North Shore Italian Spot Ballaro Debuts Menu Ahead of Next Week's Opening

After passing final inspections yesterday, Ballaro, the contemporary Italian restaurant from childhood friends Mark Newman (executive chef/partner) and Josh Kaplan (general manager/partner and the son of former WBBM radio food critic and news anchor Sherman Kaplan), have unveiled the restaurant's opening menu. The menu items may sound familiar, but it's in the ingredients that Newman and chef de cuisine Joe Cecchini (The Boarding House) are using that reveals their personal flair.

This would include a spin on risotto cakes that marries snow crab and crispy pork belly as well as the Ballaro burger, which places Sardinian brigante cheese, made from sheep's milk, on top. The menu for the restaurant, which was inspired by Ballaro Market in Palermo, showcases Newman's longtime love for Italian food. His cooking approach was solidified during a trip to Italy in 2008 and deepened further under the tutelage of Todd Stein at Cibo Matto, The Florentine and Piccolo Sogno Due (where Newman served as Stein's sous chef). Cecchini also worked under Stein for many years.

Look over the menu from the Highwood restaurant which anticipates opening their doors on Tuesday. Dinner service will run Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 5:00 p.m. daily.

Dinner Menu

Dessert and After Dinner Menu