MARK NEWMAN

LOCALLY GROWN CHEF MARK NEWMAN (HIGHLAND PARK, IL) STARTED HIS CAREER AS AN AD MAN WHO ENJOYED COOKING FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. REALIZING THE BEST CAREER IS ONE IN WHICH YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE, NEWMAN LEFT MEDIA TO ENROLL IN CULINARY SCHOOL. GRADUATING AT THE TOP OF HIS CLASS, HE WORKED AT SEVERAL HIGH- PROFILE RESTAURANTS AND ALSO SPENT TIME ABROAD, STAGING AND TRAVELING, WORKING HIS WAY ACROSS ITALY AND SICILY. DURING THIS TIME, NEWMAN ABSORBED WHAT IT IS TO BE AN AUTHENTIC ITALIAN COOK; THIS EXPERIENCE BROUGHT HIM A MUCH DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ITALIAN COOKING CULTURE AT A TIME WHEN TRADITIONAL AND MODERN TECHNIQUES WERE MELDING. RETURNING TO CHICAGO NEWMAN CONTINUED TO ASCEND THE CULINARY LADDER, WORKING HIS WAY UP TO A CORPORATE CHEF POSITION. HE THEN GAINED EXPERIENCE ON THE VENDOR SIDE, WORKING FOR A PURVEYOR OF HIGH QUALITY SEAFOOD CATERING TO CHEFS. HAVING A SOLID FOUNDATION NOT ONLY IN THE KITCHEN BUT ALSO IN RESTAURANT OPERATIONS HAS LED NEWMAN TO POSSESS AN IMPRESSIVE KNOWLEDGE IN ALL AREAS OF RUNNING A RESTAURANT. IN 2014, NEWMAN AND LIFELONG FRIEND JOSH KAPLAN BEGAN COLLABORATING ON PLANS FOR BALLARO, RETURNING TO HIS ROOTS BOTH FIGURATIVELY AND LITERALLY. DRAWING UPON WHAT HE LEARNED COOKING ABROAD, INCORPORATING CLASSIC TECHNIQUES AND LOCAL FLAVOR, NEWMAN’S STYLE IS THAT OF MELDING ITALIAN AND FRENCH TECHNIQUES IN A MODERN, MIDWEST KITCHEN. HE BELIEVES IN “FEEDING THE SOUL” – BOTH IN THE RESTAURANT AND AT HOME, WHERE YOU’LL FIND HIM ENJOYING FAMILY TIME WHEN NOT AT THE RESTAURANT.