As Polish Chicagoans, out-of-town visitors often ask us for our favorite Polish restaurants. But so many of our old standbys, like Podhalanka, have disappeared in recent years that we decided we needed to do some serious research.
So, armed with notebooks and appetites, we went on a quest for the best old and new Polish restaurants in Chicago. We are friends with two points of view: Joanna is a Polish-born immigrant well versed in the cuisine of the modern country and Mary is a second-generation Polish American familiar with old-time recipes.
Together we ate potato pancakes, beet salad and żurek. We found a rich borscht worthy of Christmas Eve dinner in a tiny restaurant adjoining a tough workmen’s bar, and crispy zapiekanki — a kind of Polish pizza consisting of an open-face baguette with cheese and other toppings — on a fashionable Lincoln Park corner.
Though we couldn’t get to everything, we came up with seven solid choices. For those willing to venture beyond the kiełbasa, here are some new and old places to try.
Pierogi Kitchen, 1856 W. North Ave.
Pierogi Kitchen is a welcome throwback to old Wicker Park, which had an enormous Polish immigrant population before gentrification brought first artists and then the well-to-do. It’s a pleasant place, flooded with natural light, with jazz records and wycinanki (a Polish paper folk art) decorating the walls. Polish language tip: Pierogi is plural, so you can’t have “pierogis,” like you can’t have “geeses.” You can have one pieróg, but who wants just one?) Owner Artur Wnorowski said there is a need to continue Polish culinary heritage in the city. “Poles here try many different cool things that can be combined with Polish cuisine. One of the examples is our smoked brisket pierogi, which are very popular.”
Joanna tried: Strawberry pierogi topped with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and powdered sugar, which was a bit disappointing (too sweet).
Mary tried: The delicious potato and cheese pierogi — Wnorowski’s grandfather’s recipe from the Rzeszów area — topped with fried onions and bacon, with a chaser of cherry vodka that cut through the butter.
Polish Bistro, 8303 W. Irving Park Road
This unassuming place on the far western edge of the city was the biggest surprise in our explorations. Adjoining a crowded bar, you find a small, bright and welcoming dining room. The food is cheap, comforting, well-executed and delicious.
Joanna tried: The borscht, which arrived steaming hot and richly red, just like it should be on Christmas Eve, served with a fresh and flavorful meat krokiet (a traditional side dish that’s like an egg roll).
Mary tried: A delicious mushroom soup, subtly sweet, a mix of flavors from the woods and fields.
Must try: The potato pancakes met the high standards set in our fathers’ kitchens — golden with brown crispy edges and not too greasy.
Polish Pączki Café, 7210 W. Foster Ave.
Located in a strip mall, with overly bright ‘80s décor, Polish Pączki Café in Norwood Park is not glamorous. But if you don’t mind the aesthetics, you can find wonderful pączki (pronounced “PAWNCH-key”) along with decent savory specialties at good prices, like zapiekanki and soups. However, if you come here, you must get the namesake pączki. They are the star — served warm, light, perfectly round, sugar-glazed, filled with a mix of strawberry, raspberry and rose jam imported from Poland and topped with an orange peel. For those who only know the grocery store variety, true pączki are not like American jelly doughnuts. They include milk and eggs, so are richer and more flavorful. The line for pączki and other baked goods on a Saturday stretched out the door. (Language tip: Pączki is plural, a pączek is singular.)
Joanna tried: The homemade pomidorowa (tomato soup), which was bursting with tomato flavor and served with dumplings. The celery and carrots added a touch of freshness.
Mary tried: Potato pancakes, which were a little thin but tasty.
Both loved: The namesake pączki.
Red Apple Buffet, 6474 N. Milwaukee Ave. (open only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays)
If we want to impress non-Polish guests with a wide variety of Polish food, we bring them to the Red Apple Buffet, located along the Polish Heritage Corridor on Milwaukee Avenue near the Niles border. The food here is a work of art — attractively presented, fresh and abundant.
Joanna tried: Rare, old-country favorites, like tripe stew, pork knuckles (try with horseradish) and pork suspended in aspic with onions and vinegar on top.
Mary tried: Not the pig knuckles and aspic (favorites of her grouchy grandpa). But she loved the roulade, a beef steak wrapped around onions and pickles and simmered long and slow.
Must try: We both loved the sweets, like the tender cheese blintzes, beet panna cotta and flaky cream puffs.
Smakosz, 5619 W. Lawrence Ave.
Smakosz, which means “foodie,” is near the Copernicus Center and is known for its homemade soups and pierogi. Started by Edward Kaminski in 1985 and continued by his daughter Renata Kaminska, it reminded us the most of grandma’s house. “We stick to tradition and old recipes,” said Kaminska, who noted that the pierogi are made by hand. “The most important thing is that we only use fresh, natural ingredients and spices.”
Joanna tried: Veal liver, meatier and less fatty than the “wątróbka” she remembered from her mom’s kitchen, but with the same satisfying contrast of earthiness broken by the sweetness of caramelized onions. Even Mary, who hates liver, enjoyed a bite.
Mary tried: The signature pierogi from Lublin, Poland, made with buckwheat, farmer’s cheese and fresh mint. It’s worth the trip, though you should get it to share, since it’s so filling, it doesn’t leave much room to try other things. Mary also had the pickle soup, ogórkowa, typically made with chicken broth, vegetables, herbs and grated pickles. It had a unique tangy, mildly acidic taste, balanced by a creamy consistency.
Spoko, 723 W. Armitage Ave.
The name “Spoko” comes from the Polish word “spokojnie,” which means “calm or cool,” and that sums up this hip, new Polish restaurant in Lincoln Park. The menu is a combination of Chicago classics, like a platter of kiełbasa (smoked in the back), pierogi (dumplings) and potato pancakes; new takes on food you’d find sold on the streets of Kraków; and fusion novelties like “Pierogi Benedict.” Spoko is owned by Artur Wnorowski and Gosia Pieniążek, a new generation of Polish restaurateurs in Chicago who also own Pierogi Kitchen, Wurst Behavior and Earl’s BBQ.
Joanna tried: Spoko’s zapiekanka was fresh, hot, crunchy and easy to handle (important for street food). Spoko used goat cheese and balsamic roasted beets for a modern twist. Even Mary, who usually disdains zapiekanka, liked this one.
Mary tried: Spoko’s rich żurek soup, made with soured rye flour, a generous portion of sliced sausage and hard-boiled eggs. She also loved the refreshing cucumber salad “mizeria,” made with sour cream.
Staropolska, 3030 N. Milwaukee Ave.
A surviving remnant of Polish immigrant life in the once-bustling Jackowo neighborhood in Avondale, Staropolska appeals to both Poles and non-Poles with its friendly service, reliable cuisine and a rustic Old World setting of wooden beams, exposed brick walls and hanging plants. Joanna has mixed feelings about it — it reminds her of how much of old Jackowo (also known as Polish Village) is gone. But Mary loves it.
Joanna tried: The richly flavored beet borscht with a hot, golden, crispy, cabbage-filled krokiet.
Mary tried: The bacon-wrapped plums, an irresistible combination of sweet and salt, and the plump, tender, buttery pierogi.
Must try: If you’re new to Polish food or just want a variety, a good date night choice is the “Polish Plate” for two, which includes pierogi, gołąbki (meat and rice wrapped in cabbage and simmered in tomato sauce), potato pancakes and sausage. There’s also a creative and tasty vegetarian plate, which includes zucchini pancakes with goat cheese.