Dusek's

We went to Dusek's last night and had a really good time. I'm usually wary of going to a no reservations restaurant on a Saturday night (especially a newly opened one), but everything was great.

Four of us met there at 7:45. Two friends had gotten there a bit earlier, put in for a table, and grabbed two seats at the bar. We were given a 90 to 120 minute wait for a table, which was just about how long it took. The space is pretty large, and while there were a lot of people at and around the bar it didn't feel overly cramped. They've done a nice job refurbishing the space. The dining area is divided in half, with the bar in the front half and an open(ish) kitchen in the back half. Design wise everything is pretty basic. Tin ceiling, brick walls, but nothing really jumped out at me. The space was fairly full, but never got noisy enough to make it difficult to carry on a conversation.Within 30 minutes or so we were all seated at the bar and started ordering some appetizers.

At the bar we had duck fat fries, a dozen oysters, and some fish fritters (I didn't see the bar menu, so I'm not sure what they were). The duck fat fries were really great – very crispy on the outside, tender inside, and served with a nice Romesco. For Oysters we went with an East/West coast split of Blue Point, Rappahannock, Fanny Bay, and Wildcat Cove. All were excellent and very fresh. The fish fritters were really good as well, I just wish I'd looked at the bar menu and could remember what they were exactly.

In terms of drinks this is definitely a beer place. There are some cocktails, and the bartenders can certainly do a decent job making you something if you request it, but even the cocktails on the menu were beer cocktails. The beer selection is great. My favorite was the Porterhouse Broan Blaster, an Irish strong ale with a nice Fuggles flavor to it. The Ommegang Scythe and Sickle was really nice as well. I didn't try as many beers as I would have liked, because they had Celebrator on tap, and I have a hard time not drinking that when it's on tap.

We were seated in the back section, which again was full, but not cramped or overly loud. We started with some brocolini that was nicely cooked, and had some great pickled radishes with it. I would order just a plate of those radishes if I could. Next we had the Choucrout, which consisted of garlic sausage, duck confit, and bacon (along with the obligatory sauerkraut, potatoes, an also apples). All of the meats were excellent, but what really stood out to me was that the sauerkraut had a distinctively smokey flavor to it – not just like it was cooked with a smokey bacon, but that it had been smoked itself. Not everyone at the table liked that, but I really enjoyed it. The “ordinary” for the day was a lobster pot pie, which was excellent – loads of lobster in a really nice sauce, although I would have liked more crust on it. The crust was perfectly flaky while still having enough strength to hold together. The wood roasted Sepia was also great, and the braised beef cheek that was part of the plate was another thing that I'd order on it's own – just plain great. The crispy pork shank was also great, it had a sweet-ish glaze on it that was well carmelized, so the sweetness wasn't overwhelming or cloying (overly sweet glazes are usually a big complaint of mine). It also came with cheddar hush puppies that could stand on their own. Overall almost every plate had some side component that was great, it was like getting two plates at once.

All in all I really like this place a lot. Nothing jumped out at me as being wildly innovative, but everything was well thought out and perfectly executed. Longman is one of my favorite places, so my expectations were kind of high going in, but they definitely met those expectations. I was a bit underwhelmed by Parson's (especially at the price), but Dusek's seems to be much more in line with a logical evolution of what these guys did at Longman.

Dusek's
1227 W. 18th St.
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 526-3851
www.dusekschicago.com

I went to Dusek's last night and it was easy to get a table. I think tonight would also be an easy night.

We had a clam amuse that was delicious: briny and creamy. The boneless duck wings with "aerated ranch" didn't have much going for them unfortunately. Neither did the octopus confit with braised beef cheek. They both seemed way under-seasoned and the beef cheek did not have a good texture. Thankfully their rendition of General Tso's Sweetbreads, which I've seen on a few menus in town, was the best I've ever had. Sweetbreads were perfectly cooked and the tangy spicy sauce was glittered with delicious crispy bits. The pork shank with hush puppies, root vegetables, and greens was good, but not particularly remarkable. The quince sundae was surprisingly good though. It had the same good qualities as the sweetbreads.

Later we grabbed a drink at Punch House, which was really enjoyable. Despite how small it is, it was not loud even when full.

We also went to both Dusek's and Punch House this weekend (Saturday night downstairs for drinks, Sunday upstairs for brunch). Really enjoyable. The punches were all outstanding at Punch House, bartenders very friendly, and food very good.

We also had the brandade fritters, and while they had little fish flavor (the brandade at Bavette's, for instance, has a much more assertive flavor) they were well executed - creamy, crispy, and a great romsesco. The mussels were a hit for all at brunch, as were the duck fat fries (so addictive). The choucroute latke was a surprise hit, with addictive little pickled apples that they should serve in bowls as bar snacks. Blue crab dip was sweet and satisfying, although best split between 4 people vs. 2.

The only real miss I thought was the juicy lucy, which I found to be dry and under-seasoned and lacking the cheesy goodness typical of a juicy lucy (even though cooked to medium rare very well and beef from Slagel).

