As we famously and persistently say here at Racket: Eat Street, it's the street where you eat!
But lo, though there is much eating to be done on Eat Street, and much sushi to be eaten elsewhere in the city, there is no sushi spot on Nicollet Avenue's famous food corridor just yet. That's one of the reasons Zen Box Izakaya's John and Lina Goh thought Sushi Dori would be perfect fit for their Eat Street Crossing food hall.
"The whole idea behind Sushi Dori is: This is a casual, approachable, very diverse environment that we have at Eat Street Crossing," Lina says. Rather than a fancy sushi corner with a focus on delicate sashimi, Sushi Dori will be more of a "bar food-friendly, gastropub izakaya."
The first thing the Gohs do when they visit Japan is stop by 7-Eleven or Family Mart for "the little snacks," like onigiri and steamed buns, and those are some of the snackier things you might see on the menu at Sushi Dori. (Also, if you're not familiar, Japanese 7-Elevens are a wonder to behold.)
"This is what we want to do, where you can have a cocktail in one hand and you can have a rice sandwich in the other hand," Lina says.
"I think that will be a neat addition to such a diverse food area, in this little corner," John adds. "I think that will add a little spice, too."
Sushi Dori is the sixth—and final—vendor announced for Eat Street Crossing, which the Gohs are bringing to life in the long-vacant Arizona Studios building with Bebe Zito's Ben Spangler and Gabriella Grant-Spangler and beverage director Trish Gavin (Khâluna, Lat 14, Lemongrass). It'll join Bebe Zito Ice Cream, Bebe Zito Burgers, Chatime, Ramen Shoten, and Ouro Pizzaria. They're planning to open late winter 2023, and since we're already a third of the way through the winter... gotta imagine an announcement is coming soon.