Tommy's serves some tasty options, just not the sushi

On my way into Tommy's Japanese Restaurant, I noticed an old newspaper clipping on the wall. The clip read in its entirety: "Remember Tommy's Sushi, a fixture on Eastlake and a ho-hum sushi purveyor of long standing?"

This is not the kind of thing I would post on my wall, but I guess all publicity is good publicity. If so, Tommy's, which packed up and moved to Kirkland in 2003, is going to love this review. Tommy's is a laid-back and comfortable little place, with seven tables, a smooth dark-green sushi bar and colorful Japanese woodcut prints hanging on the walls, but the sushi is still ho-hum.

One unequivocal fan of Tommy's is former Mariners second-baseman Bret Boone, who not only scrawled a testimonial on the wall of the place but lent his name to two different menu items: a sashimi plate ($21.50) and the Boonie Roll No. 29. With Boone in Minnesota now, owner Tommy Tagashira needs another local celebrity endorsement.

The menu at Tommy's describes one sushi combo as "sushi for beginners." That goes for the whole place. The nigiri sushi is limited to 13 options. There is toro (fatty tuna) but no squid or mackerel. Luckily, mackerel is available cooked, as saba shioyaki ($12.95), salted and broiled until the skin crisps up like the best beef jerky. (There's fried squid on the menu, too.) Entrees are served with a lightly dressed cabbage salad, a very salty seaweed salad and miso soup.

I went back a second time, alone, because I couldn't decide whether to recommend the place: The sushi hadn't been very good, but the dumplings (see below) suggested the kitchen might have other talents. I tried a combo meal ($14.50) with the aforementioned mackerel and a big serving of tender beef teriyaki, cooked with onions and a thin, not-too-sweet sauce. Comfort food. A family in the front window, kids on booster seats, chatted amiably with the efficient waitress. I cleaned my plate.

Therefore, though I am no celebrity and can't manage a Bret Boonian level of enthusiasm for the place, I'm endorsing Tommy's as well — just not for the sushi.

Gyoza: "Homemade," promises the menu, and these potsticker dumplings showed an honest handcrafted touch. Not only was the pork filling tender and flecked with greens, but the dumplings were properly pan-fried to crispness on one side.

Assorted nigiri sushi: These are some slabs of fish. After seeing the thick cuts of tuna and yellowtail, I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd brought out a whole side of halibut over a lawn of rice. In truth, while the generosity is undeniable, the sushi is weighty and inelegant. That said, chef Tommy asked us whether a fatty piece of salmon was OK, and we readily agreed; I got the fattiest piece and, well, salmon fat is a good thing.

Boonie Roll No. 29: This roll isn't described on the menu, so we took a leap of faith and were rewarded with an eel roll wrapped in an enormous piece of salmon. About as subtle as stealing home.

Itemized bill, meal for two

Gyoza $6.50

Assorted nigiri sushi $28.00

Boonie Roll No. 29 $10.00

Tax $4.14

Total $48.64

Matthew Amster-Burton: matthew.reviews@gmail.com