Hi, and thanks for stopping by! Ever since my post on Ghini’s French Cafe, I have been on the lookout for other restaurants in Tucson that don’t lean in the direction of Mexican or Southwestern cuisine. On my last visit I wrote about this amazing Mediterranean restaurant, The Tucson Shish Kabob House , and there are many more I have yet to explore. Yesterday while driving down Broadway Boulevard I happened to glance over to a strip of stores where an old music store use to be. In it’s place there was a Mongolian BBQ , a coffee house and a big yellow sign that read, ” Polish Food, Pierogi”. The sign belongs to The Polish Cottage at 4520 East Broadway Boulevard. The advertisement worked and it caught my eye so I pulled in for a closer look. Let’s face it Strip-malls are just ugly, but somewhere along the way somebody thought they were a good idea and that idea has yet to die! However, what tends to happen, if the owners of an establishment are creative enough is you become transported to another place and time once you enter the restaurant.
The Polish Cottage does this very well as the first thing that’ll grab your attention is the bright Blue paint on the walls. Bold colors are everywhere, reminiscent of Polish pottery or the painted cottages of Poland. As you move from the vestibule into the dining room the blue continues and gives way to wooden beamed ceilings and farm style wooden tables and chairs. In the corner is an old world fireplace complete with cubbies for firewood or keeping food warm and rising dough. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that you are in a Polish Cottage. The bar even boast some Eastern European liquors, sure to make anyone feel at home. Their menu has simple and delicious dishes that have been called peasant food, and I have a unique fondness for so called peasant food. I love the ingenuity of the crafted flavors, making due with what they had at the time. I’m so happy that these dishes have survived through the ages and are still being served today. One of my favorite dishes on their menu is the stuffed cabbage. First I love the name they gave them , gołąbki, which means little pigeons. Some food historians believe this name came about because the aristocracy were big on putting any and all game birds into dishes at the time, while the peasants had to make do. So in calling them gołąbki, I feel it was kind of a dig at the ruling class.
I wasn’t sure what to order but I knew I had to try the Pierogi since that sign brought me into the place. I wanted to try the cabbage rolls as well. I’ve been a little reluctant to monetize this blog but it would help in giving me more options when it comes to ordering and the reader would also benefit. I imagine it is the inevitable evolution, but I will try and keep it tasteful. So when one is on a budget and wants to try as many things as possible on a menu, one should always look for the combo plate! They happen to have a very nice one that comes with, stuffed cabbage, pierogi, hunters stew and smoked Polish sausage. The only thing that was missing was the potato pancakes but at $7.15 for two I decided to pass.
The stuffed cabbage roll was cooked to perfection and the insides were firm and not mushy. The only thing I wished they had done differently was put a sour cream sauce over the top and not the tomato sauce that so many places use. To me once you use spread tomato puree over the top it changes the flavor to an almost Italian dish. Tomatoes are from America and sour cream can be made anywhere there’s a cow! Plus both sauces are considered traditional and authentic. The hunter’s stew is made with sauerkraut, cabbage and a variety of meats. I did takeout so I didn’t get it served in a bowl and I think some of the broth was displaced into the cabbage roll. I enjoyed the stew very much and could see eating a larger portion on a cold winter’s night. The Pierogi, were only ok, I think because they might have been frozen and recooked. I can’t say this for sure but the outside wasn’t smooth like a fresh one would be. I use to go to a Polish restaurant in Williamsburg Brooklyn that had a tree growing in the middle of the dining room! They were making Pierogi all day and those were fresh and delicious. That being said the Pierogi at the Polish Cottage were still good just not great. The smoked sausage was amazing and I was sad to see it go! They do make a Kielbasa sandwich and that’s something I’d really like to try. The Polish Cottage has many dishes that need exploring and I’m sure I’ll go back soon. If you’re ever in the mood for some delicious peasant food I’d recommend giving them a try. The prices seem a little steep for Tucson but a lot of this food is very time consuming to make and it is all done by hand.
If you’ve ever been to The Polish Cottage, please leave us notes on your experience in the comment box below. If you have any questions please place them in the box below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.I hope you’re enjoying your Summer, and until next time Boone Appétit!
