GLUTEN-FREE PIEROGI VS. PINK DWARFS (KRAKÓW)

This weekend my American friend came to visit me in Kraków and I was faced with a culinary puzzle. Where can I find a restaurant serving dishes which are gluten-free (Kathryn is gluten-intolerant), vegetarian (we both don't eat meat) and, most importantly, tasty? I found the solution to this riddle on the Internet (e.g. here and here) and below you can read an account of our culinary adventures.

POD BARANEM – GLUTEN-FREE PIEROGI 

Almost every foreigner visiting Poland wants to try our famous pierogi (Polish dumplings) but where can I find pierogi which are gluten-free? Apparently, in a restaurant near the Wawel Castle called Pod Baranem, which has probably the widest array of gluten-free dishes in Kraków. Our pierogi ruskie (Russian-style dumplings with cottage cheese and potato filling, PLN 24) and pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms (PLN 25) were delicious – covered in melted butter with fried onion and full of yummy filling. The effect was spoiled by dough which was slightly too thick but Kathryn explained that it could have been the fault of the gluten-free flour. All in all, we left the restaurant full and happy.

Address: Pod Baranem, św. Gertrudy 21, Kraków (Old Town)

Website: podbaranem.com

SHAKE & BAKE – GLUTEN-FREE CAKES AND SMOOTHIES

The following day, we had breakfast in Shake & Bake cafe close to the Bagatela Theatre, which serves gluten-free pastries and shakes. Savoury muffins (with cheese and olives) were very nice but unfortunately they were sprinkled with huge salt crystals turning the muffins into a salt mine. Luckily, brownie with peanut butter was very nice and almost salt-free. In the cafe, we were accompanied by two pink dwarfs and a cute pink deer. :)

Address: Shake & Bake, ul. Dunajewskiego 2, Kraków (Old Town)

Website: shakeandbake.pl

CAFE MŁYNEK – VEGETARIAN AND GLUTEN-FREE

We had a hard time choosing our food in a vegetarian restaurant Cafe Młynek because all gluten-free dishes and desserts seemed really nice. Finally, we followed advice from a friendly waitress and ordered crunchy potato pancakes and spicy pasta with vegetables and hot pepper. The servings were so big that we didn't have any space for dessert. But after lunch we stayed in the restaurant's beer garden to sip coffee with cardamom and hot ginger lemonade and admire the view of the quaint Wolnica Square.

Address: Cafe Młynek, Plac Wolnica 7, Kraków (Kazimierz)

Website: cafemlynek.com

CAFES

Fortunately, most of the drinks are naturally gluten-free so we could safely venture into my favourite cafes: Mleczarnia in Kazimierz (you can read more about it here) and Forum Przestrzenie near the Vistula River (it serves really nice coffee and home-made lemonade). We spent the evening in Domówka Cafe, sipping cider and playing a funny board game about shopping in the communist era called “Kolejka” (which means “queue” in Polish). On the whole, I think Kathryn's stay in Kraków was a great success, both from the social and culinary point of view. :)

OTHER GLUTEN-FREE PLACES

Here are a few other gluten-free restaurants and cake shops which were also on our list but we didn't have enough time to visit them.

WieloPole3 (read more here) – restaurant with unusual vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes Wielopole 3 (Old Town)

La Manzana – gluten-free Mexican restaurant, Miodowa 11 (Kazimierz)

Red – gluten-free cake shop, Smoluchowskiego 7 (Bronowice)

NovaKrova – gluten-free began burgers, Plac Wolnica 12 (Kazimierz)

PS. All photos in this post courtesy of Kathryn.

KARMNIK (KRAKÓW) – FEELS LIKE HOME

Where do you usually buy food? As I mentioned in the post about Krakowskim Targiem Festival, I love traditional markets, especially Plac na Stawach in Kraków (near Cracovia Stadium). There are my favourite, friendly greengrocers, a butcher's shop with always fresh meat, a stall selling home-made cottage cheeses and butter, and much more. What's more, everyone, both vendors and buyers, are much friendlier than in your usual supermarket.

