I’m not a reservations kind of guy. Which sometimes means I am left on the outside looking in. Which is not always a bad place to be. Like during a recent trip to Chicago, when I decided to act on a friend’s recommendation and give Maple & Ash a try. With a reputation for great steaks in a city that literally grew up around the beef industry, I was looking forward to something special.
What I got was a lively, crowded and clearly popular restaurant. What I did not get was a table. No reservation, remember? Not willing to wait for two hours, I found my way down to a lower level bar that was part of the restaurant. Plenty of room for me here, and an atmosphere that made me feel right at home.
It was a fortuitous occurrence. Although the bar had its own menu that was not as interesting as the full “upstairs” menu, I was just as happy with the lighter fare, which turned out to be delicious. All of the taste, none of the haste.
I started with a black tiger prawn shrimp cocktail appetizer. I don’t know where they source the shrimp, but each one was approximately the size of a catcher’s mitt. Chilled and delicious. Then I took a detour and went “downscale” with a club sandwich and fries. The sandwich was a handful, stuffed with layers of taste between slices of toasted garlic bread, surrounded by a sea of crisp fries. It was almost a guilty pleasure to work my way through.
Although I may have missed out on being part of the “in crowd” upstairs, I thoroughly enjoyed my “pub grub” at the Maple & Ash bar. Plus, it gave me a chance to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes, people watching, in a city that has more than its share of interesting characters.
Maple & Ash
8 West Maple Street
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 944-8888