Otani was the first sushi bar in Columbus, Ohio ➡️ Standing near the corner of I-71 and 161, this building was home to many businesses including a clothing company and a real estate developer, but most memorably, it was home to two famous restaurants. First was Tamarack Restaurant & Lounge, known for their famous ribs. Waitstaff, donning red tuxedo jackets, would serve 2,000 pounds of ribs per week. Tamarack was also known for its steaks and its seafood, including lobster and swordfish. In 1984, the restaurant moved to Schrock Rd. and continued service as “Tamarack at 1105”, then “Bistro 1105”, before closing in 1997. In its place came Otani, the first sushi bar in Columbus. Founders Kazushige Honda and his wife Maya opened their first restaurant in Cleveland in 1978, the first sushi bar in the entire Midwest, which caught the attention of then-Governor James A. Rhodes. Governor Rhodes regularly hosted Japanese politicians while he worked to establish a Honda vehicle plant in Mary...