Famished after the shopping spree, we usually go for lunch to nearby Karmnik restaurant (karmnik means 'bird feeder' in Polish), where the atmosphere is even more welcoming than at Plac na Stawach. The restaurant is run by one family who oversee all the details: from serving the guests, to preparing the dishes, to changing decorations according to the season.

The interior is small but neat and cosy. In the photos you can see the winter look dominated by silvers and whites with splashes of red and green. I especially like the quaint, yellowed pages from an old cookery book hung on the walls. I can't wait to see what this artistically gifted family will prepare for the spring season. :)

Menu changes daily but you can always order some nutritious soups (PLN 6-8), meat with potatoes and salad (PLN 15-20) and crunchy pancakes (PLN 9-11 for 2 pancakes). Sometimes there are also delicious savoury tarts (about PLN 11 a piece), which are a particular favourite of mine. Pasta, such as penne with chicken and spinach (PLN 16), is also very good.

Portions, especially of the meat dishes, are really large: the cutlet is as big as the plate, there's a heap of potatoes and four different salads served on a separate plate. That's why D. and I often share one portion for two. Our favourite dishes are pork breaded cutlet (kotlet schabowy, PLN 15 zł) and grilled chicken breast with mozzarella and spinach (PLN 16). The latter is usually quite salty but as each portion is prepared individually for every client, so you can always ask for less salt on your meat.

All the dishes are really fresh and tasty, almost like home-made. Not all of them were to my liking, for example onion soup, which didn't taste at all like onion, but I think it's a matter of taste because D. really liked it. Drinks include delicious fruit juice called kompot in Polish (PLN 3), coffee and tea, but the only thing lacking in Karmnik is desserts. I think home-made cake would be a perfect complement to the lovely lunch.  

Karmnik is probably the restaurant I visit most often in Kraków – mainly because of the delicious food, friendly ambiance and very reasonable prices. You can have here both breakfast and lunch or you can just drop by to drink some warming tea with raspberry juice. I recommend this restaurant to everyone who likes Polish home-made food and warm, informal atmosphere. You can also come here with your kids or dog – everyone will be welcome. :)


Pros: tasty food, big portions, nice interior
Cons: wait time (dishes are prepared only after an order has been placed), some dishes are too salty, no desserts

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Wersja polska

Address: Senatorska 13, Kraków (Zwierzyniec)

Website: restauracjakarmnik.pl 

Daily menu on facebook (in Polish): 

pl-pl.facebook.com/RestauracjaKarmnik

KARDAMON CAFFE – COSY AND HOMEY

Retoryka Street is one of the most charming places in Kraków. If you're near the Wawel Castle, you should take a stroll through this tree-lined alley and examine fairy-like historic houses design by Teordor Talowski. One of the most important Polish architects at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Talowski created here a row of brick houses with fanciful details and names.

My favourite buildings are Under the Singing Frog ('Dom pod Śpiewającą Żabą' in Polish) and Under the Donkey ('Dom pod Osłem' in Polish – there's even a stone donkey's head protruding form the wall). Some of the façades impart to passers-by Latin pearls of wisdom, such as: Festina lente (Make haste slowly) or Faber est suae quisque fortunae (Every man is the artisan of his own fortune). An interesting piece of trivia is a fact that the middle of the Retoryka Street used to be... a river.

Nearby you can find a newly opened bistro - Kardamon Cafe (Cardamon in English). Even though it's located very close to the main tourist attractions, it has a peaceful, not to say lazy, atmosphere. One cold, rainy evening I walked with my dog through Retoryka Street. I had a cold and all I wanted was a cup of some hot beverage. No wonder, brilliantly illuminated, green Kardamon seemed to me a haven of peace. As soon as I entered, a waitress brought a bowl of water (for my dog) and hot, very tasty latte with ginger syrup (for me). After over an hour of sipping at the warming coffee, looking through the books on the shelf and chatting with the friendly waitress and other patrons, my dog and I were ready continue our walk through the rain.

