Mado

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Locavores and carnivores are going to want to check out this rustic, fairly inexpensive BYOB trattoria in Bucktown. Husband-and-wife owners Robert and Allison Levitt are both grads of the Culinary Institute of America with some pretty impressive Chicago culinary credentials (312 Chicago and North Pond) to boot. The Levitts use locally grown or raised products, emphasizing simplicity. That means they buy whole animals, which they try to use as much of as possible. You'll find house-made sausages, pates, salumis, and even head cheese (which is basically a molded sausage, not cheese). Though the menu changes depending on ingredient availability, rotisserie chicken, wood-roasted fish and a popular hanger steak with gorgonzola polenta are featured regularly. The emphasis is on Italian fare, but you'll find influences from all over the Mediterranean, including a North African-influenced dessert of dates cooked in coffee and cardamom. Mado serves brunch on Sundays and pastries and coffee in the morning.

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Bucktown/Wicker Park restaurants, Chicago restaurants, Chicago restaurants, Mediterranean restaurants