Sushi, sashimi to cool the summer heat

Atlanta's restaurant scene brims with schools of sushi joints, from the high end to casual grabs. You don't have to cast your net far to find one near you. Here are a few when you're ready to dive in. —Jon Waterhouse

VININGS

The name says it all as guests waltz into an old train car cum dining room. The Chinese portion of the restaurant is on one end, and a homage to the Japanese hibachi genre lives on the other. Its sushi bar sort of breaks up the two. Chefs create a wide range of artful delicacies in front of a bamboo stalk backdrop. Try the Godzilla roll, which roars to life with thin slabs of salmon cozying up to eel slices. Like your sushi with a crunch? The House Special finds a roll of yellow tail tuna, crab, scallions and rice taking a dip in the deep fryer. Determined diners can opt for meal-size sushi combinations, many boasting rolls and nigiri.

• 2921 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. 770-438-9090, www.atlantaorientexpress.com.

BUCKHEAD

Owners Chris and Alex Kinjo keep a watchful eye over the Buckhead location of the popular sushi emporium (the original is in Midtown). It's a discerning experience where walnut floors, imported stoneware and silk panels combine Japanese tradition with Buckhead chic. A robata grill ranks high among its bells and whistles, but the sushi bar remains MF's centerpiece. Fish gets flown in daily from Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. Try the snow crab and asparagus with its smoked salmon wrapper or pristine yellow tail dolled up with lemon and cilantro. If you can't decide, put your faith in maestro Fuyuhiko Ito, and he'll concoct something special you won't find on the menu. Keep in mind your wallet need be big as your appetite. On Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, MF Buckhead offers a seven-course meal with sake pairings for $100 per person ($75 without sake). For a thriftier option, lunch specials are available for less than $20 that include miso soup and ginger salad.

• 3280 Peachtree Road, Suite 110, inside the Terminus Building, Atlanta. 404-841-1192, www.mfbuckhead.com.

DOWNTOWN

The stylish eatery's menu runs the gamut from bulging burgers to grilled grouper. And sushi plays a significant role. General manager and partner A.D. Allushi has a favorite rollof his own design: The Vesuvius has a tuna and cucumber interior, with spicy tuna, mango, avocado and spicy teriyaki sauce on top. Other options include Dragon roll, a flash-fried conglomeration of white tuna, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese. Bigger appetites can opt for combo plates (Kyoto and Tokyo) proclaiming spectrums of color and taste.

• 101 Marietta St., Atlanta. 404-389-1000, www.thriveatl.com.

DOWNTOWN

Lunch crowds gravitate toward specials like the sashimi salad with salmon, tuna, hamachi and escolar joining mixed greens, sweet onions and a douse of sesame seed vinaigrette. The lunch house platter, back due to popular demand, boasts spicy tuna and California rolls (six pieces each), a side salad and a piping bowl of miso soup. At dinner, two platters offer group efforts for parties of two or four. Koval says the staff gets creative with the platters, adding signature touches like toro (fatty tuna) with caviar on top. And you might find other eye-grabbing additions like giant clam broken down and served raw.