As American As?

When I was a kid in the 1950's the only "ethnic" food we had came in a can.  Franco American spaghetti or Chef Boy Ar Dee ravioli was the extent of the menu offered up by moms in our neighborhood.  My dad, brother and I actually looked forward to this nights when mom opened a can of that orange gelatinous stuff before heating it on the stove.  Pizza didn't happen, at least in our decidedly unsophisticated corner of small town America, until the early 1960's and most of us didn't know what to make of it.  We liked it!  Chains like Pizza Hut and Dominoes hooked us for life and made pizza a staple of the American diet that now requires more than 72,000 restaurants to satisfy.

The American palate has grown far more sophisticated in the past several years and it's not unusual to have a number of eateries offering the cuisine of Mexico,Thailand, India, Germany, Greece, China and Japan even in the most remote corners of the country.   Mexican restaurants are fast closing in on Italian joints in popularity just about everywhere but Japanese--especially sushi--restaurants are also multiplying at an astonishing rate.  

I've been a fan of sushi since the 70's when practically nobody else I knew was fond of or had even tried the stuff.  My wife and daughters had to be talked into it only to become even bigger fans than I.  There was a little place next door to the San Diego radio station that employed me in those days and many times I would be the lone non Japanese customer.  (They used to try things out on me and then laugh when I would eat them.  If I didn't keel over they'd add them to the menu.)  I think the sake helped.

Something about "those guys tried to kill me in the South Pacific" prevented me from ever attempting to talk my dad into a sushi bar sojourn when he was alive but mom, in her late 70's, had to admit "it was pretty good" when we dragged her to one of our favorite places.  There is just something about it that most people not only like but CRAVE.  

No question about it, sushi, like Mexican and Italian cuisine has become exceedingly popular in America.  Just take a quick look around.  There are sushi bars in cities and small towns from coast to coast--even IOWA.  It's surprising really.  Think about it.  If someone had told you even as recently as the late 80's or early 90's that restaurants featuring primarily raw fish would become this popular, would you have predicted it.  I thought not, but who can argue with delicious?

Now, where was I?  Never mind, just pass the wasabi.

Eat Me