The sushi has arrived thanks to Blue Sushi Sake Grill, which opened its Uptown Dallas branch on October 31. The 12th branch of this Nebraska-spawned chain has opened in the new M-Line Tower at 3220 McKinney Ave., and is the third Blue in DFW, following the original in Fort Worth and a second branch that opened at Preston Hollow Village in 2016.

Blue Sushi is part of the Flagship Restaurant Group, and is a sibling to Blatt Beer & Table, which is also located at Preston Hollow Village. It's known for its sparkling sushi, craft cocktails, energetic atmosphere, and vivid decor.

In addition to traditional maki, nigiri, and sashimi, the Uptown location is promoting its special line of vegetarian and vegan sushi dishes, which the chain introduced in mid-October. Options include:

• Just Beet It, a vegetarian roll with crispy panko, goat cheese, beet, cucumber pickled daikon, sesame oil, yuzu kosho, and scallion.
• Shiitake To Me, a vegan option with wild mushroom sautéed in coconut milk, shiitake vegan tempura, sweet potato vegan tempura, truffle oil, sweet soy, and Thai basil.
• Thai Hippie, with tofu vegan tempura, avocado, cucumber and carrot, topped with Thai peanut sauce, cashews and Thai basil, cilantro, mint, and red onion salad.

According to a company spokesperson, Blue has always had vegan and vegetarian options, but the restaurants noticed more guests asking for even more vegan-friendly options, so they expanded the selection.

The vegan items are available at all Dallas-area locations, and have been very popular. "It's a unique offering not found at most sushi spots, and they’ve found loyal customers by providing these options," the spokesperson says.

Completely unique to the Uptown location is an expanded menu of "Fish Bowls" — large-format cocktails that are meant for sharing. The oversized drinks feature fresh flavors, strong spirits, an abundance of fresh fruit garnishes, and plenty of straws. There are five options including one called the Cherry Sake Drop, which is served with a floating shot of Gekkeikan sake.

Also relevant to the Uptown crowd are Blue's bountiful happy hour offerings, including nearly 50 items from the sushi bar and kitchen, among them atakai (warm) and tsumetai (cool) starters and shared plates. Happy hour runs Monday-Saturday from 3-6:30 pm and Sunday, 12-8 pm. Blue also offers a "reverse" happy hour with food specials on Friday and Saturday nights, from 10-11:30 pm, for Uptown residents searching for a late-night bite.