The latest Appleton Mystery Photo Contest has proven too difficult, so I'm extending it and adding a few clues, plus upping the ante. The prize for the most correct answers will include the previously announced coupon for free pizza at Glass Nickel Pizza plus two silver half dollars from Appleton's best coin shop, Affordable Rare Coins on Northland Avenue. These coins come from the good ol' days in the United States when money had intrinsic value and wasn't just an expression of creative work with a printing press. Total value of the prize is about $40 now, so give it a try. The contest is now extended to 5 pm, Dec. 10, 2010. Get the most right answers and you win the prize. First person to identify 5 photos gets a pizza coupon also.

Clues:

1. Rear of a downtown shop.

2. From the inside of a building that houses many cultural events.

3. Not far from Fleet Farm.

4. That car might belong to a coach.

5. Menasha. On a major road.

6. Menasha honors some who gave their all.

7. Don't get the knack of this? Maybe you'll get the jack.

8. A church in Appleton.

What's up with the invasion of sushi into Appleton? Whatever is motivating the sushi surge, I welcome it. As I've previously reported, Appleton has long had great sushi at Koreana (delicious, high-end) (pricier but even more delicious), Far East, Nakashimas, and Fuji Sushi (a buffet with perhaps the best value for hungry sushi cravers), not to mention the relatively recent addition of Dong Po's sushi bar and limited sushi offerings (mostly in the style of California rolls) at Asia Garden, Hong Kong Buffet in Neenah, and some other places. But in the past few weeks, we've been had a surprising sushi surge on the southeast side of town, where Sapporos and the Thai, Sushi, and Japanese Steakhouse establishments are competing within a few blocks of each other on Eisenhower Road. Sapporo's is just north of Calumet in the strip mall on the east side of the street across from Kohls, very close to the popular new Anytime Fitness gym (where I happen to have a membership - awesome place, by the way).

I took my son, recently returned from two years in Taiwan, to Sapporo Sushi for lunch. What I love about Sapporo's is that they use the fun and convenient floating sushi boat system, popularized in Japan, I believe, to deliver a steady stream of sushi offerings to customers who can simply take what looks good right off the moving sushi boats. Based on the color of the plates, the cost of the dishes (typically two pieces of sushi, sometimes more) ranges from 99 cents to $3.99 in one dollar intervals. Ringing up the bill is simplified: just count the plates and multiply by the cost.

When I was there, the 99-cent dishes included a daily special that was two pieces of a terrific spicy tuna roll. A tremendous and delicious value. There is a large mix of sushi types to choose from plus some other items like edame (very good soybeans), seaweed salad, and fruit. In addition to sushi and sashimi, one can also order a hot dish of unagi (eel) on a bowl of rice, miso soup, or just a bowl of hot rice. I tried both the unagi and miso soup and was especially impressed with the unagi--perhaps the best unagi I've had. Miso soup was OK but nothing to write home about and just barely interesting enough to blog about. Service was excellent and the sushi chefs were friendly and warm. This was a late lunch, about 1:30 pm, and there were just four or five others eating.

I took a group of 7 people back for dinner the same night. The restaurant was crowded, with a majority of the seats around the central sushi boat track being occupied by about 25 people. The food was still good, but there were some glitches, perhaps due to overtaxing the system and personnel. It took a surprisingly long time for utensils and water to be brought to us after we were seated. Only half of our group got water--I just got up eventually and brought glasses and water over for the others myself. We also ordered some bowls of rice, a miso soup, and the unagi. It never came. When I went to ask for the bill, the waitress, who had spent most of the night standing at a computer terminal--puzzling--said, "Oh, sorry about not bringing the rice--did I tell you were are out of rice?" That's a strange thing to run out of at a sushi place, but that still didn't explain the missing miso soup. I let it go and still left the usual tip, being a softy when it comes to sushi.

Since my group had kindly focused on the 99-cent plates for about half of what they consumed, the bill for 7 people with tax came to only $44. Not bad! And eating can be very fast if you are in a hurry.

Overall, I love the sushi boat concept and have respect for their sushi chefs and the excellent products they provide. Based on my two experiences, one at dinner and at lunch, service can vary and if you are there at a busy time, you may encounter some glitches. Stay focused on what is floating past you, though, and you should be pleased.

