Lithuanian food?

Re:Lithuanian food? (Treetop Tom)

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:37:10 GMT

Hepcat

I'm actually surprised that the Baltimore Lithuanian Hall doesn't have kugelis or cabbage rolls on the menu. Those are old standards for Lithuanian restaurants.

The menu changes depending on which group of ladies is cooking that week. Rest assured if you don't see them on the menu one week, they'll be there in the next week or two.

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 15:41:48 GMT

I'm actually surprised that the Baltimore Lithuanian Hall doesn't have kugelis or cabbage rolls on the menu. Those are old standards for Lithuanian restaurants.

Re:Lithuanian food? (Treetop Tom)

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:20:11 GMT

Hepcat

Treetop Tom:

Have you tried the Country Style Ribs on the menu at the Lithuanian Hall? In the picture they don't look like they've been smoked like the BBQ ribs that would be served in most rib joints in Maryland.

Yes, I've had them and they are good. They are marianated (garlic and white wine, definitely and other things, I'm sure) and then braised rather than smoked/grilled.

Re:Lithuanian food? (mr chips)

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:40:22 GMT

Love those photos, hepcat.

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:17:01 GMT

Treetop Tom:

Have you tried the Country Style Ribs on the menu at the Lithuanian Hall? In the picture they don't look like they've been smoked like the BBQ ribs that would be served in most rib joints in Maryland.

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 23:38:00 GMT

Yes, that's what I'd call a kotletas! Here's a very appetizing picture of a whole plate of kotletai:

Re:Lithuanian food? (Treetop Tom)

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:28:36 GMT

Hepcat

I'd question the translation of "kotletai" as "cutlet" on the menu though. First of all, kotletai is plural while cutlet is singular. Secondly, a cutlet to my mind is a slice of meat such as a pork cutlet. Kotletai, on the other hand, are some combination of ground pork, beef, lamb, onions and other spices shaped like a hamburger but thicker and more rounded, although not so round that they'd be termed meatballs.

These are indeed the finely minced meat version, like a bulky, oblong pan-fried meatball. Very homey and delicious.

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:10:06 GMT

Treetop Tom

The Lithuanian Hall at the Hollins Market area of southwest Baltimore has a meal every Friday night with everything from cepelinai to baked carp to borscht. Real fun atmosphere, cheap home cooking, strangers welcomed.

Good to know!

I'd question the translation of "kotletai" as "cutlet" on the menu though. First of all, kotletai is plural while cutlet is singular. Secondly, a cutlet to my mind is a slice of meat such as a pork cutlet. Kotletai, on the other hand, are some combination of ground pork, beef, lamb, onions and other spices shaped like a hamburger but thicker and more rounded, although not so round that they'd be termed meatballs.

Re:Lithuanian food? (HollyDolly)

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:59:22 GMT

Thanks for the great pictures.Now you're making my mouth water.
Never had any lithuanian food.Sure looks good. My heritage is Hungarian -German, but there maybe some Latvian thrown in on my grandmother's side,as they came from Riga,lativa to the US in the 1880s.

Re:Lithuanian food? (Treetop Tom)

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:16:03 GMT

The Lithuanian Hall at the Hollins Market area of southwest Baltimore has a meal every Friday night with everything from cepelinai to baked carp to borscht. Real fun atmosphere, cheap home cooking, strangers welcomed.

http://uniqueculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2008/06/friday-dinner-at-lithuanian-hall.html

Check out the video to see what to expect if you go. And be careful of the honey liquor they serve - it is delicious but very potent.

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/videos/cepelinai-at-lithuanian-hall/108471.html

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:19:55 GMT

mr chips

I do.have a T-shirt from the 92 Olympic lithuanian ball team.

I bought a whole bunch of Lithuanian basketball T-shirts at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Unfortunately, none were my size. Here, however, I convinced The MAN to model them for us at the parkette. I'm wearing basic black as per usual.

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:09:28 GMT

CCinNJ

Backlel's Lithuanian Bakery in Elizabeth...

http://www.lithbake.com/bread.html

Good stuff! That's exactly the kind of place I want to hear about!

CCinNJ
We have a Lithuanian Catholic Church in Bayonne...and a few others in the area. That is often the best bet...to find some authentic cooking. Otherwise...some of the traditional dishes are served...in Polish or Ukrainian restaurants. I was married to a Ukrainian...and I've seen a few.

That's what I do in Toronto. There are two Lithuanian churches and one Community Hall in Toronto that serve Lithuanian food, but only Sunday mornings up until about 1:30 PM in the afternoon, and the menu is strictly limited although cepelinai, cabbage rolls and usually kugelis are available.

Cepelinai

Kugelis

The cepelinai and kugelis served in the churches here in North America are very much like your mother or grandmother made. In Lithuania now trained chefs have worked over these dishes with rich mushroom, butter and sour cream sauces and the results are absolutely mouthwatering!

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:03:44 GMT

stricken_detective
I would've remembered if it was on Halsted Street. Grand Duke it is!!!

SO when should we meet you there? LOL

I'll let you and everybody else know right here in this thread the next time I'm about to venture on down to Chicago!

