Dish

Love Shack

The fish-themed, eco-conscious Hook (3241 M St. NW; 202-625-4488) recently reeled in a new sommelier ( Francesco Am odeo from Butterfield 9) and a full-time bread baker ( Farid Fellag , an alumnus of Galileo and Bebo Trattoria).

But the most delicious news, at least for diners on a budget, is yet to come: Chef Barton Seaver tells us he's planning to transform Hook's neighbor, the Georgetown Bagelry (3245 M St. NW), into a casual seafood spot inspired by the lobster and clam shacks he toured in Maine over the summer.

Dubbed Tackle Box, Seaver's next project will offer grilled or fried clams, oysters, fish dinners and peel-and-eat shrimp with a choice of sides and sauces for about $16. Customers will place their orders at a counter and sit at picnic tables in the dining area. To capture Georgetown residents and commuters heading into Virginia (Hook isn't far from Key Bridge), Tackle Box also will sell lobster boils -- seafood, potatoes, corn, Old Bay seasoning -- to go. "Just add beer" or water, the chef is already pitching.

The bagel shop -- which, like Hook, is part of the local restaurant company Pure Hospitality -- is expected to close in January and reopen as the fish joint next spring. Seaver refers to Tackle Box as "a down-home Hook" and another way to spread his philosophy: "All the fish will be sustainable."

-- Tom Sietsema