Lunch at GNR renewee Deta's, Fri 2/27 12:30

As part of my freelance effort to encourage people to actually eat at underreported, but certainly interesting, GNRs up for renewal, Mhays and I will be meeting up at Deta's Cafe this Friday at 12:30 for lunch. Join us! Come one come all! See you there!

More about Deta's.

Deta's Cafe
7555 N. Ridge
Chicago, IL
773-973-1505

Yay! A GNR lunch I can walk to! I'll be there - might be +1 if the 'spouse isn't out canvassing! Thanks, Mike!

Yay! I was just thinking about going to Deta's for lunch today--until I got caught up in w-o-r-k....

So I would love to join you Friday! Unless I have a problem with parking, I will be there!!!

It's looking like I'll probably be able to free up my schedule Friday for this. Mmmmm, burek.

I'm working from home tomorrow, and have wanted to try Deta's out for a while, so I think I'll try to make it. Only my second LTH event (1st was the terrific picnic last year), so it's a good thing that I will recognize some of *your* faces!

Plenty of room, I gave Deta a heads-up yesterday, so happy to see anyone who shows up.

Man, I live 2 blocks from Deta's - such short blocks on the way there, but such interminably exhausting blocks as you ease your full stomach back home...comforting, delicious and homey as always. Plus, Deta sent me home with extra soup "for the boy."

Thanks to the 5 others who came out for good food and conversation, and thanks doubly for Deta's hospitality, abundance of tasty food and dry humor. A fine lunch.

Deta made me a burek to take home, and made me promise to wrap it in plastic and put it in the refrigerator once it cooled. Then into 400° oven for 3 or 4 minutes. No microwave. She cares so much about her food, she wants it just right even when it's not exactly under her control.

Thanks for organizing this, Mike.

I had a lovely time on this first visit to Deta's. I didn't catch all of the instructions for the take-home burek so it has been sitting on the counter rather than the fridge, but I'm sure that it will be just as tasty after a few minutes in the oven as part of our dinner tonight.

Thanks to Mike G for organizing and to the others for the enjoyable company!

Didn't get the pictures I should have, but this one blurry shot should give you an idea of how fresh-baked the bread is: that's steam rising off it, it went straight from the oven to our table. Reheated burek made a terrific lunch the next day.



Tarte tatin had mentioned that she was reminded of a family member making strudel dough, which I'd thought was a much different process, but googling reveals that to be incorrect. In both cases, the doughs seem to start out more like noodle dough than pastry dough, with a well-developed gluten that allows it to be stretched to opaque thinness. It's still amazing to watch Deta work a blob of dough into a sheet you could see through (if it didn't become a burek so darn quickly.)

I'm behind on my postings, but I can add some pix from Deta's Friday.

We started with her excellent house-made bread.


Then she served us a tomato and Bulgarian feta salad.


And her famous, deeply-flavorful chicken soup, from a communal pot.


Then on to the burek.

Whole:


Meat:


Cheese:


Sorry, didn't get a pic of the spinach burek.

We finished with something new for me, apple cake.


In addition to Deta's warm welcome, I'm always impressed by the consistency of what she offers. It's a limited menu, true (actually, I don't think I've ever seen a printed menu there, although she may have a few), but everything she does, she does very well.