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| - One of a kind! This curious intersection of American and Polish history is bound to confuse any first-timer. At first glance, it looks like the parking lot is only adequate for about 10 cars, two of those being handicapped spaces. But around the back, there's another large parking area. First obstacle - done.
The people eating quietly on the covered patio kept their mouths tightly shut and gave away no secrets as to what we were in store for as they chewed. Suddenly, a large circular T-shirt cart enters your peripheral vision and you wonder if you're in the right place. People squeeze by with trays of food and finally you notice the long cafeteria-style counter. There are old sepia photos and knick-knacks everywhere. Where am I? Can I get a map?
An employee notices you look lost and cheerily offers to help. Take out or eat in, one entrees and two sides (the standard order, at least). Literally EVERYTHING was new to me so it was a struggle to decide (obstacle #2), but the Chicken Paprikash had "tomato cream sauce, tender boneless chicken, spaetzle" with a wonderful mix of spices and I was sold. The side order of Pierogies is two pieces, and a not-so-little bowl of Sweet (Mashed) Potatoes came with some white crust on top that I later discovered to be roasted marshmallow. My dad followed up with the ENORMOUS Stuffed Cabbage, more Pierogies, and Mac n' Cheese. Our total, including one pint glass of Polish beer, came out to be around $35. I do wish that the prices for entrees were delineated a little more clearly since we didn't realize they all had different prices.
We grabbed some bread rolls, butter and sour cream, and after paying a waiter whisked away my tray to a table. This is where my second point of contention comes in, because the waiter seated us right next to the door to the women's bathroom - my chair was barraged intermittently by people scurrying to the toilet. In a restaurant with so many seating options (in many, many rooms), is it really so hard to find a better spot for two people? (Note: we went relatively early on a Friday evening, with no wait and plenty of open seats left.)
I don't know why they even bother with the salad bar since the portions are so large, but it's a nice counter-balance to the heaviness (do not come while attempting to diet) of the food, and hey, it's free! The selection includes fruit, potato, and macaroni salads, as well as the traditional customizable options with an array of dressings.
We finished everything. Yes, everything - because it would be a crime not to. We tried to take our time, but it just wasn't happening. Except for the Mac n' Cheese, this food was winning. We were both hugely satisfied with our entree choices, I loved the Pierogies (although my dad was confused as to why these dumpling-cousins seemed hollow; they actually have a simple potato and cheese filling), and I forced down the Sweet Potato even when it became too sweet to bear (obstacle #3). We had reached our limit when my dad decided to take a bite of the roll just for the heck of it, exclaimed "It's good!" in surprise, and the next thing I knew I was downing that crisp, onion-y bread also. Probably the most evil, conniving roll in existence for looking so plain but tasting so good.
So of course I had to see what was so great about this place that women kept banging into my chair to reach. The offending door actually leads into another corridor with piles of stuff heaped around, then another door that contains the real prize. I was half afraid the woman shaking the door while I was using the toilet was going to break it open, but miraculously the flimsy lock held. My stomach wasn't completely ready for the culture shock I put it through at Sokolowski's, but I have no regrets and would relive the experience (minus the awkward table) over again.
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