Sushi You

on 51st between 2nd and 3rd Avenues

A tiny sushi restaurant and bar owned by a married couple (he the sushi chef, she the domineering hostess)in a basement space about the size of my living room. Cozy atmosphere, predominately Japanese customers with a few non-Japanese as well. We sat at the sushi bar, but because our host was friendly with the owners we got a few of the homemade Japanese dishes - croquettes and some potato and pork dish, both delicious. We sat and chatted, ordered sushi by the piece, a couple at a time. We sampled two kinds of eel (fresh and salt water variations), sweet sea urchin, mackerel toasted with a blow torch, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, conch. All were delicious, very fresh. The sake flowed, as it was served in square wooden cup atop a saucer that caught the overflow from the cup. Lick a pinch of salt and chase it with a swig of sake - a new "poor man's drink" that I learned, and a new way to savor the sake layers.