Wednesday, February 20, 2008

POLISH FOOD IN THE 'BURBS?

Once a month, I get together with five friends to talk about all things Apple Computer...and much, much more.  This group is a club I founded many years ago as a small spin off of the Apple Macintosh User Group to which we were all members, Diablo Valley Macintosh User Group (DVMUG). We call ourselves the MacManiacs.

Some of us remain members of DVMUG. Some have left the world of Apple and become PC users, but, what remains constant, is our friendship.

Our monthly meetings are at lunch. Each month, a different member chooses the restaurant and treats for lunch. Today's meeting was at Chopin Cafe, a Polish restaurant in the Palos Verdes Shopping Center in Walnut Creek.

Chopin Cafe is a tiny restaurant that seats fewer than 30. It looks like a tea room or even the dining room at some friendly Polish grandma's house. 

Our selections included Polish Sausage, Pork Cutlet, and Hunter's Stew. The meals are hearty, even at lunch. The Sausage and Pork Cutlet were served with sauerkraut and fried potatos. The Stew had sauerkraut in it.  I'm told that the Stew is the National Dish of Poland; in addition to sauerkraut, it has cabbage, beef, pork, sausage, and mushrooms. Some of my other favorites include the Pierogi...you can choose from cheese, mushrooms,or beef fillings; I like to order a combination of all three fillings. The Cucumber Salad with sour cream and dill or a cup of Beet Borscht are popular starters. Those in the know, ask for a cup of Pickle Soup to start...it is not on the menu but is usually available.  Dessert choices are limited. Today's desserts were Blintzes or homemade Rum Cake.

Entrees are priced at about $8 at lunch and about $15 at dinner.

Chopin Cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch; Wednesday through Sunday for dinner. Breakfast is the only meal where no Polish dishes are offered. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is a must "go to" place for me. Being Polish, I was raised on that fantastic stew and some of those other dishes too. I can hardly wait! Thanks for the heads up, Beverly!