FOOD NEWS: Sallys Offers Complex Incentive Program for Good Sushi

FEBRUARY 24, 2009 -- Most people refer to the restaurant east of Seaport Village and right behind downtown’s Manchester Grand Hyatt as Sally’s. It just came to my attention that the full name is Sally’s Seafood on the Water. No don’t stop the presses. Sally’s (for short) also has a mouthful of an incentive program called Sallycentives—aimed at attracting repeat business, primarily from locals.

I’ve currently got $29 and 40 points in my Sallycentives account. I’m not completely sure how I accrued the cash and points. There seems to be an algorithm that registers your birthday, determines how long it’s been since your last Sally’s meal and estimates your 2008 IRA losses. Note: This may be a slight exaggeration of the process.

Sally’s is slightly off the beaten path. But Sallycentives or not, it’s worth finding. It’s on the picturesque San Diego Bay, yards from the Marriott hotel’s marina. Chef “Kaz” mans Sally’s relatively new sushi counter. His soy-wrapped Kazoo roll combines salmon, mango and avocado, and is topped with crushed pistachio (and my upper lip).

Seaport Village may not offer gastronomical delights—but a few steps outside that craven tourist haven is the much better Sally’s fare. I’ve got to get up to 500 Sallycentives points to earn $50. That may require taking a blood test, extrapolating calculus derivatives and clocking a good time in a 50 yard dash. Again, I’m not 100 percent clear on how Sallycentives are calculated. Please feel free to ask your waiter.