New sushi restaurant planned for Hamilton

By Grace Lovins

A new fresh sushi restaurant called No. 28 is set to fill the vacant first-floor tenant space located at 211 Hamilton Row in Birmingham after city commissioners approved the special land use permit and final site plan and design during the Monday, April 13, meeting in a unanimous vote.

City planner Leah Blizinski said the restaurant’s proposal calls for a new food and drink establishment that will serve alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption, with seating both indoors and outdoors on an outdoor dining patio. She noted that the patio will have eight seats and, because of its location, the restaurant will have to apply for an outdoor dining permit annually.

Blizinski included in her memorandum in the meeting packet that the restaurant is described as a small, intimate indoor setting with food prepared and provided through the adjacent kitchen of Terra Kitchen & Cocktails. She said they plan to operate Wednesday through Sunday until 2:00 a.m. while reserving Monday and Tuesday for private events.

Kevin Biddison of Biddison Architecture and Design, speaking on behalf of the restaurant’s ownership, said that No. 28 will specialize in fresh sushi brought in daily. He said there wouldn’t be any traditional cooking that would cause food to be ushered back and forth between Terra’s kitchen and No. 28. The concept will allow patrons to sit at the bar, have a drink and interact with the sushi chef.

Ultimately, the commission voted 7-0 to approve the special land use permit for the new restaurant.