25 and Counting at Tamishii Sushi And Spoons

Fuzzy but happy shot, thanks to Dan. 

Saturday night we celebrated our 25th anniversary much the same way we spent our very first date so many years ago and so many miles away. I honestly cannot believe how fast time has flown - in fact it only occurred to me we were celebrating 25 a few weeks prior to our anniversary. Time really does fly when you're having fun and are so blessed.

We were able to sneak away for a weekend at the beach. Nothing helps us connect like long walks on the beach away from phones,computers and responsibilities. Chris found this sand dollar as we walked. They my sentimental favorite and the first one we've found since our 20th anniversary beach trip.

Since this was a BIG anniversary, we indulged and bought folding travel bikes a couple of weeks ago. Best anniversary gift ever. They fold up in minutes and fit in the hatchback and are ready to ride just as quickly. My only request was a the silly basket and bell on mine. Otherwise they are identical and since the traditional 25th anniversary gift is silver we figure the chrome spokes fit the bill there. The rides, even the one that ended with us being drenched by rain on Sunday morning, were such a fun addition to our beach days. It's so much easier to park away from the hustle and bustle and bike up to quieter spots. Neither of us sits well for very long and biking up and down new streets was so much fun.

That first date of ours so many years ago was a sushi date and so was this one. I had done a search of gluten free restaurants in the Wilmington area and found a sushi spot that looked good. Neither Chris or I could remember the name of it so we did another search and this time Tamishii Sushi and Spoons caught our eye. Chris made an early reservation, not for a senior early bird meal, but to have time to talk to the chef prior to any rush and check about gluten and food dyes. I loved that thoughtful gesture.

We ended up getting there very early and because it was graduation weekend it was quieter than usual and we had the friendly staff all to ourselves for quite a while. We sat at the sushi bar and found that Chefs Mark and Josh were knowledgeable about gluten and because they make a point to use sustainable seafood and really fresh ingredients we had lots of great, safe options.

As dyes cause severe headaches I asked about the wasabi and found it did have food dye but no worries, I had brought my own and we were there early enough to unobtrusively sneak it into the gluten free tamari.

Dan, our waiter, was as careful as Mark and Josh about gluten. He brought out a complimentary appetizer of  edamame hummus served with fried strips of eggroll wrappers with a spoon for me to try the humus. It was a pleasant sign of things to come. Really flavorful and so nicely balanced.

Our first order were "spoons" - lots of spoons. There are several different options on the menu and most were gluten free. Seeing these shots makes me wish I'd pulled my camera out of my bag rather than using my phone but bear with me please.

Each spoon has a fish or shellfish combination of different vegetables, herbs and/or seasonings. Each of them was delicious - can you see the spoon in the very front? That's their classic Tartare - check out the two thin slices of yellow fin tuna with a sliver of avocado a sprig of cilantro. Tasted as wonderful as it looked.

Further up was my favorite spoon. It's hard to really have a favorite when all of them were so good but the Demarisco really stood out. It was a spoonful of scallops and shrimp roasted corn, manzano peppers (HOT!), shallots and cilantro. As hot as the peppers were you could still taste each and every fresh ingredient.

The rolls were really tasty. We chose two to share- the Firecracker Roll and the Fantasy Roll.

Because the wasabi sauce has regular soy sauce in it we ordered the Firecracker Roll without it and can testify it was still plenty fiery! Just the right amount of heat for us. I was excited to have this roll because so many rolls that say "crab" really use faux crab that has not only wheat but food dyes. This was real, fresh and amazing.

The Fantasy Roll was a little different than anything I'd ever ordered while out for sushi. The scallops, tuna and salmon were combined with charred pineapple, a mango citrus sauce, toasted coconut and scallions. Delicious and cooling between bites of the Firecracker Roll.

Chefs Mark and Josh were both young but experienced sushi chefs and made the dinner interesting and fun. Tamishii has a traditional sushi bar look with a hip twist - at least from my perspective - and is very inviting. It was a nice spot to linger and enjoy good food and good company before another long walk by the water.  Not only would I highly recommend you try it, but we've already planned a July visit.