Zushi Sushi, Howl at the Moon

We went down town last night for the first time (for me) in months. It's a shame we don't get down there more often, but living up in Cibolo puts us just far enough away that it's a hassle. Parking downtown is pricey too - at least by this skinflint's perspective.

But we had a great time. We started the night off at Zushi Sushi (http://new.sushizushi.com/SushiZushi.aspx), a chain sushi restaurant. Very casual, modern atmosphere, friendly and helpful wait staff. I've got a pretty limited sushi knowledge, so having someone explain some of the rolls was helpful. I ordered the Cristina Roll, which the menu describes as, "Spicy yellowtail and cilantro rolled uramaki style, topped with escolar, jalapeno and sriracha drizzled in yuzu sauce."



The menu said it was very spicy. I thought it was moderate at most. There were the jalapeno rings on top, of course, but overall, not so much. Nonetheless, very good. Being a sushi novice, I can't really critique the roll. Nice presentation, and interesting flavors. K. and I also shared some gyoza which were very good.

After dinner it was off to "Howl at the Moon". I love Howl at the Moon. If your looking for a raucous, slightly bawdy, good time, I recommend it. Howl is a dueling piano bar, which really means there are two piano players on stage all the time, and they play together, goof around with the audience, and generally encourage a good time. If you stay long enough, you'll probably hear multiple playings of "Piano Man" and "American Pie", but that kind of goes with the territory. One of the things that is cool about Howl is about every 30 minutes or so, the piano players rotate out and a new pair comes out on stage. Last night it seemed like there were three sets of players, and all six would come out and jam between sets for 10 minutes or so. When they are all out, they add on to the pianos electric guitar, bass, drums, and last night trumpet and sax.



Hard to see in this crappy phone cam shot, but the two guys in the middle playing the sax and trumpet are standing on top of the grand pianos during one of jam sessions.

Cover on a Saturday night was $10, but for that much live music and entertainment, it's worthwhile. The act is a bit repetitive night to night, but if you only go once in a while, it's a good time. It's really LOUD, so it's not a place to go hang out and chat with friends.

Good time - both Zushi Sushi and Howl at the Moon are recommended if you're hanging out in downtown San Antonio.