Sushi in the City benefits Project Women

[Robin Garr]

Sushi in the City

Louisville’s top sushi chefs are sharpening their knives for a "roll off," a fund-raising competition in which one chef will reign supreme, at Sushi in the City, set for Tuesday, March 4, from 5:30-9 p.m. at The Henry Clay, Third and Chestnut streets.

Participants will taste and vote for their favorites to select the Best Sushi in the City for 2008. There'll also be desserts, a silent auction and entertainment.

Admission is $60 a person, with a $10 discount for members of young professionals’ organizations. Proceeds will benefit Louisville’s Project Women, a nonprofit agency that provides housing and educational assistance to help homeless single mothers and their families break the cycle of poverty.

For information, visit the Project Women website, www.projectwomen.org

For details on Sushi in the City, click http://projectwomen.org/sushiinthecity.htm

Is anyone attending this function? The wife & I are going. I've been looking for additional info. but the most I've found is here. Go figure.

[Robin Garr]

Is anyone attending this function? The wife & I are going. I've been looking for additional info. but the most I've found is here. Go figure.

We're one of the media sponsors, which may help explain that.

Mary and I will be there at least part of the evening. It's a sellout!

I am volunteering and helping Chef Henry at his station. So come by and give some shit to the white guy trying to roll sushi. HAHA!

Prost!

Wondering how this event went? Met one of the organizers a few nights ago but I was unable to attend. Thanks!

[Robin Garr]

Wondering how this event went? Met one of the organizers a few nights ago but I was unable to attend. Thanks!

It turned out great, Caroline! Lots of awesome sushi and a sellout crowd having a blast.

A few sushi restaurants finked out at the last minute - I'd be interested to hear why Sakura Blue, Bendoya and Shogun felt that they didn't need to keep their commitment; but Osaka and Caviar jumped up to fill in.

As it turns out, the people's choice was RAW, and I'm told the vote was very, very close. I would have rated Maido and Sapporo in a near dead-heat, with RAW close behind, and Kansai also did well. Everyone's sushi was decent, though.

It looked like a big success to me, and I heard talk about making it an annual event.

That is great news-love when a creative event with a fun title and excellent art work does well...that is crazy when people do not stick to their word but happy the event was a success!!!

It was a very nice event and I hope they continue. Everyone brought their A-game. I was unable to try the Sapporo goods as the line was too long and we arrived late. Toki (Maido) even brought real wasabi root for grating on your plate if you like.

I was there! I wish I'd thought to check in here beforehand to see who else was going, but things have been a little wacky lately (new job, newly engaged, and finishing my master's degree) and I've been neglecting HotBytes a bit. Robin, I think I may have bumped into you (literally) and said "Excuse me," but I didn't get a good look at the person in question, so it's entirely possible it wasn't you.

Anyway, I had a great time, though I was disappointed that Sakura Blue flaked out, as that's my favorite. I was pretty impressed with Maido (my other favorite), Raw, and Sapporo. The only disappointment was Osaka; we eat there pretty regularly and it's generally good, but the sushi we got from them Tuesday was NOT fresh. Ick!

Other annoyances: Loud dance music, which seemed a little odd given the lack of dance floor, and over-zealous bussers who took our soy sauce, wasabi, and chopsticks every time we got up to get more food.

Still, it was a lot of fun and a great idea. I'm glad it was such a success!

things have been a little wacky lately (new job, newly engaged, and finishing my master's degree)

Congratulations, Erin!

Thanks, Ed!

I was not there but I heard it was a blast! I work at Maido so you know where my loyalties lie, but congrats to all that participated. I hear that there were many interesting rolls on hand.

This event was fantastic. It was a VERY close call, but I give Maido the nod, although Sapporo was very impressive. Not sure how Raw took the lead. Someone must have stuffed the ballot box. I got to take a complete tour of the building, what a wonderful job they have done rehabing that building. There is another ball room upstairs, the top 4 floors are all occupied apartments and Condos.

Sorry this post is so late and a bit off subject. I've been meaning to set the record straight, but I had lost my registration info until now. I was one of the organizers of the Sushi in the City benefit. I was very saddened and disappointed in the behavior of the three vendors who backed out within the 30 minutes before the event started. Sakura Blue, Shogun and Bendoya all backed out on the day of the event after much planning and actual "run throughs." I was calling each of these vendors mere minutes before people showed up asking why they were not there. In a jam, we contacted Osaka and Caviar (both of which had already politely passed on the benefit because they did not have the resources to participate) and purchased sushi from them at a discounted price for fear there would not be enough sushi for the event. This post is not an attempt to drag Sakura, Shogun and Bendoya's names through the mud. However, as an avid sushi patron of all the local sushi joints in the city and right across the river, I felt it only fair to report their disappointing behavior.

On a brighter note, all the vendors who actually showed up were gracious and enthusiastic about the event. They were the ones that made it a true success for Project Women. I hope all the new sushi places will jump on board for next year's Sushi in the City 2009. Yes, planning has actually started already.

[Robin Garr]

I was very saddened and disappointed in the behavior of the three vendors who backed out within the 30 minutes before the event started.

Thanks for the story, Jess, and by the way, welcome back to the forum! I can surely understand the organizers' disappointment and even anger at places backing out at the last minute like that. Unless they had a death in the family or some other event of similar magnitude, there's really simply no excuse for that behavior. I'm especially disappointed in Sakura Blue, which had been a favorite. Now it's going to be a little hard for me to go there without thinking about this.