1. Izumi Sushi and Grill 2773 Shadow View Dr. 541-683-1201. IzumiSushiEugene.com.

2. Akira 359 Mill St. 458-205-8288. Instagram.com/AkiraOmakase. 

3. Sushi Pure 259 E. 5th Ave. 541-654-0608. SushiPureEugene.com. 

Before the pandemic, when Izumi was my Sunday night happy hour special go-to, I met up with a friend who used to do sushi restaurant reviews for magazines in Moscow. Turns out Russians are big on sushi. Under her guidance we’d always start with the Izumi Roll (krab, avocado cucumber topped with salmon) and then experiment with the other rolls on the menu, never going wrong. I’d sip the house hot saki and she’d have tea, and we’d chat for hours. While I miss those evenings, they are not entirely gone. Now we drop by, pick up the sushi to go, and eat it six feet apart in my yard. I miss those cozy evenings and the wait staff always willing to make sure we got the perfect salmon on our roll, but the sushi tastes just as good outside. Who knew sushi was comfort food?

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