French Russian cuisine inspires new restaurant Deka in Wheeling

Proprietors of a newly opened restaurant in Wheeling are inviting patrons to dine like Russian nobility at their new place - which means you're more likely to be served caviar than cabbage soup.

Indeed, it was common for the nobles to send their chefs to study in Paris in the 18th century, and what they brought back is the inspiration you'll find on your plate at Deka Restaurant, a French Russian brasserie that held a grand opening this week at 401 E. Dundee Road.

The restaurant takes over a space left vacant with the closing of an Edwardo's pizzeria at Riverside Plaza on the southeast corner of Dundee Road and Milwaukee Avenue.

The menu features seven different types of caviar, veal and foie gras vareniki (dumplings), and inverted fricadelle, a slow-roasted ground beef patty filled with spaghetti. The bar has some 50 different vodkas, including the rare Grey Goose VX, which is a blend of 95 percent vodka and 5 percent cognac.

"The Chicago suburbs are a thriving part of Chicagoland with great restaurants and hotels, and we're thrilled to be adding a new option to Wheeling's historic restaurant row," said co-owner Aleksandr Vaysman in a news release.

The main dining room has space for 100 people. There's space for another 20 in a private room, and another 100 on an outdoor patio in the summer.