It was only about 5:30 p.m. on a weeknight when we stopped by Stonefish Sushi & More, but the little sushi restaurant, located right off the main street that runs through Cortez, was already poppin’. And by that I mean there were no tables at the inn, friends. People were already waiting for a table to turn.
I’m not the biggest fan of being seated alongside strangers. Elbows, dishes, and other appendages are too close for comfort, so normally I avoid said situations like the plague. In this case, though, I took a spot at the bar. Mostly because I was freaking starving.
It turned out to be a good call, cause we got to dig our chopsticks into some killer sushi in a much quicker manner. While Cortez might not be the first place you think of when the word sushi comes to mind, it probably should be. Stonefish’s rolls are executed with skill that can only come from a true nori artist.
There are plenty of diverse options to choose from, like the Stoner, a mix of tuna, cucumber, and avocado, topped with seafood dynamite, masago, and unagi sauce. Or, the Sushi Pizza, a crispy rice cake topped with lobster, krab, or spicy tuna, avocado, mango, sprouts, dynamite, and unagi sauce.
The cocktail menu is equally as unique. I opted for the Ginger Kombucha Margarita, a drink made with, well, kombucha, ginger, and tequila. It seemed fitting somehow, despite the other more obvious options. My dining partner steered clear of any healthy mixers and ordered a Bourbon Sunset instead.
My drink was the perfect mix of tart kombucha and bright ginger, which led me to suck it down much too quickly. Luckily, our food arrived quickly after to soak up the heavy pour of booze I’d dumped into my belly.
I’d ordered the Hotamame – just spicy edamame with a fancy name, really – and a Dirty Vegas roll, a tempura-battered roll made with blackened tuna, avocado, and cream cheese, and topped with jalapeño teriyaki sauce. The edamame lived up to its spicy moniker, and the sushi…oh, man. The sushi.
Between the smoky bite of the blackened tuna, the smooth cream cheese, and the kick from the jalapeño teriyaki, everything was in sync.
My dining partner’s Farmer’s Market roll – a vegan option made with marinated, seared tofu, avocado, tempura asparagus, scallions, baby greens, and sweet chili sauce – with equal speed. It was an impressive feat, really, given the sheer girth of her roll, but it seems that once you pop Stonefish’s sushi, you really can’t stop.
Stonefish might not be the closest option to some of you for sushi, but I highly recommend you add this place to your rotation. Just make sure you get there before 5:30 p.m. or you’ll likely to be banished to the bar, which at this place, is still a good option.
Angelica Leicht
