I remember when Tsukuneya Robata Grill opened in the spot on the corner of University Avenue and Dole Street vacated by Players Sports Bar (and before that, Pizza Hut).

And I remember, after eating my first meal there, “This isn’t going to last.”

But four years later, Tsukuneya is still around — and with a loyal following, devoted to the stylish restaurant’s menu of skewered, grilled and deep-fried fare.

I’ll admit, the first time I ate here I didn’t care for it. The signature tsukune — basically, a ground chicken meatball on a stick — wasn’t that appealing to me. And I didn’t see how this robatayaki would differentiate itself from the other, more established ones such as Tokkuri-Tei and Izakaya Nonbei so nearby.

Then again, the others don’t specialize in tsukune. And if you like that sort of stuff — or any food specialty hailing from Nagoya — you’ll love Tsukuneya.

A couple I’m friends with loves this place, so I decided to give it another go. And you know what? It was a lot better the second time around.

Here’s what we ate:

Meet Doug Johnson

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One of the best parts of our meal was meeting and talking with Doug Johnson, sommelier and dining room manager at Chef Mavro. He spoke authoritatively about every glass he poured, and we definitely got a wine education.