A Pearl of an Oyster House

But first, there are appetizers to think about. One that should be at the top of your to-do list is the popcorn shrimp and calamari. Lightly battered, the bite-size shrimp burst with juices, while the calamari are simultaneously tender and crisp. Charmingly, these nuggets of seafood arrive in a little tin pail. Take a cue from the restaurant's name and try the oysters. They come raw on the half shell, bedded on ice; or dipped in buttermilk, then floured and deftly fried; or as the star in a shot glass. The last version is clever and refreshing, a briny Kumomoto oyster topped off with bloody mary-like juice and a splash of sake. The kitchen also assembles a good Caesar salad -- be sure to splurge on the meaty white anchovies for $2 extra -- and whips up a delicate asparagus soup. And I'm a big fan of Leeds's crab cake. Rich, sweet and meaty, it sports a light coat of Japanese bread crumbs and comes with some coleslaw and house-made tartar sauce for dabbing.

When I close my eyes, I could be eating in another trim purveyor of fresh seafood, Johnny's Half Shell, on the other side of Dupont Circle. The unfussy food tends to highlight ingredients rather than the chef's ego. Thus, at Hank's, a special of perfectly cooked halibut is simply dressed with a tomato-lemon relish, and soft-shell crabs come with nothing more than a brush stroke or two of citrus butter. Sweet chunks of lobster and celery are bound with just a suggestion of mayonnaise, then slipped inside a pillowy bun, crisped from a moment on the griddle. That and the oyster po' boy make much better alternatives to the large but overcooked hamburger.

To round out a meal, there are close to a dozen vegetable dishes for $4 each. I'm partial to the soothing, crumb-topped macaroni and cheese; the garlicky wilted spinach (steakhouses take note); and those habit-forming onion rings. In contrast, red and golden beets taste like penance. They are cut too large and served too cold. And while the french fries are full of potato flavor, they are invariably served limp rather than crisp.

Hank's is sweet, but it isn't perfect. When the room is fully occupied, you realize how cramped it is. One night, my chair was repeatedly bumped, by servers and fellow diners alike, as they tried to make their way to tables. Leeds might consider removing a table or two up front. She also might think about increasing her portion sizes. Personally, I dislike titanic servings, but there's a lot of white space around some of the entrees here; you'll need to order a side dish or two if you don't want to leave hungry. And a full month after the opening, dessert was still not an option at Hank's. "The kitchen is too small," a server explained when she appeared with a check and complimentary chunks of German chocolate for everyone at the table.

Sweet as the thought is, I'd still prefer not having to move on to another restaurant to finish my meal. Hank's is the kind of place you want to linger in -- the kind of place that would make a father proud.

Ask Tom

"Sunday Champagne Brunch," read the sign outside Bombay Garden in Fairfax on Father's Day. The announcement lured Jon Lang, his wife and their 1-year-old son into the Indian restaurant, where Lang spotted another sign advertising the Sunday buffet for $13.95. The Falls Church reader was understandably surprised, then, when he and his wife were charged $17.95 each. "I was informed that since it was Father's Day," Lang reported in an e-mail to me, "there was an extra charge of $4 per person." Yet "nowhere was this indicated on any menu," he complained. Owner Raj Kapoor subsequently explained to me that for holidays, the buffet is stocked with more dishes, for which he charges extra, but he also apologized for not making the higher price clear. "It was my mistake," Kapoor says. "It was a busy day." In the future, he promises, any deviation from the norm will not only be posted in the restaurant but mentioned when customers call for reservations. Sounds like a proactive game plan.

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