By Nancy Jennings
Marty Schrock loves to play with his food – in a sushi chef kind of way. Combining an admiration of Japanese food culture with a hearty French food influence, he and his wife, Mar’cia, tied on their aprons and opened “Samurai Madame” in November. Silverton’s first take-away sushi eatery is located across from City Hall.
A whimsical large wooden cutout samurai figure with crisscrossed swords on his back and holding a frying pan (“very Peasant French”) greets visitors on the outside wall of their building. During warm seasons, customers will be able to lean over a quaint Dutch door and place their orders on the Water Street side. A walk-in pick-up area located on Jersey Street provides shelter from winter weather.
They offer daily Makizushi (“maki”), Japanese sushi rolls filled with various fillings. They also offer daily rice bowl specials which are topped with savory “countryside French style” meats and slow-cooked vegetables – courtesy of Mar’cia. Customers have the choice of white or brown rice.
“I learned to make sushi a couple of years ago. All of our food is fresh and there’s no frying here,” Marty said, adding they are proud to offer healthier “fast-food alternatives.”
Marty, 43, and Mar’cia, 40, have been married 21 years and have four daughters: Willow, 18, Sophie, 16, Thaile, 15 and Naomi, 10. The adventurous Silverton family hit the road about a year ago and took an ambitious cross-country tour in their van. They traveled 8,000 miles and covered a massive 26 states in 37 days. “That was our big trip before the girls got too old,” Marty said.
The couple is excited to share the experiences of owning and running a family business with their daughters. They have worked together before, owning the Silver Falls Cafe & Country Store (when it was known as The Dial Station) for two years. Marty has worked in real estate. Mar’cia worked as a teacher’s aide at Silver Crest for three years. She is finishing up anthropology studies at Chemeketa Community College, with plans on attending Oregon State University.
Regarding their menu, one quickly notices the tie-ins to the community. The Silverton Roll is vegetarian (because it is known as the ‘Garden City’), the Mount Angel Roll includes Oktoberfest sausage, cream cheese, purple cabbage, cucumber and whole grain mustard. The Fox Roll contains ingredients that display the high school colors: salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, bell pepper and “masago”
(tiny, bright orange fish eggs). Other options include: Spam roll (“musubi”), tuna roll (“omi”), big shrimp roll, ocean club roll (has bacon) and a salmon roll with seaweed salad (“salmon in the weeds”). A cucumber tomato salad is available as a side.
The family favorite, rice pudding, is offered as a dessert item. Special homemade baked goods may pop up for “First Fridays.” Baked donuts and coffee are in the works for breakfast fare. And there’s more to come. “Our youngest daughter is looking to make ‘sushi candy’ out of Rice Krispy Treats, fruit leather and Swedish Fish,” Mar’cia said, smiling.
Call-ahead or text-ahead orders are encouraged. Across Jersey Street, Silver Falls Brewery Ale House welcomes Marty and Mar’cia’s customers to call in orders, wait inside their restaurant for delivery and eat their sushi there.
