French, Russian foods share menu at Wheeling's contemporary Deka

This winter has been long and hard, so maybe that explains why I unexpectedly fell so hard for the borscht at Deka in Wheeling.

Or maybe it had more to do with the way chef Michael Richie coaxed bold, vibrant flavors from humble beets and cabbage in this warm bowl of garnet goodness. Or the way tender shreds of braised veal mingled in the soup, accented by a wisp of honest-to-goodness sour cream. Incomparable. Now there's a word I never thought I'd use to describe Russian fare.

Frankly, I hadn't given much thought to Russian cuisine at all, but the opening of the self-proclaimed French-Russian brasserie on Wheeling's storied restaurant row gave me something to consider. Don't read “fusion” into the French-Russian descriptor — borscht gratinee might be a bit much. Rather this is fine dining not quite on the level of Le Francais with French favorites and updated Russian classics.

Aleksandr Vaysman and his father-in-law Igor Shtrambrand (owner of Wheeling's popular Shtram's Deli) opened Deka in November in a shuttered pizza spot, though you'd never suspect the building's former tenant. The space has been transformed from a loud, casual eatery into a sleek, upscale brasserie with white tablecloths and white walls warmed by wood floors and artwork that seems to fit no theme except for its splashes of red. No cushy booths, just tables comfortably spaced. The evening of my visit, the dining room (which can accommodate 100-plus) was sparsely populated, yet the hostess oddly seated a party of four right next to us.

Guests walk first into the bar, a small, but striking cavelike area that features a wall of vodka. More than 50 varieties, some very hard to find, are available for straight-up enjoyment or can be stirred into a handful of unique cocktails. The Berrylicious with cinnamon syrup, egg white and black berries sounds tempting and the presentation is beautiful, but the combination might not be for everyone. The bartender can shake up standard cocktails as well, and there's a French-leaning wine list with selections available by the glass or bottle.

To the left of the bar is a game room with video slots; the dining room is down a short hallway to the left. There's also a room for private parties and plans for outdoor dining once the weather cooperates.

The German-born Richie, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America and once worked around the corner at Le Francais with acclaimed chef Jean Banchet, commands the kitchen and skillfully and artfully executes fine French favorites and updates Russian classics.

We started our dinner with bite-sized chicken pelmeni, dumplings stuffed with chicken and fennel. They're not exciting on their own, so make sure to dredge the pelmeni through the spicy red pepper coulis on their way to your mouth. A more dramatic opening number would have been the corn meal-dusted frog legs with seaweed soy salad, a plate of blini and caviar ($12 to nearly $200) or the Napoleon bruschetta — a tower of crostini, tomato and burrata cheese.

We segued into the brilliant borscht (which made the pelmeni seem even more dull) and a butter bibb salad. I loved that the salad wasn't the same old plate of spring greens. The sour apple vinaigrette made the tender leaves dance and played surprisingly well with the Gorgonzola. The chopped hazelnuts added nice crunch and the dried apricots, cherries, figs and cranberries provided textural contrast, but there was just too much fruit and it threw a beautiful salad out of balance.

The cassoulet was perfectly balanced and everything I had hoped it would be. Spanish chorizo and veal cheeks melded wonderfully in this thick traditional stew. Chorizo possess strong spices, but they were kept in check by the toothy white beans and roasted roots. Richie presents the dish in a piping hot tiny cast iron pot that evokes images of a farm kitchen in rural France. My dining partner and I shared a side of divinely roasted brussels sprouts; the green was a welcome contrast to the ruddy stew.

The French side of the menu also features sea bass en papillote, chicken stuffed with ratatouille and lamb roasted with fresh herbs. From among the Russian dishes we fought the urge to try the chicken Kiev and opted for vareniki. These dumplings are usually made with pork, but Richie makes them more upscale with a veal and foie gras filling and a thin, herby broth. The accompanying salsify purée is splashed with black truffle oil.

For dessert we went with a flaky Napoleon pastry layered with tart passion fruit cream that lent a bright finish to the meal, like a peek of sun on a gray winter day.

Our service wasn't as practiced as the back of the house. Our salad and soup came out before our appetizer and I had to remind the server to bring my wine with the entree. But our server was observant and suggested an alternative cocktail when the first one wasn't well received and removed it from the bill.

Deka also offers Sunday brunch and weekday lunch and recently introduced live jazz on Friday evenings, providing many opportunities to stop in to try this unique spot.

• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.

Deka

401 E. Dundee Road, Wheeling, (847) 520-3352 (DEKA), <a href="http://dekarestaurant.com/">dekarestaurant.com</a>

<b>Cuisine:</b> Re-imagined French and Russian classics

<b>Setting:</b> Elegantly monochromatic with red accents

<b>Entrees:</b> $17 to $38

<b>Hours:</b> Dinner 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday (closing times flexible); lunch 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday; brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.