Sakura Blue earns CJ's praise

[Robin Garr]

Marty takes us to Sakura Blue in St. Matthews this week (descendant of the old Bonsai on Dupont Road), and rarely is heard a discouraging word as he presents a glowing 577-word review and grants it a well-deserved 3 1/2 stars. He correctly dings them for presenting a quail egg item in a plastic cup, an almost bizarre fault in the artful world of sushi; but other than that, he's happy with the food and the mood, and rightly so. Good review.

[url=http://cityguide.courier-journal.com/fe/RestaurantReviews/Profile.asp?businessid=46797]Excellent, indeed
Sakura Blue takes pride in the details[/url]

<B>Sakura Blue</B>
4600 Shelbyville Rosd
(502) 897-3600

I had my best sushi experience in Louisville at this restaurant.

[Robin Garr]

I had my best sushi experience in Louisville at this restaurant.

Whoa, that's high praise! Tell us more ... overall impression, or a specific sushi item?

My wife is a sushi freak! We love Sakura Blue also.The spicy tuna rolls are the best in town.I also love there short ribs.Every thing is always so fresh from the salads to the fish.I have to say my two favorite sushi places are Raw and Sukura Blue hands down.We are so fortunate to have the largest UPS hub in the country,this is why I'm able to have more then a dozen seviches on my menu and all the great sushi places in town.Also places like Z's, who like myself have special seafood flown in daily.We are truly blessed!

[Robin Garr]

We are so fortunate to have the largest UPS hub in the country,this is why I'm able to have more then a dozen seviches on my menu and all the great sushi places in town.

Anthony, without taking anything away from UPS, but I'm curious because I see this factoid from time to time ... does anyone remember that we had excellent, morning-fresh seafood in this town for decades *before* UPS was here, with St. Matthews Seafood and then Bluefin and others bringing it in on morning flights and distributing it daily? Louisville's been a seafood-loving town since the Civil War.

It seems to me that UPS makes it even more efficient, but am I wrong in thinking that all this started a long time before UPS?

Yes! You are right,but when I moved here in 95 there was still alot, not available.Bluefin does a great job and is always willing to bring in something special,even if I'm the only one in town wanting it.I have a hard time getting fresh abalone and conch though.

We'd become so stuck on going to Sapporo on Bardstown that I forgot about Sakura Blue, so it's been a few years since I went (moved out of St. Matthews). We might have to make that our destination for sushi next time...

I seem to recall from hazy memory the weekly family visit to Fulton Fish Market but cannot recall its location. Haymarket, maybe? I vividly remember stopping there at Christmas time one year after heading down Walnut Street looking at all the store windows decorated for the season. Seems like they always had fresh fish. L&N may have had alot to do with that, as well.

[Robin Garr]

I seem to recall from hazy memory the weekly family visit to Fulton Fish Market but cannot recall its location. Haymarket, maybe? I vividly remember stopping there at Christmas time one year after heading down Walnut Street looking at all the store windows decorated for the season. Seems like they always had fresh fish. L&N may have had alot to do with that, as well.

It's way back, Ed ... I'm not sure I was old enough to drive, either. But I THINK Fulton Fish Market was on South Floyd behind U of L. There was also a Delmonico pasta plant back there in the same immediate neighborhood, and they used to open their company cafeteria to the public on certain days for all the spaghetti and meatballs you could eat.

You are correct about the L&N rushing seafood up from the Gulf on refrigerated cars, and that goes all the way back to Mazzoni's in the 1860s (once the Late Unpleasantness was over, I guess). If you think about it, work it right and you slap the seafood from the boat onto ice, keep it moving, and you can get a shipment up from Biloxi or Mobile by express train in what, 10 or 12 hours? Do it overnight, and you've got fresh ersters for lunch.

You are correct about the L&N rushing seafood up from the Gulf on refrigerated cars, and that goes all the way back to Mazzoni's in the 1860s ...

Not to be pedantic, but after a recent visit to Ellis Island and finding information on many of my Mazzoni ancestors traveling from Italy, I've been researching some family history. The roots of the current Mazzoni's Cafe are generally credited to Phillip (Filippo) Mazzoni at his place at 314 Third Street, which opened in 1884. Apparently, several other Mazzonis owned bars and saloons in the late 1800's on 7th Street, Green St, W. Market, etc. It makes me thirsty just reading about it. (I'm off to try to find some Ligurian wine to honor the area from where they emigrated.) Currently, Mazzoni's Cafe and Flabby's are owned by Greg Haner. He and I are great-great nephews of Phillip.

I love Sakura, though I admit that lately I have forsaken it for the patio at Maido. Sakura's sushi is still by far my favorite.

I love Sakura, though I admit that lately I have forsaken it for the patio at Maido. Sakura's sushi is still by far my favorite.

After two unfortunate sushi experiences shortly after I moved here I stopped going to Sakura. I'll give it another try soon on everyone's suggestion. I must admit I am a Maido guy now though. In fact I'm going there right now.

I had my best sushi experience in Louisville at this restaurant.

Whoa, that's high praise! Tell us more ... overall impression, or a specific sushi item?

It was several years ago, so I don't recall what I ordered. I am pretty sure that I posted about. A friend of mine talked me into going. I was dubious of a sushi joint in a strip mall. We sat at the sushi bar and the chef turned out what was easily the best sushi I've had in Louisville. I will qualify that by admitting that I rarely eat sushi in Louisville.

You are correct about the L&N rushing seafood up from the Gulf on refrigerated cars, and that goes all the way back to Mazzoni's in the 1860s ...

Not to be pedantic, but after a recent visit to Ellis Island and finding information on many of my Mazzoni ancestors traveling from Italy, I've been researching some family history. The roots of the current Mazzoni's Cafe are generally credited to Phillip (Filippo) Mazzoni at his place at 314 Third Street, which opened in 1884. Apparently, several other Mazzonis owned bars and saloons in the late 1800's on 7th Street, Green St, W. Market, etc. It makes me thirsty just reading about it. (I'm off to try to find some Ligurian wine to honor the area from where they emigrated.) Currently, Mazzoni's Cafe and Flabby's are owned by Greg Haner. He and I are great-great nephews of Phillip.

Primo has a couple of really good wines from Liguria.

I had my best sushi experience in Louisville at this restaurant.

Well, you should head over to Sapporo and check out the lotus blossom roll and maybe a little iwo maki.