Snappy Sushi

SNAPPY SUSHI 420 Highland, Davis Square, Somerville. 617-625-0400. Don't expect the usual at this new sushi bar. The rice is a daring brown, seating is communal, and "fancy rolls" are boundary pushers that borrow from other cuisines (ever see pineapple salsa or pesto in sushi?). Your choice of seats in the clean-lined modern space are either at the sushi bar or at the one and only table, which seats 12. Lunch specials are a bargain, salad greens fresh, and appetizers interesting and gorgeously plated. Try the sweet n' spicy ika sansai, smoked octopus, or the tuna tataki salad. Plenty of traditional rolls and nigiri are here, but fans of fat, outrageous, overstuffed maki rolls will find a "tuna gone wild" roll capped with torched white tuna and citrusy yuzu sauce. It's all made with their house-milled premium brown sushi rice, which has most of the strong-tasting bran removed but retains the nutritious germ. The result is a flavor far more subtle than most brown rice, which allows for healthier eating without sacrificing flavor. (Denise Taylor, 06/11/08)