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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Chow RECOMMENDED!: The Lunch

Posted by on Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 4:25 PM

A woman walking down Ballard Avenue with furry boots, a leopard-print serape-type wrap, and a man glued to his mobile phone was the source of the lunch recommendation: Sam's Sushi, right off Market Street. Sam's was making sushi in Ballard long before nearby upstarts Moshi Moshi and Shiku, with their big LED cherry-blossom tree and special crazy Japanese toilet, respectively. Sam needs no illuminated indoor tree nor fancy toilet; it's just a pleasant place that makes fine sushi.

Of note today at Sam's: some excellent white salmon, and specials of fluffy/gluey/yummy uni and righteously unctuous toro. Sam's had a healthy lunch crowd (Moshi Moshi and Shiku aren't open at lunch). The Food Network was showing on a flat screen (subtitles, no sound, so that you wouldn't miss any of songs like Modern English's "Melt With You"), with Anthony Bourdain drinking exotic moonshine with some tribesmen somewhere, then some idiot who eats bizarre foods while commenting repetitively about how bizarre the foods are.

It was pretty good—not the very best, but fine—and it was a relief to eat sushi after the admittedly greasy Vera's breakfast. Thanks, serape-lady! Dinner's going to have to be on the late side. This is a filling experiment. (It also seems likely that dinner will be in Ballard. Every person has been told that the recommendation can be anywhere in the city, but the Ballarders love their Ballard, and rightfully so—there are a lot of good restaurants.)

 

Comments (15) RSS

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1
Vaya al Rincon Espanol, y no mames, guey!
Posted by Me Gustan Tapas on January 21, 2010 at 4:36 PM
2
Sam's is okay, but I've had much better (and more consistent) quality from Yummy Teriyaki, just a few blocks away.
Posted by medeii on January 21, 2010 at 4:45 PM
3
O'Shan is the best sushi in Ballard. Sam's is okay, Moshi Moshi is decent, but O'Shan is small, intimate, and wonderful.
Posted by Lilting Missive on January 21, 2010 at 4:56 PM
Will in Seattle 4
Ballard is very fun.

Did you get some beef jerky up at NW 65th and 20th Ave NW?
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on January 21, 2010 at 5:12 PM
Mahtli69 5
Sam's. The best sushi in Ballard when all of the other sushi places are closed.
Posted by Mahtli69 on January 21, 2010 at 5:22 PM
Queen of Sleaze 6
If it was Anthony Bourdain they had the Travel Channel on. It's well known that Bourdain despises the Food Network with a passion.
Posted by Queen of Sleaze on January 21, 2010 at 5:36 PM
7
@3: Agreed about O'Shan, as detailed in the Ballard sushi piece linked in the post. I would be a regular if I lived out there.
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on January 21, 2010 at 6:37 PM
8
The quality at Sam's went up when the other sushi joints opened in Ballard. They went from serviceable to pretty damn good.

In this case, as least, competition works.
Posted by PJP on January 21, 2010 at 8:16 PM
seandr 9
@7
Do you know of any good Sushi in Capitol Hill? Tried Aoki once and found it lacking.
Posted by seandr on January 21, 2010 at 8:57 PM
10
I want to see pics of these random strangers.
Posted by SwissMiss on January 22, 2010 at 2:09 AM
11
@7: The only truly great raw fish you're going to get on Capitol Hill right now is crudos at Anchovies & Olives, but it's dressed with Italianate stuff, and no rice. (REALLY nice fish, though. And priced accordingly high.) Aoki and Liberty are fine for rolls... O'Shan in Ballard is worth the trip; likewise (and closer), Shiro's in Belltown.

Now I want sushi, and it's not even 9 a.m.
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on January 22, 2010 at 8:54 AM
12
Question...are you taking sugestions from the first person who gives it to you, or are you filtering them out based on whether or not you went there in the past (or have heard of the restaurants)?
Posted by j.lee on January 22, 2010 at 10:10 AM
13
@12: I took the recommendation of the first person I asked.
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on January 22, 2010 at 11:03 AM
14
So what was for dinner?
Posted by keshmeshi on January 22, 2010 at 11:21 AM
15
@14: Sorry, this got away from me: It was Bastille. Beautiful, but... details in Wednesday's paper.
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on January 25, 2010 at 2:11 PM

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