Mike Andrzejewski is a Polish-American sushi chef. You got a problem with that?

When you tell people there’s free sushi, look out. My darling wife Kathy and I arrived at 475 Ellicott St., just north of the Washington Market, to find the street blocked off and a crowd of people milling about, with their eyes on the glass door of 475 Ellicott.


That’s where nontraditional sushi whiz Mike Andrzejewski is to open a new outpost of his restaurant Seabar on July 1.

A black-clad server bearing a tray of sushi emerged, and only made it a few steps before being completely surrounded by a clot of sushi-seekers. I flashed on a National Geographic film, piranhas swarming a calf knee-deep in the river. The fish get their revenge.

Mike wasn’t even sending out the fancy stuff, just meat-and-potatoes sushi, so to speak. Turns out blue-collar sushi is fine by me.

But Mike no doubt means business. Look at the left forearm tattoo (above left), a work in progress. When he gets the colors needled in, it’ll be something to behold. It might even make some observers feel the slightest bit peckish.

I would expect some of the downtown office types who do Kuni’s drive-bys for lunch will hit Seabar City to check out the goods. (The phone is 716-332-2928). Kathy, who has enjoyed lunch at the original Seabar in Amherst, says the sushi tacos ($7) are a steal.

No word yet on whether the spam musubi handrolls will be a lunch choice.

Filed under: Buffalo, Restaurants