Mado & Luca Pinot Noir

Hidden amongst the trendy bars and restaurants of Wicker Park is inconspicuous BYOB that you truly can’t afford to pass up. At 1647 N Milwaukee lies Mado, a casual American/Mediterranean BYOB that only serves food from local Midwest farms.
I learned something very important about BYOBs at Mado: two bottles of wine is too much (for two), but one is never enough.
Our first bottle was a Luca Pinot Noir which complemented our first course perfectly. At Mado, the menu is constantly changing but they typically offer a platter of assorted pates and various meats with accompaniments including sourdough bread and hearty, flavorful grain mustard.
Needless to say, our second bottle (a Borolo) was forgettable for a variety of reasons. First of all, our second course, a Borolo risotto, immensely overshadowed the Borolo in the glass. We shared this dish, but it was so delicious that I would certainly recommend ordering it as an entrée.
Secondly, as I mentioned, two bottles is TOO MUCH for a dinner for two! Of course the second one gets forgotten!
I have to admit I was almost full by the time the entrees arrived. I had the hanger steak with Gorgonzola polenta and James was brave enough to try the beef heart. Neither of us were disappointed (though feeling a bit light headed!) The hanger steak was cooked perfectly giving it that buttery, melt-in-your-mouth taste and the rich, creamy polenta paired perfectly with it.
My advice? Mado is great for couples looking for an out-of-the-ordinary dining experience in a relaxing, laid-back atmosphere. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly and happy to help you choose from the diverse menu. It is sure to be a dining experience you won’t soon forget.
-Rachel

Caro Mio with a bottle of Jacob's Creek

Caro Mio is up at 1728 W Wilson and is an Italian BYOB in Chicago with great homemade pasta. The decor is basic and the music was pretty good - they played some Aimee Mann and the some Country Western which was refreshing. My dish was Chicken Parmigiana on top of pasta with a meat sauce. Kate had pesto stuffed Gnocchi with a creamy pinkish sauce. Each dish was $21.95. My chicken was a little tough actually but the pasta underneath was very good. I got through about a 1/3 of the total dish because it was huge - and I was hungry too. Kate made her way through about 1/2 her Gnocchi.

Our wine was a Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet and I have to say it was very forgettable. It had minimal upfront taste and the overall flavor was just kind of weak. I base most of the wines I drink off 3 buck chuck (Charles Shaw) from Trader Joe's. Basically I ask myself "how much better is this than three buck chuck?" and then there are levels of better. The Jacob's Creek was no better than three buck chuck. I paid $9.99 for it so I am noting here not to buy it again!