Only a few blocks north on Harlem from the Chicago Fire's new home lies Kunigaikščių Užeiga, the newly opened restaurant and deli that I, with 11 friends, visited and thoroughly enjoyed on Saturday night. Unlike nearly all of my previous experiences regarding Lithuanian cuisine in the US (church basements reeking of Sterno, people's houses, the anachronistic Seklyčia), "The Dukes' Eatery and Deli" reminds me more of the upper-middle scale Lithuanian restaurants in Vilnius, like Amatininkų Užeiga or Žemaičių Smuklė. Even the details reminded me of Vilnius: ludicrously cheap prices, beer by the half-litre, and no water available anywhere until you ask for it.

It's clear that a lot of capital went into setting this place up. As I'm told, it came largely via the store Lietuvėlė, and it is run by a brother and sister and their spouses. And they're doing a fantastic job of it in the few months that the place has been open. The interior is startlingly well-done. We sat in heavy, high-backed chairs beneath a painting (or a commissioned copy) of Vytautas Didysis. The walls are covered in paintings or prints of maps of thirteenth century Lithuania, so you can follow historical marches to the Black Sea as you move toward the bathroom.

The service was decidely "European," but polite and unhurried. And though the night was sort of slow (apparently Saturdays usually have live music and a lot more action), we were able to move about between the bar and our table with ease—sort of like staking out your place at Brodvėjus early in the evening and floating near it for the whole night while still interacting with everyone else there.

But the place is primarily a restaurant, and here it scores very highly, especially in comparison to its competition—grandma's kitchen, etc. The menu is wide and deep, covering pretty much all the bases of basic Lithuanian cuisine, with even at least a dozen dishes that are nominally vegetarian. The prices are ridiculously low as well, considering the sizes of the portions—yet another reminder of Lithuania (actually, if I recall correctly, food here costs in dollars more or less what it would in litai).

Combination plate minus dešra.

To drink, we mostly stuck to Švyturys Ekstra, although some tried out the wheat Baltas. A few started the night with the 7.3% Kalnapilis, but that didn't seem to be a big hit. After the beer, we moved on to Lithuanian-brand vodka, Советское champagne, and shots of trys deveneriai and starka. Again, there was plenty we didn't try, and the bar seemed very, very well-stocked (I counted over a half-dozen tequilas, for example). Considering they were also showing Premiership football on the television, it looked like quite a place for a nightlife.

For 12 people (with only about 10 eating), our bill came to $320 without tip. Considering how drunk most of the group was, this seems to be astonishingly reasonable—so much so that the waitress ended up with a very healthy tip, with no one feeling that they overpaid for their share of the action.

Despite being apprehensive at first (I thought the place would specialise in the cuisine of the grand dukes, and having seen what passes for "vegetarian" at Medieval Times, I was wary of what I'd be able to get here), I'm really excited about the Užeiga, and I've already made plans for a repeat visit. Once the Fire move down the street, I can see making a habit of football and zeppelins. The deli itself I didn't check out but for a quick peek, but it seems to be filled with food and beer.

Kunigaikščių Užeiga, 6312 S. Harlem Ave., Summit, IL 60501. Tel: 708.594.5622 [map]

Comments (3)

Stasys: ... May 19th weekend? 1 2006.04.18 moacir: May 19th? There has been some rumbling... 2 2006.04.18 moacir: Followup including menu changes. I wrote a short followup to this piece that includes the menu changes. Duke's v. 1.1 3 2006.05.14

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