Update: On Dec. 2, after a fun dance class, I took my wife to Sapporo's for a quick bite of sushi. She's not a big fan of sushi, but loved it. She noticed that the sushi has more flavor than she's had in the past - partly because the chef often uses sauces in sushi rolls that add zest and flavor. I also noticed that the rice was exceptionally good--outstanding flavor just with the rice. I talked to the chef, Mr. Li, for a minute. He's actually Chinese but has 7 years of experience with AMC (?) in Japan. Very good technique.

My wife and I had a delicious and filling meal for just $12 plus two tips (waitress and chef). The miso soup was free that night--and great, as always.

Sapporo Sushi: N162 Eisenhower Drive, Appleton, WI 54915. Phone (920) 993-2222.

As reported by the Post-Crescent, the somewhat-world-famous (SWF) Appleton Christmas Parade (APC) is tonight, starting at 6:20 PM. It should be cool but not as bad as we've had some years. Best place for photography is in front of Houdini Plaza, where TV crews will have bright lights. Use the skyway over College Avenue from the west side of the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel to move from one side of the street to the other, if needed.

Should be spectacular! Might even have some flames from our local ballooning club, if we're lucky. That's usually at the end.

If you live on the south side, Jones Park can be a good place to park if you don't mind walking up a long flight of stairs to reach city level.

The reported temperature on Oneida Street in southern Appleton was well above average recently. Maybe it is time to panic about climate change.

She did it again! Eveyln Li got the highest number of right answers to the last Appleton Mystery Photo Contest. Evelyn wins a coupon for a free pizza at my sponsor, Glass Nickel Pizza of Appleton. Mmmm!

Photo #7 from the last contest was not identified, though, and I'll keep it for this contest. Here are eight new photos for this week. This contest will end on Black Friday, Nov. 26, at 5 PM. First one to name them all or the one who gets the most correct wins. Good luck! (Note: two of the photos are from Menasha.)

1. 
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5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 

On Nov. 2, Bennigan's opened their doors in Appleton with a kick-off celebration for this new restaurant on Mall Drive near the Fox River Mall (149 N. Mall Drive, Appleton). They had the street smarts to invite yours truly, and I brought along my wife and two friends. It was busy, bustling, and bodacious (remember that word? slang for "gnarly"). And did I mention delicious?

This new Bennigan's has an upbeat decor that emphasizes the themes of fun, lively, and tasteful. They have a gas fireplace on the patio outside, a nice place to gather when the weather permits, while the inside is classy, bright, and comfortable.

The food is what I came for, and I was not disappointed. Everyone in our group was impressed with their meal. We started with a Southwest Sampler, an appetizer with a variety of southwest-themed foods such as a delicious cheese and chicken quesadilla, nachos, and other items, all surprisingly good. I ordered something that looked simple but was another surprise on the plus side: the O'Toole Pretzel Sandwich, a turkey and cheese sandwich on an awesome pretzel bread bun. Excellent flavor.

Another surprise was the chicken spinach salad. Sounds hohum, but it was beautiful, flavorful, and filling. I got to sample some of that and plan to order it when I go back, A lot of chicken, wonderful sauce, and many of my favorite sald fixings. More of a high protein meal than a salad.

The hand-battered fish and chips also delighted. Might be the best in the Valley. Very fresh, cooked just right, not greasy, with a batter that really added value. Nice.

For desert, the Smores Brownie Sundae also exceeded my expectations. Beautiful presentation including a toasted marchmallow on the side of the plate, with an arrangement of ice cream and browniea on the plate.

Service was excellent--surprisingly informative, friendly, efficient, and accurate. We had Chandra helping us plus a fun chat with the bar manager who helped us feel even more welcome.

The only weakness in the meal, in my opinion, was with the flavored lemonades we tried. Too sweet for my taste and too much ice in the glass. Still good.

In spite of beginning with a "B", in my book, Bennigan's began it's journey in Appleton with an "A" in every category: service, flavor, friendliness, fun, creativity, and value (and not just because we ate for free: the listed prices make this one of the best values in the Valley). Thank you, Bennigan's, and thanks for the chance to try out a welcome new addition to our town.


920-830-7704

Jeff McBride performs tonight, Nov. 1, at Kaukauna High School at 6:30 PM. Jeff McBride is one of the world's best and most theatrical magicians. He had a positive experience in the Fox Valley a few year ago for our Houdini Days, and, as I understand, is coming back more as a favor to the good people he met and the terrific audiences he experiences. Come out and enjoy! 6:30 PM, $15 per person. You'd pay several times that much to see him in Vegas. javascript:void(0)

Labels: magic