[ QUOTE ]
One resource people may find helpful is
chowhound.com. They've done well by me as far as recommendations both locally (LA) and in most any other major city. Even if you're not looking for local restaurants, you may find interesting content.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, chowhound.com is a great resource. I post over there as broncosaurus sometimes.
I think the difference between stuff like Cali rolls and nigiri is pretty much night and day...you're practically eating two different foodstuffs, like chicken McNuggets vs. Chicken Marsala. A california roll is sorta crunchy and maybe a bit tasty, perhaps a good way to be introduced to "sushi". But a nice piece of fatty tuna on some rice can be pure heaven on the tongue.
Caveat: never have sushi on a Monday (due to fresh fish delivery issues)
In LA I like Sushi-Go 55, Sushi Gen, Echigo (great lunch special for $12). Someday I'll spring for Urasawa at $200 a head for Omakase I guess, but I'm not in a hurry.
(Omakase is where the chef picks what HE wants to serve you, judging from the finest cuts he has in front of him at the moment. You can burn through $100 very easily at the higher joints but you'll get a lot of fish and other things perhaps).
For store-bough sushi, it's mostly bland or overly-sugared I've found, but if you go to one of the Mitsawa Japanese supermakets you'll find some very good deals and fresh rolls and nigiri boxes. These are already pretty cheap and they discount the remaining ones in the evenings.
Favorites:
eel
tuna
salmon
shrimp
all nigiri