When thinking back to my pierogie experience at Gooski's, a fabulous dive in Polish Hill, this weekend all I can think about is... the comeback kid. I say that because the last time I had pierogies at Gooski's I wasn't nearly as satisfied. This time they really hit the spot. I went with potato and kraut, because I wanted the best of both worlds when it comes to fillings - potato I usually associate with cheese, and kraut with shrooms.
The pierogies are puffed nicely with filling, as almost to pop when you go to cut them with a fork. Probably a little more boiled that seared/fried, the doughy encasing went down easy and with pleasure, complimenting perfectly their ample beer selection. Although they might not make the top three, they certainly leave a lasting impressing of admissible quality and dedication to such a fine polish culinary tradition. STAMP of approval.
S & D kraut and shroom pierogie
Recognize!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A new king! Spak...
Yes indeed, there is a new king, and that is Spak Bro's on Penn Ave in Garfield. They are amazing to put it plainly. Although I have only tried their standard potato and cheddar pierogies, they are truly the best thing since sliced bread. Amongst the larger pierogies out there, they are home-made, boiled and then fried in butter with onions (fried to perfection I might add) so there is a good seared texture that precedes a creamy and supple happy ending filling. I think the observed magic is the product of a perfect filling to pasta shell ratio that hits the sweet spot of both that starch and heart warming pasta craving. There really is no weakness to this particular version, which in my mind more than makes up for the lack of variety. Personally I agree with the philosophy of doing one thing well instead of a lot of things, well... meh...
I think it's a appropriate to say that I like the place in general. They are in my mind the best "pizza and sub" place in Pittsburgh. They have courteous blossoming youths behind the counter, their music selection, although not my favorite genre in primarily punk, is very fitting and mood setting, and their food is healthy, made with noticeable good ingredients for what it is. Also, everything is home made practically - including the pierogies of course. That's a bonus, and a reason to write home about. Not to mention they have more than adequate bike lock stations outside, local artwork on display, and video games for the impatient! I'm a believer... can you tell.
Long live the king!
I think it's a appropriate to say that I like the place in general. They are in my mind the best "pizza and sub" place in Pittsburgh. They have courteous blossoming youths behind the counter, their music selection, although not my favorite genre in primarily punk, is very fitting and mood setting, and their food is healthy, made with noticeable good ingredients for what it is. Also, everything is home made practically - including the pierogies of course. That's a bonus, and a reason to write home about. Not to mention they have more than adequate bike lock stations outside, local artwork on display, and video games for the impatient! I'm a believer... can you tell.
Long live the king!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
S & D
S & D is a little deli in the Strip District on 26th and Penn. While it is a deli and offers a wide variety of food products, they have a comfortable seating area and a counter to order food made to order from.
Their pierogies are awesome! It was the perfect Friday lunch going down their and trying some of their potato and cheese pierogies accompanied with some Haluski and a nice Borsch.
Perfectly sized and shaped, and nearly prepared they were served with a minced onion and butter combo. I say nearly prepared perfectly because I really prefer the added texture of a quick sear. The flavor was excellent and they offered a frozen variety to take away with you.
It was at S & D that I realized that I also prefer mixed stuffings as well. One of the frozen 12 packs I took away with me were kraut and mushroom, and they were just as good as potato if not better. There are many roads to Rome one might say, but when it comes down to it... it's all good!
Their pierogies are awesome! It was the perfect Friday lunch going down their and trying some of their potato and cheese pierogies accompanied with some Haluski and a nice Borsch.
Perfectly sized and shaped, and nearly prepared they were served with a minced onion and butter combo. I say nearly prepared perfectly because I really prefer the added texture of a quick sear. The flavor was excellent and they offered a frozen variety to take away with you.
It was at S & D that I realized that I also prefer mixed stuffings as well. One of the frozen 12 packs I took away with me were kraut and mushroom, and they were just as good as potato if not better. There are many roads to Rome one might say, but when it comes down to it... it's all good!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Starlite Lounge in review
Well, last night has come and gone. The pierogies were so good!
I got the polish platter that comes with a helping of Haluski, another Polish delight, and a potato pancake. The pierogies though... in the south when something was that good, they say it was slap your momma good. In explaination, the food is so good it makes you want to go home and slap your mother because what she was puttin on the table growing up was just... meh.
On the second time around I tried to focus on the filling because naturally with a bigger pierogie (I'm sure 3 would be enough to fill any mere mortal up) there is plenty of filling inside to focus on. It was a straight up potato pierogie, so no cheese, kraut, shrooms, etc. It was mushier than the average dish of mashed potatoes, but by no means runny. The filling was quite homogeneous, having few if any chunks, creamy for sure. I think after trying these for a second time I can say that I do prefer pierogies to be a bit smaller (as to highlight the encasing) and accompanied (potato and cheese, potato and mushroom, etc). But I like starlite's because they are cooked to perfection and the onions they come with compliment everything else on the dish so well. Still number one in my book.
The next places I want to try are bloomfield bridge tavern and pierogies plus. Both legends in their own right from what I hear.
I got the polish platter that comes with a helping of Haluski, another Polish delight, and a potato pancake. The pierogies though... in the south when something was that good, they say it was slap your momma good. In explaination, the food is so good it makes you want to go home and slap your mother because what she was puttin on the table growing up was just... meh.
On the second time around I tried to focus on the filling because naturally with a bigger pierogie (I'm sure 3 would be enough to fill any mere mortal up) there is plenty of filling inside to focus on. It was a straight up potato pierogie, so no cheese, kraut, shrooms, etc. It was mushier than the average dish of mashed potatoes, but by no means runny. The filling was quite homogeneous, having few if any chunks, creamy for sure. I think after trying these for a second time I can say that I do prefer pierogies to be a bit smaller (as to highlight the encasing) and accompanied (potato and cheese, potato and mushroom, etc). But I like starlite's because they are cooked to perfection and the onions they come with compliment everything else on the dish so well. Still number one in my book.
The next places I want to try are bloomfield bridge tavern and pierogies plus. Both legends in their own right from what I hear.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Starlite Lounge
I'm very excited because in 10 minutes I will be visiting the place that so far, in my opinion, has the best pierogies in (and arround) Pittsburgh. Big, seared, greasy, potatoy goodness. I think with time I'll get better at rating and describing pierogies for the purposes of this site, but hey I'm working off of enthusiasm and excitement at the moment, not skill and logic.
I just think that if you you've got a hankering, which is basically every other day for me for a pierogie, and you live in Pittsburgh, which has so many great pierogie spots, and you google the topic to try to get an idea of where to go, there just aren't enough sites that discuss the topic. At least to the level of detail or usefulness that this blog will have one day.
For the benefit of all, the collective good, please review the places you've been, or places you've been dreaming to go. Good night, and happy pierogie eating!
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