Debbie Downer moment

Ate at one of my favorite sushi places in town, Bikkuri, tonight. I hadn't eaten there in several weeks, and I'm sad to say it's not what it used to be. WAS: Part take-out, part counter-service sushi joint, with a limited number of two-tops at which you could eat after your food was prepared, that appealed to downtown hipsters on a budget. NOW: Full-service Japanese restaurant with a bigger kitchen, and the former kitchen preparing take-out meals only. Tonight, there weren't nearly as many people in there as there used to be. The prices on the menu also have gone up, and that combined with now having to tip yer wait staff is a double punch in the pocketbook.

I liked going there not only because it had pretty decent sushi for the price, but it was a charming little place that reminded me a little bit of Tokyo. I loved the atmosphere. It always seemed to bustle with skinny, hip urbanites, gay and straight. The Engrish signage and menu items made me smile. You ordered at the counter right by the front door, then loitered around, grabbed an always-recent copy of GQ, US Weekly, People or Entertainment Weekly from the stack of magazines they always had near the front door, or hoped to snag a coveted table while waiting for your food.

Now, it's just another generic Japanese restaurant. (Except for the residual Engrish, thank goodness.)