Hank’s combines old Charleston style with the bold flavors of contemporary sea-to-table dining. Waiters in white jackets and black ties serve historic local dishes like she-crab soup, curried shrimp in a coconut- and banana-laced sauce, and Seafood a la Wando, a blend of shrimp, scallops, and fish in a rich sherry cream. The “Fried” section of the menu features five different selections of heaping Southern seafood platters, all served with fried sweet potatoes and classic coleslaw. Alongside such substantial, crowd-pleasing favorites, Chef Frank McMahon displays his serious fine-dining chops with up-to-date preparations of local fish, like grilled swordfish with fried okra and sauteed spinach in a sweet corn, leek, and ham hock bisque. If you want to really impress, Hank’s seafood tower or seafood castle — gleaming silver ice-filled pans bearing chilled shrimp, oysters, mussels, lobster, and stone crab claws — is sure to do the trick. Add it all up, and you’ve got flashy, big-ticket seafood dining that can please even the most sophisticated palate. —Robert Moss Dish, Winter 2016