Maki Sushi & Noodle Shop

Maki Sushi & Noodle Shop
12 S. Northwest Highway
Park Ridge, IL 60068
www.makisushirestaurant.com

I got busted up pretty good by my buddy Steve on Facebook this morning about my blog. He told me to go out and eat something already as my blog was getting stale. I should have told him to pick a restaurant and take me out to dinner so I could get some new material. The truth of the matter is I have a lot of material, but have just been very busy with other things. However, in honor of Steve, I'll finish up about my recent trip to Chicago.

While in Chicago for the most recent conference I had to attend, one of my goals was to get to a couple of places I had seen on Man v. Food. Number one on my list was Al's #1 Italian Beef. As we were breaking from our meeting the question was asked if sushi was all right for dinner. I said, "No." I quickly realized how selfish I was being and did go for sushi, but I had been thinking about that beef for probably six months. Thirty lashes with a wet noodle for me for acting like a jerk.

We all pile into the shuttle bus and take a ride to Maki Sushi & Noodle Shop. I have never spent any time in the Rosemont area out near O'Hare Airport, but was quite impressed with everything I saw during my stay. You can hit a lot of the same restaurants in Rosemont that are located in the city as I was about to find out.

The shuttle ride was pretty uneventful with people chatting amongst each other. We make a couple of turns around some blocks and the driver pulls up to Maki's Sushi and says he's going to pull down the street just a little further to drop us off. Guess where he dropped us off? Yep! Right smack dab in front of Al's #1 Italian Beef! Now my mind is racing. How am I going to pull this off? I decide in my mind that I will go light on the sushi and then grab a beef sandwich to take back and hammer in my room. Things are really starting to look up for me.

We go into Maki's and it has a pretty good crowd going for a Friday night. Diners of all ages are scattered about the room and the place has a real nice ambiance. They set up tables and chairs for our group and a waiter promptly comes to the table to take our drink orders. I am on the fence between ordering a Japanese beer or a flight of sake. Not being able to choose, I order the beer and decide to share my flight of sake with Lynden. I met Lynden on this trip through my friend Zee. When the waiter asks Lynden what she wants she replies, "I'll split the sake with him." Meaning me. Well our waiter is either the smartest man in the world or doesn't speak English to well as he showed up with two flights of sake. When Lynden tried to tell him she was splitting the sake with me he says, "Yes. Flight of sake for you." What are you going to do? I wonder how many extra flights of sake this guys sales a night using that approach?

We order up a huge amount of sushi for the table and start to drink our sake. Our flights were made up of three sakes named Kaori, Kaguyahime, Outouka. They will all very good with the Kaori having a mild flavor, the Kaguyahime a sweet flavor and the Outouka being the strongest of the three. You won't be drinking many of these. Lynden and I ended up sharing our flights with a couple of others at the table. The sushi arrives and it all looks really good. I grab a couple of pieces and can't wait to eat as now I am hungry after drinking some sake. All the while reminding myself that there is still a beef sandwich in my immediate future. Well as it turns out, the sushi is really good. It is incredibly fresh and the tuna practically melted in my mouth. I tried a number of different rolls and found that to be the case with each I tried. This is truly good sushi.

We have a very nice evening chatting, eating and drinking, but it is getting about time to head back to the hotel. I pay my portion of the tab and then get ready to make my dash to Al's for my sandwich. You know, I think overall I am a pretty nice guy and try to treat people with love and respect. I don't litter. I always put down the toilet seat and I hold doors for little old ladies. So why in the world would Al's #1 Italian Beef be closed when I get back outside???? Foiled again!! So now not only am I not getting my beef sandwich, but I am hungry because I didn't each much sushi. I'm getting killed!

We get back on the bus and I just ride in silence. I need to do some deep reflecting on my life to determine what I am doing wrong to bring about this bad luck. The best thing about the evening is that I did meet new friends, the sushi I did eat was fabulous and I found a new place to recommend in Rosemont. If you are a sushi person and ever get stranded or find yourself staying out near O'Hare, visit Maki's Sushi & Noodle Shop. You'll be glad that you did.

For this visit to Maki's I have to give them four Stiffy's based only on their food and atmosphere. I am not taking into account my bad luck. LOL

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry