Your elders probably taught you to clear your plate at dinnertime, not wanting to waste any food. And yet, many restaurants throw out an incredible amount of edible food every day. Mado, a new restaurant in Bucktown, breaks that trend and does its eco-friendly part.

This Italian/Mediterranean eatery with exposed-brick walls is clean, casual, and comfortable. The furnishings are a hodge-podge of recycled materials, including the chalkboard menus and an old, wooden farm table. Mado uses ⿿green⿿ cleaning supplies and serves filtered water, rather than bottled.

However, the kitchen is the area that excels in innovation. Chef Rob Levitt and his wife (and co-owner) Allison use locally-produced vegetables and purchase whole animals, breaking them down with a giant meat-saw. The pigs, lambs, etc., are then either roasted on a rotisserie or a wood grill. The Levitts use every part of the animal possible, resulting in homemade sausages, pates, and head cheese.

The menu changes on a daily basis (hence the easily erasable chalkboard menu) based on ingredients⿿ availability and freshness, but you can expect to find dishes like hangar steak with polenta, whitefish with carrots, rotisserie chicken, fresh tagliatelle pasta, and/or rainbow trout with walnuts. Every dish is kept simple, rustic, and flavorful. Finally, the restaurant features a monthly family-style meal featuring roasted goose or pig.

With the chefs⿿ remarkable training, skills, and resourcefulness, you will have no problems clearing your plate and not wasting a single bite.

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) consumatron (1, 2)

Mado ($$$): 1647 N Milwaukee Ave; 773-342-2340
Tues ⿿ Thurs: 8:00 a.m. ⿿ 10:00 p.m.
Fri ⿿ Sat: 8:00 a.m. ⿿ 12 midnight
Sun: 8:00 a.m. ⿿ 9:00 p.m.
Street parking
Public trans: Bus # 50, 56, 72 or Blue Line train (Damen)
http://www.madorestaurantchicago.com/