One of the hardest parts about moving to Milwaukee was leaving behind family and friends, especially one of my best friends, Candi, who I have known since college. So I can’t tell you how much fun it’s been having her here for a visit this week. We’ve shopped, talked, cooked, and of course, tried to hit as many of my favorite restaurants as possible.
Since Candi’s family is part Polish, and Polish food is not an easy thing to find in Dallas, she wanted to see if she could get a pierogi (Polish dumplings) fix while she was here. How could I refuse? I found the address for Polonez, a Polish place in nearby St. Francis.
Offering homemade food in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere, Polonez is one of Milwaukee’s most-recommended ethnic treasures. The menu offers a great mix of hearty old-country fare and an extensive list of Polish beer.
Since Candi wanted to sample a little bit of everything, she ordered the Polish Plate, which came with four boiled pierogi, (you can also get pan-fried, but Candi’s family makes them boiled), a big link of Polish sausage, sauerkraut, a potato pancake, and some stuffed cabbage, made with ground beef, pork, and rice wrapped in a large cabbage leaf and stewed in a sweet tomato sauce.
The pierogi were made with a variety of fillings. Some were made with potato and cheese, others with a mix of beef or pork. Candi says that although they didn’t tastes like her grandmother’s (Nothing ever does, right?), they were quite tasty and would tide her over nicely until she could get back home for the holidays and have some more.
Scott had the Pierogi Plate, which allowed for a choice of six dumplings made from a selection of cheese, meat, sauerkraut, or potato and cheese. I opted for some meatballs which were served with tomato sauce and two small scoops of mashed potatoes.
All entrees came with either soup or salad, so we skipped the appetizer section. But if you need a little more to nibble on, the herring, served with a special sour cream sauce made with onions and apples, or the deviled eggs sounded interesting. As for the soup, we chose to have the borscht, a hearty, ruby-red soup made from beets.
Dessert choices were equally magnanimous, including a rich Polish torte, and “Polonez Heaven”, a cheesecake served with pistachio pudding, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream.
Now if you will excuse me, Candi and I have some shopping to do . . .
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Polonez Restaurant
4016 S. Packard Ave.
St. Francis, WI 53235
Phone: (414) 482-0080
Fantastic choice! Oddly enough my work took the company to Polonez for our Holiday party last year. We had a buffet with the best Polish food I've had in this area. Coming from a family that's VERY Polish, it's hard to find dishes comparable to the authentic recipes of my relatives (especailly my grandmother's pierogi)
Posted by: KarenC | August 13, 2007 at 04:40 PM
My husband's family is Polish, and we went there on their visit last year. What an excellent place!
This past weekend they visited and we opted for Three Brothers, which I know you've written about - yet another rave.
There sure is great eating in Milwaukee!
Posted by: Sara | August 14, 2007 at 12:19 PM