Re:Lithuanian food? (mr chips)

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:46:18 GMT

I do.have a T-shirt from the 92 Olympic lithuanian ball team. Loved Arvidas Sabonis who played for my beloved trailblazers and is in the basketball hall of fame. Would love to learn more about Lithuanian food.

Re:Lithuanian food? (chicagostyledog)

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:31:52 GMT

Hepcat

chicagostyledog

Labas labai! Kaip tau? Raised by Lithuanian grandparents, I can personally endorse the authenticity of the Grand Duke. It's like going home to Vilnius. None better!
Pasimatysim,
Morkutis

My parents were Lithuanian emigres and I'm fully fluent in Lithuanian. I've visited Lithuania six times since 1987.

Ar pats irgi sergi su Lietuvos krepšininkais?

Sorry, I don't follow Lithuanian basketball.

Re:Lithuanian food? (CCinNJ)

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 10:32:31 GMT

Backlel's Lithuanian Bakery in Elizabeth...

http://www.lithbake.com/bread.html

We have a Lithuanian Catholic Church in Bayonne...and a few others in the area. That is often the best bet...to find some authentic cooking. Otherwise...some of the traditional dishes are served...in Polish or Ukrainian restaurants. I was married to a Ukrainian...and I've seen a few.

Re:Lithuanian food? (stricken_detective)

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 04:18:36 GMT

Hepcat
The Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant on South Halsted Street in the Bridgeport neighbourhood of Chicago sadly closed its doors a few years ago after having been a neighbourhood fixture since 1938.

I've not yet had a chance to try the relatively new Grand Duke's Restaurant at 6312 South Harlem Avenue in Summit Argo, Illinois which looks to be part of metropolitan Chicago. Grand Duke's appears to be considerably more upscale than the Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant but the prices still appear to be reasonable.

Grand Duke's Restaurant

I would've remembered if it was on Halsted Street. Grand Duke it is!!!

SO when should we meet you there? LOL

Re:Lithuanian food? (kaszeta)

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 21:37:52 GMT

Hepcat

Do you remember any of them?

Bruno's Bakery had some decent looking rye bread (by my Brooklyn Bakery of Waterbury, CT calibrated tastes).

Grand Duke's

Otherwise, i just remember vague locations, like two places in Ukrainian Village, and two places on Milwaukee Ave.

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 21:17:25 GMT

chicagostyledog

Labas labai! Kaip tau? Raised by Lithuanian grandparents, I can personally endorse the authenticity of the Grand Duke. It's like going home to Vilnius. None better!
Pasimatysim,
Morkutis

My parents were Lithuanian emigres and I'm fully fluent in Lithuanian. I've visited Lithuania six times since 1987.

Ar pats irgi sergi su Lietuvos krepšininkais?

Re:Lithuanian food? (chicagostyledog)

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 20:40:44 GMT

stricken_detective

ChicagoStyleDog knows where one is, they've eaten there. I think it's on the South Side of Chicago????

Labas labai! Kaip tau? Raised by Lithuanian grandparents, I can personally endorse the authenticity of the Grand Duke. It's like going home to Vilnius. None better!
Pasimatysim,
Morkutis

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:58:12 GMT

Do you remember any of them?

Re:Lithuanian food? (kaszeta)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:45:43 GMT

Yeah, I was surprised how many Lithuanian places I happened across when walking across Chicago this spring. Quite a few places I should go back and check out.

(I'm Lithuanian by heritage, hence my funkily-spelled name)

Re:Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:29:10 GMT

syrupmi
I think Chicago has the largest Lithuanian population in the country.

That's correct.

stricken_detective
ChicagoStyleDog knows where one is, they've eaten there. I think it's on the South Side of Chicago????

The Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant on South Halsted Street in the Bridgeport neighbourhood of Chicago sadly closed its doors a few years ago after having been a neighbourhood fixture since 1938.

I've not yet had a chance to try the relatively new Grand Duke's Restaurant at 6312 South Harlem Avenue in Summit Argo, Illinois which looks to be part of metropolitan Chicago. Grand Duke's appears to be considerably more upscale than the Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant but the prices still appear to be reasonable.

Grand Duke's Restaurant

Re:Lithuanian food? (Twinwillow)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:48:43 GMT

The closest we have in Dallas are some Russian restaurants that cater mostly to the Russian expats. Just a few, though.

Re:Lithuanian food? (stricken_detective)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:48:39 GMT

ChicagoStyleDog knows where one is, they've eaten there. I think it's on the South Side of Chicago????

Re:Lithuanian food? (syrupmi)

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:42:57 GMT

     I think Chicago has the largest Lithuanian population in the country. I looked A Cook Guide To Chicago but All I found was Polish, Ukranian, or general Eastern European places. When I lived in Nebraska there was a Lithuanian bakery but I didn't go there.

     A lot of my family is from Villinus but I didn't grow up with Lithuanian culture.

Lithuanian food? (Hepcat)

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:45:17 GMT

Not all Lithuanian restaurants would be advertised as such in the Yellow Pages. Do you know of any restaurants serving Lithuanian cuisine in your neck of the woods?