Last weekend we finally made it to Miyake, and I'm really regretting that it was the first time...I've wasted so much time!

The meal was phenomenal. Every single piece of sushi exploded with freshness and flavor, and contained a perfect balance of flavors. The clearing of each plate was a little depressing, but then a new plate would arrive with a new and amazing array of flavors.

It really was a wonderful meal. Otis and I made an improptu date with our friends Spencer and Shea, who had dropped off their toddler with the grandparents. Miyake is a busy place, and there was a bit of a wait, but the server was nice enough to take our cell-phone number and call us when a table was ready, so that we could go up the the Downtown Lounge and have a beer while we were waiting. Overall the service was very good; the college-aged server was friendly and prompt, and he had an excellent command of the menu.

We ordered pretty much exclusively from the specials menu, which totally paid off. The fabulous dishes included a ceviche roll; a salmon sampler; a California-style roll with seared Maine shrimp in a light spicy mayo on top; seared Kobe beef; and much more. Literally every plate was perfect.

I've had sushi in a lot of places (NY, SF, LA, Hawaii, etc.... unfortunately not Japan), and the meal at Miyake stands out as one of the best.

Prices are very reasonable, and it's BYOB. If we hadn't gotten the Kobe beef, which is $8 a piece, the total bill would have been about $100 for four people.

Don't do what I did and waste potential Miyake-eating meals! Go! Go!

(We went to the new Evangeline last night and had a lovely dinner...I'll post about that shortly as well. Yum, steak frites.)