Duke's was
first mentioned here nearly a year ago by Marija. Her post got a few comments but didn't seem to inspire many visits, a real shame because it was among the year's best tips. I first went back in March and liked Duke's a lot but neglected to write anything. Now, with the cooler weather, I've been a few more times and have been just as impressed.
Most Lithuanian restaurants in and around Chicago—Healthy Food, Seklyčia, Mabenka—fit the same pattern: plain home-style food in mammoth portions served to older customers in plain surroundings. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that but a little variety is good too.
Duke's, on a busy stretch of Harlem Avenue, doesn't look terribly promising from the outside but inside it's clear a lot of effort went into decoration.
A long well-stocked bar is along one wall and the rest of the space is taken up by tables and large wooden booths.
The menu is huge, over twenty pages including one devoted to potato dishes, with most of the Lithuanian standards and many you're unlikely to see elsewhere around Chicago. The appetizer section is especially impressive. Assorted plates chosen to accompany beer, vodka, or wine are available. The beer plate includes smoked pig ears, dry salami, smoked mackerel, Lithuanian cheese, and fried bread with garlic sauce. Incidentally the beer list is extensive with four varieties of Švyturys and two each of Kalnapilis and Utenos. Lithuanian vodkas can be had by the bottle or glass.
Soups change daily but sauerkraut and beet soup (hot or cold) are always available.
Raugintų kopūstų sriuba
The mild sauerkraut soup comes with a bit of pungent melted cheese, a nice touch. When Duke's opened they used pottery made for them in Lithuania (embossed with the Duke's crest). Unfortunately they have stopped using this beautiful serving ware.
I've tried a few entrees and have been generally happy with them. Most main dishes come with potato and an assortment of salads as well as a nice bread basket.
Kiaulienos suktinukai su voveruškomis
Pork rolls, served with a chanterelle cream sauce, were subtle and satisfying. I believe that's a Švyturys Extra (Dortmunder style).
Šernienos maltiniai su šonine ir aštriu padažu
Less subtle but just as satisfying was the boar wrapped in bacon, broiled and served with a spicy sour cream-garlic-paprika sauce. The beer is Švyturys Anniversary, a pleasant but fairly standard Pilsner.
Kiaulienos šnicelis
When I first saw the šnicelis I was disappointed it wasn't the thinly pounded meat I expected. As soon as I tasted the chopped pork cutlet I realized it was an excellent rendition, very fresh and moist. The beer is Švyturys Baltas, a pretty good unfiltered wheat beer (not to be confused with Švyturys Baltijos, a malty dark beer).
Behind the restaurant there's a Lithuanian delicatessen, reason enough to visit.
It's small but densely packed with condiments, jams, and breads (well worth buying) imported from Lithuania and there's a large freezer with many types of dumplings. The highlight is the meat and salad case, with nearly everything made on the premises. Try some unusual multi-component rolled sausage or several kinds of heavily smoked pork. There are some interesting salads such as fried bread and bean or herring with dried fruit (most of these are available in the restaurant as well). They also prepare fresh kibinai, bacon buns, and other baked goods. I haven't yet explored the fish case, with a good variety of smoked fish and caviar. Duke's Deli would be a good place to stock up on New Year's Eve snacks.
Clockwise from top: slightly sweet organic rye bread from Vilnius, smoked pork, meat loaf, herring and mushroom salad, fish loaf, beet and bean salad. Except for the bread (as well as mustard and horseradish) everything was made at Duke's. Unfortunately I didn't have any Lithuanian beverages on hand but this went very well with some Old Rasputin Stout (a really great 9% RIS from North Coast Brewing).
I hope people will give this ambitious restaurant a try. I'm thinking of organizing a group dinner, maybe at the end of January when the holidays are well behind us, if there's enough interest.
Finally, a few words about Lithuanian pronunciation. I'm not the person you want to get this sort of advice from but I believe the following is close to correct. The letters č, š, ž (with a caron) are pronounced ch, sh, zh. Both ų (with an ogonek) and ū (with a macron) are pronounced more or less like oo as in duke.
Duke's Eatery & Deli — Kunigaikščių Užeiga
6312 S Harlem Av
Summit IL
708-594-5622
Mon-Thu 10-10, Fri-Sat 10-12, Sun 10-9
Deli open 10-8 every day