Czech Places - following Bourdain

The wifey and I have a new hobby this year, after watching each new episode of No Reservations, we go find a restaurant to eat the same foods we just say Bourdain eat.

We're having a bit of trouble finding a representative Czech dining experience. I know about Klas, but looking for something more northside. Any ideas?

As the only known Czech restaurant within city limits, I'd say Operetta is your list of choices. I wrote about it at the Reader here, there are also old threads about it (though I think most are about a previous owner's tenure).

Mike G wrote:As the only known Czech restaurant within city limits, I'd say Operetta is your list of choices. I wrote about it at the Reader here, there are also old threads about it (though I think most are about a previous owner's tenure).

The skilled assasins of Operetta have faded into their new cover roles, and sadly the location is now a Cuban restaurant. (Sad as in I loved Operetta not sad as in Chicago needs more Cuban restaurants).

There was another Czech place in Chicago called New England Inn, but I never went, so I cannot vouch for it or attest to whether it still exists.

Aw, damn. Yeah, I forgot about New England Inn (which is named for the street it's on). I've looked at it but never eaten there; it looks basically like a tavern, but who knows? Be the first to venture in.

i thought that this show was one of the best ones. the guy hand filling the sausage. where can we see that in chicago

philw wrote:i thought that this show was one of the best ones. the guy hand filling the sausage. where can we see that in chicago

I don't know if anything can beat his Sardinia episode.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

philw wrote:i thought that this show was one of the best ones. the guy hand filling the sausage. where can we see that in chicago

I don't know if anything can beat his Sardinia episode.

that is a top one also

My wife is Czech and I go every summer for about 6 weeks. The food that Tony ate will be somewhat hard to find. Some of the meats from the pig slaughter (known as zabijacka and pronounced zah-bee-ahtch-ka) might be available at the Czech shop "Vltava" on Belmont just west of Oketo. Tomas is the owner and is a very nice guy. You might want to call and ask. The 2 kinds of sausage they make at zabijacka are called jitrnice (yeeter-nitseh) and jelito (yeleetow). Jelito is the one with the blood in it. He might also be able to tell you where to find the Czech style head cheese, called tlacenka (tlah-chainka). Pork goulash is served too at zabijacka, but most restaurants make and serve beef goulash. The other things at zabijacka (prejt, kroupy, ovar, and the blood soup) will be hard to find.

As for New England Inn (at the corner of New England and Irving Park), the food is not great, but it is more of a pub than a restaurant and you may be able to get food that is representative of one of the pubs that Tony went to.

Another Czech restaurant in Chicago is called Cafe Prague, at 6710-6712 W. Belmont. The food we had the one time we went was decent.

In the west suburbs (Oak Park, Riverside, Brookfield...) there are quite a few Czech restaurants, but they refer to themselves as "Bohemian" restaurants.

You will have a tough time finding goose, but the duck at these restaurants is normally pretty authentic. It should be noted that even in the Czech Republic, it is hard to find a restaurants that have food that is prepared as well as at home. Dumplings and svickova are usually particularly bad.

There are some shots and other information from a recent visit to Mr. Svickova and I made to Vltava in this post.

=R=

I live in the west suburbs. There are quite a few little Czech/Bohemian places this way. However, not sure if they resemble what Bourdain experienced or not.
My favorite one is Little Bohemia in Riverside. I always get the duck and/or the pork tenderloin. Complete meal for ~$10. The place has not changed since 1990 when I first moved to Riverside. It was dated 20 years then. SO atmosphere is not something you will find. Good, heavy food, (too heavy to eat the summer but perfect in the winter) for a cheap price is what you will find.
Also just a shop or two down is a Chocolate place called Aunt Diana's. Very good chocolate and the best Carmel apples I have ever had.
Little Bohemia
25 E. Burlington
Riverside, IL 60546
Tel: (708) 442-1251

Aunt Diana's
29 E Burlington St
Riverside, IL 60546
(708) 447-1031

But the don't get off the main roads of Harlem and Burlington. You are bound to get lost if you venture to far in Riverside!
Also there is Riverside Restaurant on Harlem that is Czech. It is a little more convenient located and bit more popular. I like Little Bohemia better though.
Found this web reference site for all things Czech/American: http://www.svu2000.org/cs_america/americana5.htm

Goodness JITRNICE now im craving it!!!! I havent had that in so many years.We used to find it at bobaks but havent seen it anywhere.Im from New Lenox so finding ethnic stores isnt so easy. If anyone knows anywhere on the south side that would be wonderful!!!!Gosh i miss the old deli's on the southside.
My favorite czech places are czechs plaza and bohemian crystal.Slovak Deb

There's also Czech Plaza in Berwyn. As I recall, the food was reasonably priced, everything was hearty and meaty and close to what I ate in the CR, and my husband and I were the youngest people there by decades. Some people might find that off-putting, but I found it atmospheric. A possible bonus is that stretch of Berwyn is the Land of the Laundromats, so you can put a load in while enjoying your meal.

