pirogies

Pierogies in front, sausage in back

One of the things we love about Seattle is that we are always discovering new food experiences. Whether it’s an authentic Mexican dinner for 40 on a rooftop or a soft opening at one of the hottest new restaurants in the city, it seems like we’re constantly learning of (often through Twitter) meals both unique and delicious.

One place we learned of recently through friends is the Polish Home, and more specifically, the PB Kitchen. Every Friday night and Sunday afternoon, the local Polish association serves dinner in their basement/dining hall. Pierogies, sausage, stuffed cabbage, and of course stout bottles of Polish beer.

Being from Pittsburgh, Jeremy was raised in the U.S. capital for Polish immigrants and pierogies. And my Russian ancestry makes me conditioned to go for the little dumplings at any opportunity. So we knew we had to check this place out.

beer

Just don't ask us how to pronounce it

When we arrived around 8 p.m., the place was packed with Capitol Hill hipsters ironically munching on pork hocks, groups of yuppies 10 to a table, and community members chattering away in fluent Polish. It was loud and bustling, and it was easy to feel like you were in some Eastern European beer hall, especially when ordering beer at the bar went something like, “I’ll have a Zy…a Zoo…uh, the one that starts with Z” (aka Żywiec, a nice Polish lager.)

We ordered a mixed plate of pierogies — meat, sauerkraut & mushroom, potato & cheese — a plate of sausage, sauerkraut and potatoes, and some fried mushrooms to nosh on for an appetizer. We considered the stuffed cabbage and cranium-sized pork hocks we saw passing by, but decided to stick with the basics for our first visit. It was a busy night (I suspect they always are) but the people-watching made the time pass quickly until our food landed.

For a cold, rainy, Seattle fall night, nothing hits the spot like Eastern European comfort food. The sausage had a nice snap to it, and the pierogies were cooked perfectly. I liked the tangy beet salad they served alongside.  Plus, they sprinkled bacon across the pierogies — how can you go wrong?

We definitely will be going back for a repeat visit, this time with a crew of friends in tow. It’s the kind of place you want to bring a large group along to share in the over-sized beers and platters of savory comfort food.