Belltown's sushi hero Shiro (of, yes, Shiro's) has a new memoir out: Shiro: Wit, Wisdom and Recipes from a Sushi Pioneer. It is quite lovely, with many, many beautiful photos—the black-and-white ones of him and his hiking buddies in Japan in his youth are especially great.

In the book, he tells about a couple of guys wearing cowboy hats who came into Shiro's and asked for fusion rolls (which some people might call clown rolls, but they don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, as they explain in comments). He tells them—kindly and politely, he says—that he doesn't make rolls like that, and suggests a place nearby where they will (anyone want to take a guess*?), and ushers them on their way. The cowboys seem surprised, he says, to have their business declined, but big rolls with cilantro and so forth are just not Shiro's style.

Shiro is doing a reading with a sushi demo and tasting at Wing Luke tomorrow—Wing Luke's website says the deadline has passed for tickets, but this is not the case, you can still call. It should be great. (He'll do another reading and sushi demo, this one free, at Elliott Bay on January 7.)

*Good lord, check out the generic open-your-wallet house music foisted on you by their website. Still???