Not to be outdone, Eddie the wine guy has taken his regular seat at the corner of the sushi counter with his crew, flanked by a battery of white valises holding fine wine (not plutonium), a box of Spiegelau crystal brought from home, bottles of his preferred spring water, and a small case from which he withdraws his very own special chopsticks.
Yes, Bluefin is the first BYOCh I've encountered (they'll provide some if you don't travel with yours). But you'd never suspect such a scene was roiling behind Bluefin's unremarkable, film-darkened storefront, set into an aging strip mall off a bend in Germantown Pike.
The energy ratchets even higher each time the door opens throughout the night. Chef-owner Yong Kim shouts a beamingly enthusiastic greeting from the sushi bar, and another group - perhaps the Cooper party of eight? - files in for their regular table.
It's customers like this - not just Tuesday but every night - that have made Bluefin something of a suburban phenomenon, pumping its reputation to the point where it shares the same Zagat food rating as Morimoto, and has vaulted into the guide's collection of "America's Top Tables." It's an obvious case of Zagat-flation, where a core of devoted zealots have gotten carried away with love for their local haunt. That's not to say Bluefin isn't a worthy neighborhood destination for sushi. This plain little room has plenty of virtues, including a good selection of high-quality fish for a fair price, a few notable signature rolls, and a lively young staff that is friendly and efficient.
