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The Duke abides in Crystal Lake
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As the crummy economy forced us to take appetizer menus more seriously, we noticed that every other restaurant features the Bermuda Triangle of apps: sliders, fried calamari and bruschetta which translated, more often that not, into bland Barbie-sized burgers, greasy rings o’ rubber and diced tomatoes on rounds of bread. If you’re going to be derivative, at least tweak the things. Or, as Paula Abdul will soon be saying over and over, “Make it your own.”
Other winning starters on Duke’s menu are: tempura beans - fresh organic green beans battered and fried in tempura beer batter pining to be dipped into teriyaki-ginger sauce; an incredibly refreshing Alehouse salad featuring baby salad greens, cucumbers, radishes, cherry tomatoes, coriander crackers, feta cheese and mint splashed with a citrus-herb vinaigrette; and homemade grilled flatbread pizzas with disarming toppings such as wild mushrooms, Gouda and arugula salad. Entrees, like pasture-raised chicken, are equally homey, flavorful and reasonably priced. The half-chicken is marinated in a blend of spices and fresh herbs, seared and roasted and plated with bacon braised collard greens and cornbread polenta. You may feel compelled to sing a hymn upon the last bite. If we had a nickel for every time “seasonal,” “local” and “organic” were used on 2008 menus, we might be able to afford to eat out more often. Again, Duke’s comes out ahead because this is McHenry County which, despite rampant real estate development, still boasts some of the richest farm land in the state. It’s also a just a few miles from Wisconsin’s rolling farms. Dolezal, a Kendall College alum, forges relationships with local farmers to grow what he needs so chances are the local farmland beet salad you just savored was aptly named The long list of brews, lots of live music and wink-wink web address, www.thedukeabides.com, only add to Duke’s appeal. If you’re in this neck of the woods, forego the sports bars and pizzerias and see what’s cooking at Duke’s.
That’s just what young chef, Zak Dolezal, does at Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen in Crystal Lake. His Slider Platter is any combination of three of the most scrumptious sandwiches that are described as “bite-sized” but are generously filled with slow simmered pork, a juicy beef burger, beer braised short ribs with smoked cheddar or grilled cheese.
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