Playfully Retro Brunch Spot Lands in Normal Heights

Madison on Park in University Heights has unveiled its new daytime relation with Madi, a fresh restaurant now serving daily brunch in Normal Heights. The 2,000-square-foot Adams Avenue corner space has seating for 60 inside its bright, open-air dining room as well as 30 seats on a side patio. There’s also a walk-up coffee bar and a diner-style counter for those looking for expedited service.

Open daily from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Madi features an all-day menu created by co-owner Matthew Sieve with chef Tomas Felix (Encontro, Shorehouse) running the kitchen. Its Cal-Mediterranean offerings for breakfast and lunch include poached eggs with hummus, grilled pita, and cucumber salad and white bean shakshuka with carnitas as well as a watermelon, blackberry, and feta salad and lettuce wraps filled with grilled chicken or falafel. Other daytime dishes range from breakfast tacos, burritos, and sandwiches to build-your-own protein bowls based on greens or grains.

Diana Sciacca

From the bar, there’s mango-mint mimosas and Bloody Marys along with select natural and low-intervention wines, beers, and mocktails while the grab-and-go coffee bar, operated by Heartwork Coffee out of Mission Hills, will serve up a full menu of espresso-based beverages along with juices, fresh-based pastries, and other takeout-friendly items.