Tucked above Hank’s Oyster Bar in Old Town Alexandria is a new Italian dining concept. Hank’s Pasta Bar is a neighborhood trattoria with a modern, flexible approach to dining.
Hank’s Pasta Bar officially opens for dine-in service on May 7. To celebrate the grand opening, Hank’s Pasta Bar will offer a complimentary glass of prosecco or a nonalcoholic sparkling alternative to the first 50 dine-in guests each evening from May 14 through May 17.
The concept was created by Jamie Leeds, chef of Hank’s Oyster Bar, and Darren Norris, chef of Shibuya. It transforms what was once a takeout operation into a hidden upstairs dining room serving handmade pastas, Italian wines, and customizable dishes.
‘Comfortable and Homey’
“It’s the kind of place you’d stumble upon in Italy after a friend gives you a tip,” Leeds says. “We’ve got little twinkly lights up, a lot of plants around. It’s very comfortable and homey.”
Guests climb a staircase above Hank’s Oyster Bar to the warmly lit space. It’s filled with hanging greenery, rustic touches, and an intimate dining room.
The service model embraces a modern approach. Guests order electronically from their table, choosing from curated signature dishes or creating their own pasta bowls through the restaurant’s “Build Your Own” menu.
However, servers remain on hand and dishes arrive plated rather than packaged, bridging the gap between fast-casual efficiency and full-service comfort.
For Norris, the hybrid approach reflects how dining habits have shifted in recent years. “I think where we’re at right now in the restaurant industry is trying to be less reactionary and more proactive with the times,” Norris says. “People are looking for more control, and this gives guests the ability to customize and design their own experience.”
Customizable and Curated
The customizable pasta bowls start at $16. Diners can mix and match from seven pasta varieties, including gluten-free options, with housemade sauces, proteins, vegetables, and toppings.
“We’re kind of flipping it on its head and saying, ‘We’re going to give you all the control you want,’” Norris says. “There’s no wrong answer.”
The restaurant also offers chef-curated combinations. They include Mafalde and sausage with broccoli rabe and Calabrian chili, fusilli pesto with shrimp and pistachio pesto, four cheese lasagna, and rigatoni bolognese available with either meat or mushroom sauce.
The menu reflects Norris’s years cooking in Italian kitchens across New York, Washington, DC, and South Florida. But it maintains the approachable neighborhood feel that has made Hank’s Oyster Bar a longtime local favorite. Norris says the goal was to return to the roots of Italian cooking rather than reinvent it.
“It should be simple,” Norris says. “Italian food is peasant food. It’s made by simple people with simple ingredients. It doesn’t need truffles or caviar. It’s about purity and doing things the right way.”
High-Quality Ingredients
That philosophy extends to the ingredients themselves. The kitchen imports single-estate pasta from Italy’s Le Marche region, where the wheat is grown and milled on the same family-owned property.
“We tasted probably 20 different pastas before choosing this one,” Leeds says. “The quality is incredible.”
Norris points to details like imported DOP-certified San Marzano tomatoes, slow-rendered guanciale, and traditional meatball preparation techniques as examples of the restaurant’s commitment to authenticity.
“You kind of have to go back to the roots to get that flavor,” Norris says. “People cut corners on little things, but those are the things that matter.”
The restaurant will also feature rotating seasonal specials. These will include porchetta made with locally raised Virginia pork and seafood dishes built around bright Mediterranean flavors.
A Focus on Value and Convenience
Leeds said the concept was designed around changing dining habits, particularly for families and regular weeknight diners looking for high-quality food without the formality or cost of a traditional special-occasion restaurant.
“One of the things that’s happened in the restaurant industry is the middle has gotten squeezed out,” Norris says. “You either have very expensive special-occasion restaurants or low-end chain places. We’re trying to find our way back into that middle groove where people can get really quality food at an approachable price point.”
Leeds says affordability was central to the concept from the beginning. “You can come here every week,” she says. “You can have a delicious meal in a cozy atmosphere for a really good value.”
For Leeds and Norris, the goal is simple: create a place that feels special without feeling complicated.
“It’s a neighborhood spot,” Leeds says. “A place where people can come often, relax and have really thoughtful food that feels approachable.” 818 N. Saint Asaph St., Alexandria
Feature image courtesy Deb Lindsey Photography
