04/03/09

I wish I lived in this neighborhood....

by Pedro92

My friend and I went to Mado and had a wonderful evening. We found out from our waiter that the husband and wife team that own and run the place are from two of my favorite NYC restaurants: he from the Park Avenue Cafe (63rd / Park) and her from Grammercy Tavern (20th / West of Park). With that provenance, I had high expectations.

Mado is no Grammercy, nor is it the Park Avenue Cafe. But it does not pretend to be. But the food is excellent, and their former bosses should be proud.

I really enjoyed my meal - especially because I prefer simply yet elegantly prepared continental food. The Charcuterie plate to start was three very different pates. All excellent, and served with a home made mustard and pickled fennel. The Spaghetti Carbonara was rich (but not too) and delicious. The chef used a duck egg as a foundation for the sauce which provided a fullness to the dish that really made a huge difference. The roast pig was fatty where it was supposed to be but the lean portion was not dry and the pork's richness was offset nicely with chick peas, arugula and some kind of sauce that I couldn't quite place, but it totally worked.

One other thing: Although I usually require more salt (because I love salt), I never felt like I really needed it during this meal. It was surprising to me.

DESSERT. Just get the short breads. Light as a feather and sweet as can be. Don't even get me started on the chocolate cream pie!!!!

• Pros: Excellent Food. Solid Service. Comfortable. Cozy.
• Cons: None come to mind, surprisingly

08/10/08

So Disappointing, Never again....

by jlh67

After hearing good things about Mado and the fact they are BYOB we decided to try it out on Saturday night. What a huge disappointment. The food is completely underwhelmning and not worth the prices charged. It is an interesting idea and concept and the menu sounds great however the execution and delivery is lacking completely. Even the presentation was boring and lacked any imagination. We will not return unless serious changes are made. The octopus is awful, the heirloom tomato salad is so not interesting and lacking any kind of creativity, the meat platter is disappointing and they charge $4.00 for a small portion or bread, tiny bit of mustard and a few chopped beets...what??? I will stick with Avec when I am looking for a proper meat tray. The trout was not good, lacked flavor and did not seem fresh at all. The hanger steak was ordered medium rare and came out still mooing, basically the only salvagable thing was the chicken and it wasn't much to rave about either...we were just hungry and had to eat something. There are so many other great places to go to don't bother wasting your time or money at Mado, the only thing redeemable is it is BYOB - oh yeah even the desserts stink!

• Pros: BYOB
• Cons: Food Stinks!

Ambitious and eco-minded, this affordable Bucktown eatery from a husband-wife team lists a compact menu culled from local sources.

by Jennifer Olvera

In Short
A rustic feel pervades this Bucktown Italian-Mediterranean storefront with exposed brick walls, chalkboard menus and a prominent communal table that's crafted from salvaged wood. Emphasizing local and sustainable ingredients, offerings frequently change. Charcuterie platters--served on pig-shaped boards--contain everything from pate to guanciale. Tagliatelle, made in house, could highlight ramps. Wood-grilled dishes keep it simple, as in rainbow trout with walnuts, coriander and mojo cream. There are rotisserie meats, too. Pastries and coffee kick-start the day; perfect midday selections include potato and green garlic soup and a salad of watercress, radishes and almonds accented with mint.

Photo by Jasmin Shah

05/28/08

simple, but trendy place

by MyDogFrank

i went to mado on a sunday night, about an hour before they closed and it was packed. i ordered the porchetta with salsa verde and arugula and loved it. my server was knowledgeable about the chefs and their dishes. one of the chefs was out in the dining area helping the servers. it was kind of cool to see her out and about, away from the kitchen. despite the fact that she was not in the kitchen, my pork came out in a reasonable amount of time. for dessert i tried a chocolate apricot tart with real cream on top. it was to die for, very sweet. i look forward to going back.

• Pros: location