Sushi Fly opens in downtown Monterey.

With little fanfare, Sushi Fly quietly opened in downtown Monterey last week. Even so, this new spot has culinarians crowding together for trendy tastes of sushi.

Owners Troy Mishey and Mike Adams are experienced sushi chefs: Mishey has more than 20 years of experience in sushi under his belt and Adams is a Monterey Bay graduate who climbed the ranks from apprentice to sushi chef. Mishey is a veteran of our local sushi scene, formerly owning Pink Tuna in Monterey. The pair previously focused on catering and private events, but the new downtown spot marks a return to the restaurant scene.

The location on Alvarado Street is cozy, with an eight-seat sushi bar dominating the space alongside two high-top tables and two tables for four. The space is adorned with modern decor: flashes of black, white, and red accented by mirrors, projected visual effects and movies, and a television.

The menu includes appetizers like the Hand Grenade (butterflied tiger prawn stuffed with Dungeness crab and baked, $7.95), the Scallop Flower (rolled maguro tuna topped with thinly sliced scallop, tobiko eggs, and togarashi chile pepper, $7.95), and flash blackened maguro tuna ($15.95) or sake salmon ($14.95).

But the sushi spotlight shines on the extensive selection of more than two dozen maki rolls, featured flavor fusions with ingredients like macadamia nuts, mango, cream cheese, spicy mayo, and even asparagus. Signature selections include the Lucy Who roll with Dungeness crab and fried soft-shell crab topped with avocado, maguro tuna, wasabi-infused tobiko, tsume sauce, and spicy mayo ($16.95) and the Poet Pete roll with shrimp tempura, maguro tuna, avocado, cucumber, and macadamia nuts topped with blackened unagi, tempura crunch, tobiko, tsume sauce, and spicy mayo ($15.95).

More traditional options include nigiri served in pairs over a dash of rice ($2.95-$8.95), temaki hand rolls ($4.95-$8.95), classic maki rolls ($4.94-$13.95), and sashimi ($14.95-$19.95).

Allow Sushi Fly’s chefs to curate your dinner with the Sushi Fly Dinner (spicy tuna hand roll, six-piece nigiri, and six-piece chef’s choice sashimi, $25.95), chef’s choice nigiri (eight pieces, $21.95), or chirashi ($24.95).

Skipping sushi? Look for charbroiled salmon ($21.95), chicken teriyaki ($18.95), or filet mignon ($25.95). And vegetarians can choose from select maki rolls, like the Treading Lightly roll (artichoke hearts, yamagobo pickled burdock root, avocado, macadamia nuts, black sesame seeds, $9.95) and the Wonderful Wonderful roll (shiitake mushrooms, yamagobo, avocado, grilled asparagus, caramelized red onions, $9.95).

On the beverage front, look for bottled beer from Asahi (large, $7.95) and Sapporo (small, $4.95), wine (Champagne, Chardonnay, and Merlot, all $9.95), and, of course, sake ($4.95-$19.95).

Sushi Fly 413 Alvarado St., Monterey, 920-1242, sushifly.us, 5-9pm Sunday-Thursday, 5-10pm Friday-Saturday, closed Mondays.