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.

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.