A while back, Rene and I had lunch with a fellow food writer visiting from NYC. While discussing the various cuisines of New Orleans, The Big Apple remarked: "I usually steer away from sushi when I am down here. I would rather spend my time eating things like oysters and softshell crabs in New Orleans, and save the fresh salmon and tuna for when I visit the Northwest."

I understand that when people visit New Orleans, they are looking for oysters rockefeller, barbeque shrimp, and other dishes which our city is well known for. I'll admit that when I have visitors, I take them to eat po-boys and gumbo as opposed to burritos and burgers. But to dismiss an entire genre of food based on regional stereotypes would amount to missing out on a lot of good eats.

I love sushi and firmly believe that New Orleans has quite a few sushi bars worth dining in during Lent. When I'm looking to avoid weighing myself down with fried seafood and peeling crawfish while wearing suit just isn't an option, I usually turn to raw fish. In this inaugural edition of Fish Fridays, here is my ranking of the 10 sushi bars that I have visited over the last year.

1. Kanno - After your first meal prepared by Chef Hide and his wife Lin, you will never again hesitate to make the journey to Fat City. I'm partial to the Lobster Dynamite Roll and Hot Garlic Softshell Crab, but Hide has never steered me wrong with any of his impromptu creations.
2. Kyoto - While the quality of the rice has varied on recent visits, I still believe that Kyoto serves some of the best sushi in town. Best bets: Poke Salad and the Shrimp Sara Roll.
3. Sushi Bros - Quality fish, sizable portions, and fast service all at an affordable price. The 4 Roll Lunch Special, complete with soup and salad, will run you $11. If you're into more complicated rolls, I recommend the FEMA Roll (pictured top).
4. Sake Cafe (Uptown) - Extensive menu of special rolls with unique preparations and a dizzying array of sauces.
5. Little Tokyo (Mid-City) - According to the menu, fish is flown in weekly from the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. If the Japanese style "fish and chips" is available, order it as a starter.
6. Shogun - The first sushi bar in the area. Try the Steve Roll of barbeque eel and avocado.
7. Ninja - Some of the nicest staff in the business. Don't miss the Cajun Tuna Tataki.
8. Rock-n-Sake - At night this place resembles the Jersey Shore, but during Friday lunch the crowd is more my style. Order the Calamari Crunch Roll, but be prepared to battle on the dance floor.
9. Wasabi - The original location on Frenchman is better than the new one in West End.
10. Hana - Big fan of the complimentary noodle salad and the large portions (see the salmon box above), but unfortunately I find the fish lacks in quality behind the others.

Yesterday Fr. Tom listed his Top 10 sushi bars in the area, and I was pretty shocked a few of my favorite were completely absent from the list. He makes a good point though: the sushi bar that you visit most regularly will be the best place for you. While I agree with this statement, I still believe that some sushi bars serve better sushi no matter who walks in the door. Anyway, without further ado, here are my "Best Sushi Places Left Off of Fr. Tom's List":

1. Kyoto - Some people might claim that this place is always packed only because of the Uptown allure. I disagree. Plus, the Sarah Roll is my favorite sushi roll in the city.
2. Kanno - I think that Robert Peyton is in love with Chef Hide (not that there's anything wrong with that). Just walk in, sit at the bar, and tell Hide that you want the "feed me" or "omakase." If you don't like a certain species of fish, he is usually happy to work around your specific tastes.
3. Sushi Bros - The Folk Singer would buy stock in this place if she could. Their lunch specials are a steal, and I find that the rolls are always bulging with fresh fish.

Note - Fr. Tom also left off Hana, but it's not one of my favorites.

As Rene said, I have been riding out Gustav up here in Baton Rouge.  While I am thrilled that NOLA was spared severe damage, our neighbors here to the northwest bore the brunt of the storm.  You can't walk or drive 50 feet without seeing an uprooted tree or a downed power line.  Though such damage is thought to be minimal relative to what New Orleans suffered from Katrina, the destruction here in BR should not be trivialized just because there were no levees breached.  Baton Rouge served as a place of refuge for many of us during and after Katrina, and we hope that the city's recovery is rapid and complete.

It's hot and humid right now in The Big Easy, which is a great excuse to eat raw fish. One of the best sushi lunch specials in town is on St. Charles just a few blocks from Lee Circle at Sushi Brothers, where I can't say that I have ever had anything but the freshest fish.

The 4 Roll Special is a steal at $10.50 - 1/2 roll each of california, crunchy, dynamite, and fresh salmon rolls. If you favor nigiri over rolls, the Sushi Special offers seven pieces of assorted nigiri and a snowcrab roll for $11.50. Both of these lunch specials include a bowl of clear soup and a simple salad with ginger dressing to start.

But my favorite dish at Sushi Brothers is the FEMA Roll - fresh salmon, snow crab, asparagus, avocado, and tempura flakes wrapped in soy paper and then topped with spicy tuna and the house special mayo sauce.

Trust me: if you're working downtown and are hungry for sushi, Sushi Brothers is worth the drive to bypass Horinoya.