Spectacular dining choices - something for everyone
By Joanne Holmberg| June 11, 2008
Whether you like grilled steak or chicken, sushi or sashimi, or oysters on half shell, Blowfish has a taste treat for everyone. Owner Kyongmi Ahn has gone to great lengths to provide the freshest seafood and vegetables and most savory meats for her customers. On a recent visit for lunch we sampled the chicken teriyaki and short rib ‘Bento’ boxes. With Miso soup for starters, the compartmentalized tray which followed included a fresh salad, perfectly done brown rice and tender meat seasoned to perfection as well as several crisp on the outside potato puffs. Service was excellent – attentive without being intrusive.
Ahn’s partner, Barry Kirshner, has furnished the same attention to detail in the setting he and Ahn created for Blowfish customers. From the lighting to the wonderful outdoor patio equipped with sun shielding sails, Blowfish offers an ambience not duplicated elsewhere in the area. “It was important for us to do it right and provide an inviting atmosphere for our clients to want to return, time and again,” Barry said.
The truly unique aspect of the cuisine Ahn offers is the range of sushi, sashimi, teppan cooking and traditional dishes for the less adventurous, including a kid’s menu with Japanese-style chicken nuggets. Blowfish’s teppan chefs not only provide a show for their customers, they are experienced and skillful in their meal preparations. Barry invites you to join a teppan table already in progress or bring your own group of 6-10 to take your own table. Already, since opening in April, Blowfish has hosted numerous parties and celebrations in addition to a full house for dinner almost every night.
Located in Tuscany Village on the east side of Cave Creek Rd. at Willow Creek Pkwy., Blowfish is open every day for lunch and dinner. Please call ahead for special gatherings. One visit and you’ll be hooked too! Look for Barry and Ahn – they love to greet their repeat customers by first name.
Call 480-595-9000 for reservations or view the entire menu at www.azblowfish.com.
Photo caption: Blowfish owner, Ahn (on right), and partner, Barry, with a selection of freshly prepared appetizers: Oysters on the half shell with ponzu sauce, chopped green onions and masago eggs; Tuna, salmon and yellow fin sashimi; and “Oh Deer” cooked yellow tail sushi with pasta tempura.
Photo by Joanne Holmberg
Johnson's “Don Quixote” vanquishes world woes
Afraid of the dark? Got a monster in your closet? C. Nicholas Johnson’s “Don Quixote” at the Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center on Saturday, June 14, at 3 and 7 p.m. postulates what our collective closet might yield, if we opened the door for a peek.
Don Quixote, played by Michael Schauble, was paralyzed by his fears as a child, and isn’t doing much better as an adult. “He is surrounded by events in the world that demand his attention – pollution, war, corporate corruption – but he is unable to mount a challenge to make the world a better place” says director Nick Johnson. Andrew Nemiroff portrays Don Quixote’s Dark Side, an entity that has denied him happiness and encroaches upon his sanity until madness transforms Don Quixote into a gallant knight of another era. “This is when he discovers the courage to conquer his fears, to see beauty in the world, and to take on the challenge of vanquishing the world’s problems by first overcoming his own dark side.”
Forty-one young local actors, including Ethan Chapman as Sancho, Bailey Niall as Dulcinea, and Joshua Aikin as the Rooster/Wakeup Call, bring a modern sensibility to the classic “Man of La Mancha” tale with this exciting multi-media production. Original music and lyrics by Kevin Glenn, film, and the art of ‘physical theater’ create a unique and memorable experience.
Tickets for C. Nicholas Johnson’s “Don Quixote” are available at the door: Adults $10; and Students K-12 $5. The Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center is located at 33606 N. 60th Street. Call (480) 575-2039 for additional information.
Photo caption: Andrew Nemiroff as the Dark Side tries to stop Don Quixote, played by Michael Schauble, from making the world a better place in C. Nicholas Johnson’s “Don Quixote.”
Photo by Vickilyn Hussey
