Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/260419
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GALDONES PHOTOGRAPHY has once again made this address the social center of the neighborhood. In a time of mass-produced vintage replicas, the interior of Dusek's is refreshingly real. The original pressed tin ceilings and brass chandeliers are polished to perfection, but they still exude vintage charm, while the exposed-brick walls, wooden tables, and leather banquettes lend inviting warmth fit for a neighborhood tavern. "We took out the extraneous stuff and kept what was historically part of the property," attests Finkelman. "We tried to repurpose most of what was there and make it authentic." Preserved f loor- ing from the old theater space was used in everything from the host stand to check presenters. These elements lend the place an air of both authentic- ity and modernity; this is not the typical towny tavern—more like its refined relative. Guests can quaff from a changing rotation of nearly two dozen craft brews on draft; the cocktail list boasts brew-enhanced bevies like the refreshing combination of lemon, orgeat, orange f lower water, and ABOVE: The interior of Dusek's exudes vintage charm. LEFT: Chef Bruce Finkelman plates "The Ordinary," an ever-changing entrée and beer pairing. TOP RIGHT: Braised beef short rib with jerky, porcini, oatmeal, smoked tomato pudding, and fried onion. continued from page 76 HAPPY COUPLES Instead of a special, try the weekly dish and beer pairing. Chef Jared Wentworth's menu doesn't have specials—well, not exactly. Each week Wentworth offers a different new dish paired with beer, cheekily referring to it as "the ordinary." "I'm not into running specials because I change the menu frequently," explains Wentworth, "but it's a nice way to try out a new dish and teach the staff about beer pairings." However, a recent offering of venison loin medallions with tart cherry sauce accompanied by pillowy sweet potato gnocchi and kohlrabi purée with a New England craft beer pairing was anything but ordinary. continued on page 80 Becherovka with Czech pilsner. Beer plays a pivotal role in the menu as well; partner and Executive Chef Jared Wentworth earned a Michelin star with his whiskey-focused menu at Longman & Eagle, and here he does the same with the brewed stuff, designing each dish based upon how well it holds up to a pairing. For more cocktail options, guests can venture to the lower-level Punch House. Its nautical theme (wood paneling, back-lit aquarium, and mounted sailfish) is a nod to 17th-century sailors who, Finkelman explains, "made punch to extend their rations, thereby mitigating the effects of alcohol so they could drink all day." The menu offers eight types of punch categorized as classic (think brandy-spiked milk punch infused with nutmeg and lemon) or contemporary (Sanyal punch with curried pisco, Darjeeling tea, citrus juices, and fresh pineapple with chili f lakes), as well as a handful of non-punch options—all available by the glass, carafe, bowl, or take-away growler. The dining menu at Dusek's itself offers some usual suspects of the nouveau gastropub repertoire (think crispy pig tails and country-fried Slagel Farm chicken livers). Diners will also discover a traditional New England lobster roll with rich chunks of meat bursting from a buttered split roll—a glimpse into Wentworth's New England upbringing—and " e philosophy of Dusek's is pristine ingredients, well-prepared." —JARED WENTWORTH 78 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM TASTE 076-080_MA_Taste_SMD_Spring_14.indd 78 2/11/14 4:17 PM