Trio has been at the corner of 17th and Q streets NW for the past 61 years. But even though its two matching giant holiday nutcrackers flanking its cash register, Hans and Franz, were only purchased from Costco 13 years ago, owner George Mallios considers the pair to be important to the traditions of the restaurant.

And so, he says “it’s a damn shame” that some New Year’s Eve reveler, “probably on a dare,” swiped one of them after midnight early Saturday morning, undetected. Hans, like Franz, is fairly heavy, so he’s not really an easy transport.

All Mallios wants is the missing nutcracker returned. “We’ll be glad to have it back, no questions asked.” Did anyone see a drunken fool carrying a nutcracker down 17th Street in the early hours of the new year?