Hometown Heroes

Three Writers Search for a Taste of the Familiar

LOBSTER ROLLS

Displaced New Englanders can be the pickiest diners in the world when it comes to finding their regional favorites south of, say, New Haven. We eschew clam chowder made with (horrors) tomatoes. A good piece of scrod doesn't need that raspberry coulis, please. And Indian pudding (cornmeal and molasses) just ain't the same when it's gussied up and plunked on a high-dollar plate in Washington. But on the subject of the two Holy of Holies -- lobster rolls and fried clams -- Do. Not. Get. Us. Started.

It should be simple. A lobster roll is made with a LOT of fresh-caught, recently boiled or steamed lobster, torn up; mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip, please) and possibly a tablespoon or two of chopped celery, stuffed in a split-top white hot-dog bun. Claw meat is the ideal texture. No seasoning is necessary; lettuce on the bun is generally considered superfluous. Good folks disagree on the celery, and my father (a 10th-generation New Englander whose grandfather ran a fish business near Faneuil Hall) was dismissive of any kind of bun but the vertically-split commercial bakery kind). But that's it. Done right, it's the best thing you'll ever eat.

Fried clams should make you feel like you're "eating the sea," as my son declared when, at age 3, he first crammed a handful into his mouth. They should be lightly floured and fried whole (none of this "clam strip" business) in crumbs. Some New Englanders have gone over to the dark side and prefer their clams heavily battered, Southern style, like shrimp. This perfidy doesn't merit discussion.

So what is a homesick girl, or anybody looking for authentic versions of these treats, to do as summer waxes in Washington? Well, it isn't easy. As one restaurant maven explained to me, lobster rolls in particular are expensive to make because they require a restaurant to have live lobsters on hand. And they're often a hard-sell -- at $17-plus -- for something that comes in a hot-dog roll. That said, here are three establishments that offer pretty good approximations of both lobster rolls and clams.

HANK'S OYSTER BAR

This Dupont Circle restaurant comes closest in both preparation and (casual) atmosphere to providing the Real Thing. The menu here focuses on seafood, well-prepared and served up with a minimum of fuss. The low-furbelow quotient extends to the service, which is brisk and cheerful.

Plates of fish and trays of oysters emerge in a steady stream from the kitchen, and you figure that any place where a server can knowledgeably discuss the differences between Northwest and New England oysters has to take its clams and lobster seriously. You'd be right. Ipswich fried clams, coated in exactly the right amount of crumbs, came in a really large appetizer portion properly unadorned but for a discreet slice of lemon. They were big, meaty and the freshest I've had in the area. I almost didn't have room for the lobster roll that followed.

Good thing I kept eating. The lobster roll, too, was just right; large chunks of lobster barely held together with mayonnaise, a little celery and nothing else, properly tucked in a warm split-top roll. Bonus: You can eat outside. Fried clams (a "small plate" but portion is large) $14; lobster roll, $18.

1624 Q St. NW. 202-462-4265. http://www.hanksdc.com/ .

KINKEAD'S

The lobster rolls weren't being served at dinner the night I visited, but the kitchen at this upscale anchor on Pennsylvania Ave. was happy to make me one. Restaurateur Bob Kinkead (a native New Englander) gets high marks for his insistence on Hellmann's mayonnaise, and the velvety chunks of meat tasted very fresh. There was romaine in the sandwich and, alarmingly, there appeared to be chopped onion in the mix. Also, the top of the salad was dusted with chives. This decorative urge should have been quashed, but at $25 I expect the kitchen wanted to give me something a little dressier for my money. The bun was split horizontally and just a little too fancy to be authentic. But the generous quantity of lobster satisfied. Currently lobster rolls are on the lunch menu only, which is perfect. Wash it down with something cold and pretend you're not in a sophisticated indoor space.

The Ipswich fried clams at Kinkead's, also a generous portion, were fine. But they also suffered from the addition of decorative flourishes. What appeared to be battered and fried squash of some kind topped the plate. No garnish is necessary. The clams appeared to be true Ipswich -- meaty and delicate at the same time. Fried clams, $16; lobster roll, $25.

2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-296-7700. http://www.kinkead.com/ .

LEGAL SEA FOODS

This home-grown Boston restaurant, now a national chain, prides itself on authentically and simply prepared seafood. The fried clams and lobster rolls don't disappoint, served in large entree portions with a minimum of distractions. Quibbles: You're eating in a high-volume restaurant that has taken on a chain-y feel; there was a large romaine leaf on the (nonetheless authentic) bun; and an oniony taste to the lobster salad itself, although it appeared to be onion-free. However, the lobster had exactly the right amount of mayonnaise -- a hard thing to get right. And the simple presentation was perfect.

The fried Ipswich clams were great -- huge savory bellies fried just long enough and still steaming when brought to the table. The aroma of these clams, more than others sampled locally, was perfect. It was like eating the sea. Fried clams, $12.95-$18.95; lobster roll, $18.95.

2301 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington. 703-415-1200. (Additional locations in Washington, Bethesda and McLean.) http://www.legalseafoods.com/ .