Czech Plaza
7016 Cermak Rd
Berwyn, IL 60402
(708) 795-6555

Also in Westmont is the Bohemian Crystal at Ogden and Blackhawk.Blackhawk is just east about 2 blocks from Midwest Rd.A Chipoltes is on the corner and Crystal is about 500' north of Ogden.
Delicious roast duck and very reasonable prices.A real gem!!

Yesterday while dropping off a pair of boots for repair on Grand just east of Harlem I spied a small resturant named Bistro Grand . They had a sign in the window that read "Operetta Menu Here". Couldn't find much info other than it is listed at slavakchicago.org as replacing Operetta.
Bistro Grand 2362 N. Neva Chicago.
1 Block east of Harlem and 1/2 Block South of Grand.

jerryg wrote:Also in Westmont is the Bohemian Crystal at Ogden and Blackhawk.Blackhawk is just east about 2 blocks from Midwest Rd.A Chipoltes is on the corner and Crystal is about 500' north of Ogden.
Delicious roast duck and very reasonable prices.A real gem!!

While I like the Bohemian Crystal, the last couple of times that I have had the duck (usually as a part of the Moravian Platter) it has been dry to the point of almost being inedible. While I love duck, I usually limit my duck consumption to the Chinatown BBQ restaurants where it is always moist and tasty.

I have to whole-heartedly agree with the Czech Plaza recommendation. I'm 100% Bohemian & have to say this is the best of what's left of the Czech/Bohemian restaurants. Much more casual, authentic & value than Bohemian Crystal (which years ago used to be at 5 corners in Brookfield, if I remember correctly).

Debbie wrote:Goodness JITRNICE now im craving it!!!! I havent had that in so many years.We used to find it at bobaks but havent seen it anywhere.Im from New Lenox so finding ethnic stores isnt so easy.

Crawford Sausage, an old company on Pulaski (once Crawford) near Cermak, still makes jaternice (and jelita) and they have a moderately wide distribution area. You can see a list of retailers here, including a couple in Mokena. Even if they don't regularly carry what you want they should be able to order it.

A caveat; the list Rene G linked might be a little out of date. The Family Pride Foods in Midlothian on that list is a block from my house; it's closed and has been for a few years. So (common sense) make sure the vendor exists before making a trip

jerryg wrote:Also in Westmont is the Bohemian Crystal at Ogden and Blackhawk.Blackhawk is just east about 2 blocks from Midwest Rd.A Chipoltes is on the corner and Crystal is about 500' north of Ogden.
Delicious roast duck and very reasonable prices.A real gem!!

Funny, I was just discussing Bohemian Crystal with a friend, and neither of us could ever remember having a decent meal there, so count me as a negative vote.

I did visit the Czech Republic around 2000 and found the food to be pretty lousy for the most part, even in supposedly fancy restaurants in Prague, as well as places we ate out in the country, as we wandered around some. Nothing came close in quality to the Bohemian food I have eaten here, or what I have enjoyed in Vienna on the same trip or other occasions (a great city for food). A Wiener Schnitzel may be exactly the same thing as a fried pork cutlet, but Wien does it better.

The Bavarian Lodge in Lisle (formerly Chef Paul's) offers food that is mostly identical to the various Bohemian spots and not bad, though the places in Riverside are all better and cheaper. There is also the Bohemian Garden in Downers Grove which was not bad the one time I went, though not good enough to go back despite it being relatively convenient. The fact that the interior could be any generic family restaurant is another negative for me.

For many years, Moldau in Brookfield was my favorite Czech place, nothing fancy but excellent pork and duck, dirt cheap and it had the perverse charm of feeling and looking a lot like you are sitting in a church basement (by which I mean the decor is minimal and cheap, the furniture the least expensive institutional stuff you can get and all windows are covered) and the crowd is all Czech and usually over 70, thereby completing the church dinner feel for me. But I have not been to Moldau for a few years, and the last time I went, while the food was decent, it still was not as good as most of the places in Riverside, where competition seems to keep them sharp. But the Moldau does have its charms.

Bavarian Lodge
1800 Ogden Avenue
Lisle, IL 60532-1501

Bohemian Garden
980 West 75th Street
Downers Grove, IL 60516-4355

Moldau Restaurant
9310 Ogden Ave
Brookfield, IL 60513- 1818