Dusek Punch, Sanyal Punch, Jamaican Old Fashioned, and Winter Warmer cocktails were all just really well balanced drinks, and perfect for snowy Chicago nights. They aren't afraid to be creative, and it's evident that the bar takes as much pride in what they're doing as the kitchen does.

I absolutely suggest getting to either spot, as each I suspect each will become very busy in no time at all.

Had a wonderful dinner at Duseks and Punch House. At Dusek's a companion and I had the Kentucky Fried Quail with Foie flavored corn bread; the wood roasted panzanella salad; and the vegetarian tangine. Every dish was fully flavored and perfectly cooked. My companion and I shared 2 terrific cocktails. I forget their names but one was with pisco and the other had pilsen beer. The service was attentive and informed about the dishes. We came early and my only concern is that should the restaurant be fuller it could be quite noisy. Because we were scouting the place out, instead of dessert we went downstairs to the Punch House. There we shared 2 glasses of punch. Both were terrific. One was the Fish House Punch; the other was reminiscent of a tiki drink - with run and pineapple. Friendly folk at the bar. There was not a single miss among all the dishes we had and among the staff we met. I wish this place well.

We loved Dusek's. Besides that it's a genuinely cool place (not just trying hard to be), our food was fantastic. After sharing a dozen oysters (we had the "chef's choice" assortment, split between East Coast and West Coast, and were delighted), I had the special which, as Attrill pointed out, they amusingly call "The Ordinary." On that night, The Ordinary (which comes with a beer pairing) was braised lamb with greens and homemade gnocchi. I like lamb. I want my lamb to taste like lamb. For some reason, it so often doesn't. But Dusek's lamb did, in spades.

Loved our waiter, too, who combined informality, humor and supreme competence. Noise level is "energetic" but entirely conversation-friendly. Some places have a knack of somehow combining really good food with a really good vibe to make you unreasonably happy. Dusek's has it.

Really enjoyed a meal at Dusek's this past Saturday. Nice selection of small, snacky plates and beer. For the no-reservation phobes like me, at 7:30 - 8:00 on a Saturday night (with great weather), the place was full but I don't think anyone had to wait for a table, or if they did, it must have been a very short wait. So it looks like you can go without a reservation and not fear an enormous wait.
We had oysters, sweetbreads, risotto, sweet potatoes, mussels. a salad and a side order of house made pickles. It was all good, if a few dishes like the risotto were almost too rich. Service was very good. It's pretty noisy, but was at the top of the tolerable range.

I've been here a few times already, with visits staggered throughout its first year. The first few visits were fine, but the last two were across the board great. Great drinks, great service, great food, and just the right portion size to leave you full but not feeling like you're going to burst, which is a harder balance to strike than it seems.

Any recent visit to Dusek's? Trying it for the first time before a show at Thalia Hall tomorrow night. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Ate there a couple of weeks ago. All I has the salmon entree - with smoked vermouth cream, beets, and quinoa. It was great - perfectly cooked.

I think Dusek's has been killing it lately. I recommend the saffron calamari, if they still have it, or for comfort, the pretzels, lobster roll and burger are all ace, and the mussels one of the few preparations I've had that makes great use of the seasoning on the shell. Honestly, I've never had a bad meal there, and the beer list continues to impress. Though the only thing I don't like is the use of beer in some cocktails, which I think is both terrible in concept and execution.

Had a very nice meal at Dusek's about a week ago. Highlights were the foie gras, pork rillette, scallops, veal cheeks, and the cauliflower fregola pasta. In the future, would pass on the desserts, especially the pistachio pandora.

Near my daughter's apartment, and she goes pretty frequently and really enjoys having it close by.

Al Ehrhardt wrote:Had a very nice meal at Dusek's about a week ago. Highlights were the foie gras, pork rillette, scallops, veal cheeks, and the cauliflower fregola pasta. In the future, would pass on the desserts, especially the pistachio pandora.

Near my daughter's apartment, and she goes pretty frequently and really enjoys having it close by.

i havent eaten here; only passed thru on the way downstairs to the punch house. is it as hard to talk over the noise as it seemed....?

justjoan wrote:

Al Ehrhardt wrote:Had a very nice meal at Dusek's about a week ago. Highlights were the foie gras, pork rillette, scallops, veal cheeks, and the cauliflower fregola pasta. In the future, would pass on the desserts, especially the pistachio pandora.

Near my daughter's apartment, and she goes pretty frequently and really enjoys having it close by.

i havent eaten here; only passed thru on the way downstairs to the punch house. is it as hard to talk over the noise as it seemed....?

There are 2 rooms. The one that also holds the bar can be fairly loud. The one to the east of it is quieter.

=R=

We ate in the second room (the first room that you enter holds the bar) and we didn't notice the noise.

Al Ehrhardt wrote:We ate in the second room (the first room that you enter holds the bar) and we didn't notice the noise.

thanks, al and ronnie. it's a very attractive place; i'm eager to try the food.

The Outrage Machine aims its guns at Dusek's:

Dusek’s Fires Dishwasher For No Showing During Immigrant Strike, Pilsen Erupts