My dad was not afraid to spend a little money on his favorite girls. He showered my mother--his most favorite girl of all--with presents and love for forty years. And every time he came to DC, he treated me and my sister like queens.
He never hesitated to hail a cab when we could just as easily have walked to our destination. He always bought another round of drinks when our glasses started looking empty. Lunches and breakfasts were often just a tad more extravagant than they needed to be, and he always took us to Hank's.
I can't remember the first time my dad treated us to dinner at Hank's Oyster Bar, but I do recall the look on his face when the friendly waitress welcomed us with a small bowl of goldfish crackers. He lit up like a kid in a candy store. As much as my dad would rave about the beautiful fish and to-die-for lobster rolls at this tiny Dupont Circle restaurant, he was truly crazy for those goldfish crackers. And that mac and cheese. And those fried Ipswich clams that we always asked for (and you have to do the same) even if the menu didn't list them. For my father, a trip to Hank's when he was in town was like a trip to the White House for other people--totally necessary and a huge mistake to miss if you're visiting DC.
Even though it's strange now to go to Hank's without my dad, and sad to know that I'll never eat there with him again, I believe his spirit will live forever in this lovely little eatery. Yes, I think he's still hanging around, maybe near the bar, looking out for me and my mom and my sister, and munching on some goldfish.
3 comments:
I love Hank's too. I had a very romantic date there several years ago. The date went so well, my partner and I have been together ever since. So Hank's also holds a special spot in my heart.
What a great little story, WBTS! Thank you so much for sharing it.
I should probably start writing better comments than, "Awwwww!" but man, after reading this AND David's comment, that's all I wanna say. Awwww!!
Post a Comment