The sushi bar's prominence is my cue to go fish. But here's the place to venture beyond your comfort zone and try ingredients that you won't always find at your neighborhood sushi parlor. The display cases are lined with amberjack, three kinds of mackerel and even more varieties of clam, from arctic surf to orange. If you think all tuna tastes the same, conduct an experiment and request the three grades of tuna available at Sushi Taro. The toro is simply exquisite, like butter crossed with the sea.
Fresh fish is just the half of it, though.
Sushi maestros will tell you that the little pillow of rice that supports the featured ingredient is just as important as the fish itself. At Sushi Taro, the grains are firm, plump and moist, their flavor a gentle balance of rice wine vinegar, salt, sugar and dried seaweed. A Japanese beer in a frosted glass makes the perfect companion to bites like these. And they taste all the better when accompanied by the mothering service that marks Sushi Taro on its best behavior. There's more than just raw fish to be savored here.