I lived in Italy for about a month and a half and Macello's menu reminded me of things I saw and ate in Italy. It seemed like the real deal to me, so we made reservations. Let me tell you, Macello did not disappoint and my family had one of the best meals we've ever shared together.
We started off with an order of Carciofi Ripieni (Stuffed artichokes). Sadly, I did not get a picture of them, but they were absolutely divine. Stuffed with Parmesan and other cheeses and breadcrumbs and then baked, they were soft and full of flavor. I LOVE artichokes but not when they are cooked to a watery, flavorless lump. These were perfect. And whatever cheese they were stuffed with was gooey and wonderful. These are a must order if you ever visit Macello.
For my entree, I ordered a special, so sadly it's not on the menu everyday. I ordered the Oven baked Haddock with seafood risotto and asparagus:
This meal made all my Christmas wishes come true. Wow, was this amazing. The fish was so tender and moist, tasted extremely fresh and just melted in my mouth. The sauce it was served with was definitely tomato based, but I'm not sure what else was in it. But it reminded me of a less creamy vodka sauce, which is one of my favorites. The sauce was delicious and the Haddock and risotto soaked it up beautifully. (I'm from the south, so it's all about sopping up that sauce!) Which brings me to the risotto... This risotto was like a sampling of every piece of seafood in the sea. It had everything from scallops to squid to shrimp to mussels and clams. I would say it was equally seafood as risotto. It was awesome. Nothing was chewy or overcooked. It all tasted fresh, not overly "fishy" and paired perfectly with that tomato sauce.
Being that Chicago is no where close to an ocean, I was not expecting anything special from their seafood, but I can confidently say this was one of the best seafood dishes I've ever had. My family all ordered very different things, from pasta to beef to soup, and it was all amazing. If you are in Chicago, I urge you to venture out to this amazing and unassuming restaurant. It sits under the railroad tracks in the middle of nowhere, but it is so worth the drive out. The food is ridiculous and the atmosphere is really cool. It has high ceilings with rafters that have beautiful painted globes hanging from them. The walls are covered with painted murals and their large wine selection is displayed beautifully in a case along one wall. A great place to eat and be with loved ones.
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