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| - I'm 100% Polish and grew up with homemade Polish food from my grandparents, so I was excited to learn that there was such a highly praised polish restaurant in Pittsburgh.
My husband and I visited at around 8:00 on a Saturday night. We almost weren't able to come in because I didn't have my wallet or any ID with me and apparently they have a policy that no one under 21 and/or without ID is admitted into the bar. When I asked about take out, the bartender and waitress told us we could come in as long as I didn't drink (which I wasn't planning on doing anyway). So if you visit in the evening or on a weekend, make sure you have ID!
It is a total dive bar atmosphere inside, but in this case, it adds to the charm and experience. The menu is chock full of the typical bar food but then also has a nice selection of Polish options. I started my order with the czarnina. I grew up eating it and it isn't easy to find so I was excited to try it. A few minutes later, the waitress came back and asked me if I knew what it was and I said yes, duck's blood soup. Apparently they ask because there are many people who don't know what the soup actually is. It was good, but I don't know why it had such as high price tag at $8.95 and only $1 less than my main meal. I liked the soup, but it lacked the prunes that I am used to from the soup my grandparents and the Polish restaurant in Buffalo usually make it with. It was still full of flavor, though.
My husband and I both opted for the red platter which had sausage, kluski, haluski, pierogi and stuffed cabbage. They also have a la carte options for all of the Polish items. Everything we tasted was extremely flavorful, although they did overcook the sausage a bit. I'm used to boiling my sausage and they grilled it, so it had quite a bit of char.
The one down side is that there is one cook, so on a busy night, you will wait quite a while for your food. Never fear, though, it is worth the wait. And if you are an impatient person, there are TVs to watch, dart boards and some interesting people watching.
We'll be back. But next time I'll make sure I bring my ID.
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