Cafe Dacha

***** Over the years, we have experienced many different types of dining experiences. Chicago is great when it comes to variety of dining and we have just about every ethnic dining experience possible. Tonight, Jane, Frank, Cary and I ventured to Highland Park for an Eastern European dining experience at Cafe Dacha. This quaint restaurant is on the corner of Green Bay Road and Central at 675 Central in downtown Highland Park. They have a lovely outdoor dining area and a very intimate inside dining room.

The menu is very Eastern European with authentic, homemade dishes from Slavic nations. People who have moved here from the Ukraine will feel that they are “home” when it comes to the flavors and menu items. I for one, found myself savoring some of the flavors tasted as a memory of my youth when my grandmother ( Bubby , as we called her) served some of these dishes. We began the evening with cocktails. Frank and Cary are very big on Manhattans, so they tried the version at Dacha called the “Highlandhatten” (Woodford reserve, Antica formula, dry curacao and peach bitters) which they loved, jane had a glass of Moscato D’Asti (an Italian sweet white wine) and I did the “All 3 Flight”( three different vodka drinks/cherry, horseradish &honey and a seasonal vodka) served with dill pickles that are eaten between  beverages. They were terrific, although the horseradish has a slight kick!

Since this was not a normal menu for us, we asked our server, Sasha , to bring us items that are standard and very Eastern European, so that we could taste the flavors. The appetizers we enjoyed were House cured herring ( probably the most flavorful herring one can have), garlic and fried potatoes ( delish), chopped beef liver pate and vareniki (pierogi with potatoes and  cabbage). We also had a taste of something that I grew up on, but in a different presentation: Beet Borscht! I grew up eating beet borscht as a cold broth with pieces of beets in the bowl and a dab of sour cream to finish it off. What we were served was HOT Borscht-Ukrainian (beets, chicken, cabbage, carrots and greens) with a dab of sour cream and let me say, wonderful.

We also had a salad Vinaigrette ( salad of beets, potatoes, carrots, pickles, green onions, peas, vinaigrette dressing-delish! and a Solinya ( picked and marinated vegetable plate) and then the entrees Beef stroganoff ( fillet of beef, sour cream tomato sauce, mushrooms over noodles), Golubtsi ( cabbage leaves stuffed with ground chicken and beef in tomato sauce, with sour cream) and last, but not least, Chicken Tapaka ( crispy pressed pan roasted Cornish hen in garlic butter). There are also lamb and salmon dishes.

For dessert, we had three of their choices. Farmers Cheese Blintzes ( they took me back to my youth) with homemade cherry sauce, gelato and the Napoleon Cake ( tradition Eastern European-layered buttery puff pastry with sweet cream custard).

It may be hard to believe, but with all we shared, nobody felt stuffed. The portions were great ( as usual Frank took  some food home for his brother) and very tasty. The beauty of trying something that is new is the knowledge that you will gain from the experience. You will find flavors that you never experienced, but now will in all likelihood return for more.  This should be a destination dining room when seeking something different. You will find yourself falling in love with the dishes they serve and I must tell you, even the vodka is different.

Cafe Dacha is located in Highland Park at 675 Central Avenue ( Northeast corner of Central Avenue and Green Bay Road.

The phone number is 224-400-3767

the website www.cafedacha.com

They are open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m.- 9 p.m.

Friday and Saturday  4 p.m.- 10 p.m.

Sundays                        4 p.m.- 8 p.m.

CLOSED MONDAYS