Good experience! Please keep in mind that I had been to Zanies in Old Town prior to visiting La Madia and had a few glasses of wine, so my judgment may have been a little cloudy, but this was a lot of fun. The modern interior was very clean and gave the place a hip and simple feel. The server was a trip. He was from Charleston, SC and was a lot of fun. He impressed me immediately with a proper introduction and offered us assistance with the wine list. To keep things moving along I quickly picked two that caught my eye, Cusumano Nero d’Avola/Syrah and Bastianich Vespa Rosso. Both are versatile reds that would match well with just about anything on the menu. It is worth noting that the wines seemed reasonably priced, not ultra competitive, but not a three times retail either. The server’s wine service was excellent and he made sure that our glasses were never empty. Just because I order a bottle, or two, or three, doesn’t mean I am interested in serving myself.
For appetizers, he suggested the Foil Roasted Crackling Nicoise Olives and the Oven Roasted Artichokes. The Olives and Artichokes were good and didn’t ruin our appetite for pizza.
For dinner, the three of us decided to split two of their pizzas. La Madia makes a Neapolitan style pizza, which I really enjoy, because the crust doesn’t dominate the pizza and the ingredients have an opportunity to shine. The first pizza had their House Made Fennel Sausage, Sweet Peppers, and Vidalia Onions, and it was great. I love the taste of fennel seeds and the Peppers and Onions gave it wonderfully sweet taste to match the savory sausage. The second pizza was the Teleggio (Soft Italian Cheese) and Vin Santo Roasted Grapes Pizza. This was definitely a new one for me. The chef did stop by the table and explain the grapes, but I am a little foggy on the details. I believe he said they were soaked in wine, and then caramelized before being added to the pie. I’m not sure this is correct, but they were so tasty on the pizza. I look forward to trying this at home to see how it turns out.
This is how I know I had a great experience, I purchased desert. The Warm Spiced Pear Crostata w/ Vanilla bean Gelato and the Chocolate Tortino were both excellent. The end all is that the Server and the Restaurant did a great job, and therefore sold the entire package, wine, appetizer, meal, desert.
Definitely give La Madia a shot; I don’t think you will be disappointed. If you can remember, ask for the guy server with from Charleston, his accent is so strong they will know who you are talking about if he is still there.
La Madia is just one of the hundred or so restaurants that would be within walking distance if you lived in the neighborhood. In regard to housing, there is something for everyone in the River North/Streeterville neighborhoods including Single Family Homes, Full Amenity High Rises, Loft Conversions, smaller low amenity buildings. The prices are on the higher end of the spectrum, but you are certainly paying for access to probably the highest concentration of variety in the city of Chicago.
Here is what your money will get you:
1 Parking Spot – $30k – $70k or $250 – $500 / month
1bed/1bath condo w/out parking – 300 Listings High $900k, Low $169k, Median $310k
2bed/2bath condo w/out parking – 332 Listings High $1.6M, Low $310k, Median $550k
All Condos – High $8.8M, Low $133k
Single Family – 5 Listings High $4.7M, Low $1.5M, Median $3.9M
No Comments Yet
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
