Kagawa
When I was younger, I was truly terrified at the prospect of sushi. The concept of raw fish (of course I didn't realize some sushi is, in fact cooked) freaked me out to no end, and I wanted no part of it. After much urging from my dad, my first experience with it came from the most unlikely possible place outside of a gas station, a supermarket. One taste of a California roll and I was hooked.
Ever since then I've been the advocate for sushi, and I worked on Cait for a long, long time to get her on board the sushi train. It took a while, but eventually she finally dove in too, getting her first taste of sushi in the third-to-last place you'd associate with sushi, Ogden, Utah.Now that we're sushi snobs, we'd probably look down on people getting their uncooked fish from deli counters or land-locked states, but the truth us that it doesn't matter where you start, as long as you end up finding your way to a place like Kagawa. 
Right in the middle of Quincy Center, Kagawa is a kitchy little spot with a website from the 90's. But you should never judge a book by its cover, or its tacky decor. Nor should you judge it by the fact that its e-mail address is pleasetalk@kagawarestaurant.com. Seriously.The Buddha statues and snake fountains actually do something to add to the charm of Kagawa, and they help make it the polar opposite of its next-door sushi neighbor Fuji 1546 Restaurant. While Fuji has the feel of a nightclub that decided to start serving sushi, there's no doubt that Kagawa's primary focus isn't on being chic, but on making some damn-good fresh sushi.Kagawa has the basics down to a science. The traditional maki is delicious - but most definitely not pretentious, like some sushi tends to be. The spicy tuna is most definitely spicy, without being overpowering to someone like Cait (who thinks Big Red gum is spicy). Everyone in America loves a good Philly Maki, because that cream cheese is great, although obviously not authentic. We got the Best Friend Maki out of a lame desire to express our Phait-like best friendship, and it was also awesome - the tempura crumbs provided a distinct texture that brought the roll to the next level.Every neighborhood needs a neighborhood pizza shop, chinese place, sub shop and sushi restaurant. Kagawa is a solid go-to sushi stop if you live in Quincy, and it's affordable enough to go back to the well often. But in reality, if you have to go a long way to get to Kagawa, you're better off finding your own neighborhood sushi place.Overall, Kagawa is most definitely not gourmet sushi. It's a comfortable atmosphere, and that atmosphere significantly contributes to the quality of food. The sushi is not the best sushi we've ever had, but it is the best bridge between cheap, casual, comfortable food and sushi that we are confident won't give us food poisoning. And that's good enough for us.
Kagawa Restaurant1554 Hancock StreetQuincy, MA 02169617-773-7280http://kagawarestaurant.com/