and speak loudly. The Greek meatballs special looks delicious, but the gyro is my go-to.
A fairly new contender now that I no longer eat meat is the veggie wrap at Whitlows on Wilson http://www.whitlows.com/. Not a fan of their caesar dressing (too tangy) but good when you ask for their balsamic vinaigrette dressing instead. You have to order the side of onion rings, they're fantastic. Whitlows also has a wonderfully greasy turkey Reuben and good burgers.

Hank's Oyster Bar's fried oyster po'boy. http://www.hanksdc.com/ I love Hank's. Excellent selection of raw oysters. I also enjoyed their oyster po'boy. Perfectly fried oysters mounded on a buttery sandwich roll. The coleslaw accompaniment was ok, although a little watery.

Kinkead's bar menu shrimp po'boy http://www.kinkead.com/. Spicy and tangy remoulade sauce with three fried jumbo shrimp, lettuce, tomato and jalapeno slices on a grilled, buttery baguette. It's a bit fancier, but satisfying.

Perfection on a roll. Lobster roll in Boston. I've tried the lobster rolls at Hank's and Tackle Box... neither satisfied my craving. I have high hopes for the Red Hook lobster pound food truck http://foodtruckfiesta.com/red-hook-lobster-pound-food-truck/, but no desire to wait 45 minutes to two hours in line for a lobster roll. Until their line becomes shorter or they open up a brick and mortar shop, I'll make my own with steamed lobsters from Cannon's Fish Market http://www.cannonsfishmarket.com/.

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Honorable mentions:

Cafe Tu-o-Tu Caprese Melt http://www.cafetuotu.com/ They have a great selection of salads and wraps as well.

Crabcake sandwich with a lump crabcake from Chris' Marketplace http://www.chrismarketplace.com/ You can order backfin or lump crabcakes online or visit Chris at an area farmers' market where you'll find him frying up delicious samples. His gazpacho is also terrific. He's at the Dupont market on Sundays, White House and Penn Quarter on Thursdays and Falls Church on Saturdays.

Consider the Oyster

M&S Reston

"An oyster leads a dreadful but exciting life. Indeed, his chance to live at all is slim, and if he should survive the arrows of his own outrageous fortune and in the two weeks of his carefree youth find a clean smooth place to fix on, the years afterwards are full of stress, passion and danger." ~MFK Fisher

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My friend once spent an enjoyable summer afternoon sitting outside at Hank's Oyster Bar drinking wine, eating oysters and reading MFK Fisher's Consider the Oyster. For Christmas this year, she gave me a copy. For anyone who enjoys bivalves, it's highly recommended. I love oysters. A cold glass of Albarino and a half dozen or more West Coast oysters with a mignonette sauce, lemon and cocktail sauce, and I'm a happy girl.

Passionfish Restaurant Reston, VA Kinkead's Restaurant Washington, DC Hank's Oyster Bar Washington, DC DC Coast Washington, DC