Japanese Fusion Sushi & Grill now Owned by Lifelong Locals
Ten years is diamonds, 15 is rubies, 20 is platinum, and 25 is… sushi? While most empty nesters are traveling, crying over grown babies, and joining book clubs, Lacie and Ryan Whittington, owners of Nourish Sushi, a Japanese fusion sushi bar and grill in downtown Nevada City, have rolled up their sleeves and honored their vows to become home-town restaurateurs.
The couple, who met during Lacie’s senior year at Nevada Union High School, re-opened under new ownership on their 25th wedding anniversary, following two decades of organic farming on their homestead in Camptonville. “It’s really important for me,” Lacie begins, “having been born and raised here, having raised my children here, to be a part of our community in a way that reaches people. Providing a wonderful place like Nourish, where I could spread love and welcome guests into our ‘home’ is something I need, it’s something I value. We want Nourish to become a destination location. We want guests to spend their holidays and their birthdays with us. We want it to be an event spot for gatherings, celebrations, and Christmas parties, but more than anything, we want Nourish to become a wonderful location for amazing sushi, incredible service, and a great atmosphere. We want to be a staple restaurant in our community where you are nourished in every sense of the word. If you come through my door with a limp I want to send you out the door with a skip.”
Alongside their full-scale sushi bar, and local ‘bevvies’ like Bullmastiff Brewery, BrewBilt Brewery, Ponderosa Cider, and Gold Vibe Kombucha, Nourish Sushi’s new menu includes a 16 oz grass-fed Ribeye, a housemade Wagyu burger topped with an organic fried egg, and Cowboy Sashimi––a 14oz New York Steak cooked to rare perfection, thinly sliced, and served over a bed of rice topped with housemade shogun sauce. “My husband and I would go to dinner at sushi restaurants with friends who didn’t eat sushi, and the only other option was teriyaki chicken. We always said there should be a restaurant that serves grill-style dinner alongside incredible sushi. When we acquired Nourish, we knew our menu would be diverse and include exactly that. It was a personal mission to offer a menu that invited both sushi and non-sushi lovers to still share a meal and an evening out.”
Sushi is an art, a balance of sensory experiences from first glance to last lingering flavor. It’s the idea that hunger can be satiated in many forms, in both greetings and goodbyes. “When you walk through my doors you become part of our Nourish Sushi family,” says Lacie. “We want you to feel welcomed, to feel cared for, and to leave with a full belly and a happy heart.”
