Pedal, shop, snack and drink your way through Japanese culinary landmarks in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, for a good cause. This bicycle ride was inspired by Chicago Reader food critic Mike Sula’s recent article about izakaya, pub-eateries serving small plates along with sake, beer and shochu, http://tinyurl.com/salarymanshaven.

 

Come hungry, as there will be plenty of opportunities to sample authentic dishes that aren’t yet available in the city, since Chicagoland’s Japanese expat community is centered on the suburbs northwest of O’Hare.

 

The bike ride departs on Saturday, June 4, at 1:30 pm from the Arlington Heights Metra station, 1 N. Vail Ave. (UP-NW trains bound for Arlington Heights leave the Ogilvie Center, 500 W. Madison in Chicago, at 12:30 pm and have space for 20 bikes).

 

We’ll stop at Arlington Height’s Mitsuwa Marketplace, a Japanese supermarket, for a late lunch at the food court and browsing the grocery, bakery, liquor, houseware and book departments. Next we’ll take a spin on bike paths around the Busse Woods Forest Preserve, including a rest stop by its lovely lake and a visit with the forest preserve’s famous reindeer herd.

 

After that we’ll stop at Tori Shin Restaurant in Mount Prospect, the local tavern that Sula says is most similar to an old-school izakaya, for snacks and drinks. Next we’ll head to Mount Prospect’s Izakaya Sankyu (Japanglish for “thank you”) for more small plates and drinks and/or entrees. We’ll return to the Arlington Heights Metra stop with plenty of time to catch the 8:32 pm train, arriving at the Ogilvie Center at 9:23 pm.

 

A map of the route is at: http://tinyurl.com/5311izakaya

 

There is no ride fee but a $20 donation to American Red Cross for Japanese earthquake relief is requested. Riders pay for their own food and beverages.

 

The ride will travel at 12 miles-per-hour. Ridership is limited to 20 people. To reserve a spot RSVP to John Greenfield at greenfieldjohn@hotmail.com or 312-560-3966.