"0"^^ . . . "2011-09-16T00:00:00"^^ . "6"^^ . "5"^^ . "A couple months ago, I was driving north on 19 for no good reason when I spotted a sign in a strip mall. \"PIEROGIES,\" it said. I'd already grabbed a bite at Sonic, so I filed it away in the old memory bank, which turned out to be somewhat faulty. I forgot all about it until WPXI started their Best Pierogies contest.\n\nAnd so, today, in need of carb-loaded sustenance, I traveled again to the shopping center that houses Forgotten Taste. I walked in and was promptly greeted by a very friendly lady, who explained the menu to me, pointed out the photos of all the dishes on the wall, and displayed admirable patience while I decided what I wanted to eat. I ended up going with the #3 combo: Four potato and cheese pierogies (with butter and onion, thank you), haluski, and a stuffed cabbage.\n\nI grabbed a drink from the cooler (they have Yoo-Hoo, guys!) and some silverware, and took a seat. The atmosphere is actually a lot cuter than I'd have expected. It's pretty basic, but very clean, and each table has a vase of flowers and a little embroidered cloth underneath. I was the only person dining in at 1pm on a Friday, but folks bustled in and out to pick up frozen pierogies to go. Forgotten Taste offers 13 varieties, including levkar.\n\nIt took under ten minutes for my giant platter of food to arrive. Since the sign said pierogies, that's where I started. These are excellent, with a thin, tender dough and a flavorful filling. Mrs. T's they ain't; I'd say they're at least as good as Pierogies Plus, if not maybe a little better. (Haven't been to S&D yet.) There was plenty of butter and a ton of onions. The pierogies themselves were boiled, not pan-fried. This location offers them deep-fried, too, but I thought I'd start out basic.\n\nNext, haluski. Haluski is what I make at home on those Fridays when I'm being a good Catholic and not eating meat. Ahem. I grew up eating my mom's version, and that from G&K Bakery in West Mifflin. I love cabbage; I love noodles; I love butter. Really, what's not to like? This version didn't have onions and was heavy on the black pepper, which would normally put me off. But the cabbage was so tender, even the huge pieces, and after a few bites it all came together perfectly. I'd still like less pepper, but if you're not averse to it like I am, that's not a concern, right?\n\nFinally the stuffed cabbage. I originally intended to save it for tomorrow, but it sat there in its tomato sauce, calling to me. I had no choice. The sauce was excellent. It seemed to have the barest hint of smoke; maybe there's kielbasa involved in the making? I could've eaten a bowl of it. The stuffed cabbage itself was also good, with a thin wrapper easily cut through and a filling with a good amount of rice and a nice texture and flavor.\n\nI tried valiantly, but after half an hour I had to admit defeat and ask for a to go box for the 2/3 of my meal that was left. The other lady working the counter wrapped it all up in plastic wrap for me, to prevent leakage -- good lookin' out! We chatted for a bit and I mentioned how much I'd enjoyed the tomato sauce. She passed me a sample of sauerkraut combined with said sauce and tiny pieces of kielbasa. It was amazing. As good as everything else was, that was possibly the best. I walked out full and happy, having spent under $10.\n\nForgotten Taste offers $4.99 meals (any of them) on Mondays and Wednesdays. Besides frozen pierogies, they also have frozen soups; the sauerkraut soup looked killer in the picture. You can get anything on the menu to go, but it's a cute, quiet place to eat in as well. Between the friendly service and the delectable food, I know I'll be back, even if it does take half an hour to get there. (They also have locations in Cranberry and Moon.)"^^ . . "1"^^ .