Kingston, New York isn't exactly a culinary mecca nor is a restaurant sandwiched in between a TCBY yogurt shop and consignment shop. But within a short drive from the Capital Region, you'll find Sushi Makio, one of the best sushi places located none other than at a strip mall. Recalling Steve Barne's trip and entrusting our faith in him and Chef Ric Orlando, we treated ourselves to an unforgettable omakase meal prepared by Makio Idesako.
The seasoned sushi chef prepared a surprise medley of six tantalizing plates:
1st Course: monkfish liver pate and marinated herring with roe
2nd Course: Sunomo (red clam, scallop, shrimp, crab, and octopus marinated in tangy vinegar)
3rd Course: Sashimi of salmon, yellowtail, bonito, tuna, and amberjack.
4th Course: aged-miso marinated black cod with pickled young ginger
5th Course: Various sushi of horse mackerel, eel, fluke, salmon, toro, and uni.
OMG the toro was a heavenly, buttery, melt-in-your mouth bite and the uni was so fresh, creamy and briny.
6th Course: tempura sofshell crab roll
Dessert: Trio of green tea, red bean, and mango mochi ice cream bites.
Chef Makio selects the freshest fish and expertly executives each piece with such care. Watching him work from the behind the bar was mesmerizing. On a return trip we had to up the anty with uni and quail egg yolk and let me tell you it was a life-changing bite. We've been craving this quality of sushi every since and would be happy to make the 50 minute trip to Kingston again and again.
How could we leave Portland without enjoying some of the best sushi in town. Our experience at Miyake topped a slew of a list of delicious honeymoon eats.
Last year we had a very satisfying bowl of ramen at its sister restaurant, Pai Men Miyake and couldn't wait to dive into this pick-your-own four-course dinner.
Marinated Salmon: [Thinly sliced raw salmon with capers, mustard vinaigrette, and oba shiso leaves] This unique carpaccio-style sashimi was tangy and briny with beautiful velvety slices of salmon but the pickled plum was the crowning jewel.
Tuna 3 Ways: [sashimi, zuke, tartare] The least innovative dish of the night was this classic trio which lacked the punch and wow of others. Not that it was terrible, just not as exciting. 
Tai Kubuton: [Tai snapper head marinated and braised in sake, soy, dashi and ginger] Now that's a face only a mother could love. It was a bit of a Hannibal Lecter moment but it's one of the best cuts; the flesh is melt in your mouth tender. The simple fragrant sauce was just what this dish needed and nothing more.
I cannot begin to tell you how well we ate in Maine. Our vacation culinary adventures began in Portland, Maine. This coastal city is foodie bliss. We've written about our weekly sushi cravings and being right by the sea coast, we couldn't resist taking advantage of some of the best and freshest seafood in town. What I really wanted to try was Miyake, mainly because Alex Guarnashelli declared their mushroom miso soup The Best Thing I Ever Ate and I remember seeing Andrew Zimmern making a Bizzare Foods stop, but being on a limited budget and because J hates mushrooms (one of these days he'll be a convert), we decided to go on a Yelp sushi search.
Our findings led us to the best sushi meal we've ever had at Benkay Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar. We consider this our #1 all-time sushi spot now. Too bad it's now 4hrs away from Albany. We might very well consider a weekend trip just to eat this sushi again.
Tuna 3 Ways: [sashimi, zuke, tartare] The least innovative dish of the night was this classic trio which lacked the punch and wow of others. Not that it was terrible, just not as exciting. 
