Ah, Midtown, I hardly know you anymore. There was a time when my life revolved around you, when I couldn't be away from you for more than a day lest I break out in a cold sweat. Oh, but how times have changed. This part of town now seems almost foreign to me with so many new restaurants, hotels, shops, crosswalks and office towers. Anyone remember when your only choices for food were The Country Place, Gorin's Diner, Trappers on the Park or Filibuster?
One of these shiny, brand-spanking-new restaurants is RA Sushi, which I had lunch at today. Upon entering, I was immediately struck by the fact that the entire staff is drop-dead gorgeous. Every last one of 'em. Models and raw seafood--works for me!
The hostess seemed a tad scared of me, not sure what that was about. Anysakibomb, she took me to a table centrally located in this uber-large space, which feels very Vegas-like to me--like something that seems not only built for the night, but probably looks its best in the dark, too. Think Pamela Anderson. With its high ceilings, dramatic lighting, soaring windows--I bet it's a stunner after sunset. During the day, it just felt really big and cavernous. Again, think Pamela Anderson.
There's a bangin' patio, too, with a bar that works both sides--indoors and out--very hip, stylish and the perfect place for perfect people.
I started with some edamame which was OK; the texture was too soft for me. Thanks to my Italian mother, I prefer everything al dente, but that's a completely different story. The flavor was very good, though.
Next, I asked the server for her favorite roll on the menu to which she promptly replied in a whispery, Marilyn Monroe voice "The Vegas roll."
Natch.
It was not the right choice for me; it was a bit too heavy and large. Each piece looked like a small cupcake, literally. Way too big to eat in one bite, but without a fork, I was forced to do my best with chopsticks. I dropped it a couple of times, but I forged on. It was lobster and rice in a deep-fried roll topped with a huge dollop of crab and mayo. Whoa! I thought sushi was healthy! Regardless, it had great flavor and if I order it again, I'll just ask for good old-fashioned utensils.
The food came out super fast, too. I failed to mention I was with two other people and our main dishes were delivered at different times--almost 2-3 minutes between each. Now, I don't know about you, but it feels wrong to eat when others don't have their meals, too (another thing my mom taught me, I guess), so we all just sat there and stared at each other's plates until all three eventually arrived. I've never understood why restaurants do this, but maybe it's the nature of sushi cuisine: they expect you to sample off each other's plates, so what difference does it make when they come out?
I enjoyed RA Sushi. Don't get me wrong. I will definitely go back. This would be a great place for drinks and a bite before going out to a show or the club (The club? Who am I kidding? I haven't been to a club since the Backstreet Boys were actually boys). They had an extenstive menu with lots of other dishes that sounded really good, but I think I'll let them settle in to a groove first before returning. This will give me time to practice my runway walk, grow 7 inches, lose 127 pounds, visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles and get my portfolio together. Viva Las Midtown!
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