And today I've decided to try Kardamon's daily lunch menu. Its price ranges from PLN 14 to PLN 25 and it includes: soup + a piece of meat or fish; rice, potatoes or buckwheat groats ('kasza gryczana' in Polish) and fresh salad. There are also vegetarian sets (around PLN 12) but I ordered a classic one: borscht (beetroot soup), chicken breast cutlet, potatoes and freshly grated carrot.

The borscht (or barszcz, as we call it in Polish) was very tasty, almost like home made. The only thing that spoiled it were not-too-fresh boiled potatoes (you probably know this sweetish taste of boiled potatoes kept in a fridge for too long. Yuck.). The soup would have been much better if it had been served instead with uszka (ravioli-type dumplings) or at least a hard-boiled egg.

Fortunately, potatoes served with the main dish - as well as the carrot salad  - were completely fresh. And the chicken cutlet coated with breadcrumbs was absolutely delicious. The meat was juicy while the coating remained crispy. I asked the chef for his secret but he apparently had exactly the same recipe as me (coat the meat with flour, whisked eggs and breadcrumbs and then fry it over medium-high heat) but our results were completely different. Why? It will always remain a culinary mystery to me. ;)

I think this restaurant is a great place for a quick, home made lunch. You can also have here breakfast, drink some delicious coffee or simply bury yourself in a comfy armchair and have a pleasant read. Kardamon Cafe is tasty and warming – just like the spice that gave it a name.

Address: ul. Retoryka 19, Kraków (Stare Miasto)

Website: www.kardamon-cafe.com.pl

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Wersja polska

KRAKOWSKIM TARGIEM – THE MOST COLOURFUL FESTIVAL OF THE SEASON

 

Do you like traditional markets? I love them. In Poland, they usually sell fresh fruit and vegetables, local produce, such as oscypek (sheep cheese), and much more. The food there is much better than in supermarkets and the vendors are very friendly and chatty.

That's why I couldn't miss the Festival of Cracow's traditional markets called 'Krakowskim Targiem,' which took place yesterday (12th Oct) in Plac Nowy in Cracow. The name is a play on words: 'krakowskim targiem' is a Polish idiom meaning 'a compromise' but literally it means a Cracow's ('krakowskim') traditional market ('targiem').

Even though this summer and autumn have abounded in food festivals in Cracow, I think 'Krakowskim Targiem' was the most colourful and varied one.

The stalls were full of beautifully arranged autumnal fruits of the earth, especially round-bellied pumpkins and juicy grapes. There was also a plethora of forest mushrooms. I especially like saffron milk caps (called 'rydze' in Polish) fried in butter, which are a simple but delicious dish.

The most eye-catching stand was probably the one with exquisitely carved fruits and veggies. I really love the cute courgette roses.

Apart from food, there were also a few stalls with hand made jewellery, antiques and other birck-a-brac. Maybe someone bought this cute little nesting box?

The air was filled with the smells of smoke and delicious hot dishes, such as pierogi (Polish dumplings) and Moroccan specialities. Unfortunately, there were so many people who also wanted to taste the free food that I didn't manage to push myself forward. Maybe I'm too shy? :/

But I did manage to buy a jar of heather honey, a wooden spoon, some traditional cottage cheese, a punnet of sweet raspberries, and coffee spices with cardamom. As always, I spent more money than I'd intended but at least I've got some tasty souvenirs from the fair.

And for those who didn't manage to visit the festival, I recommend the traditional markets in Cracow, which are open all year round, especially Stary Kleparz, Plac na Stawach and Plac Nowy. Shopping at the market can be great fun. :)

Website: here

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Wersja polska

11th PIEROGI FESTIWAL (XI FESTIWAL PIEROGÓW), 8-11 August 2013, KRAKÓW

Today you've got the last chance to take part in XI Festiwal Pierogów (meaning '11th Pierogi Festival' in Polish), which is taking place in Mały Rynek in Kraków. You can try there all types of pierogi (i.e. traditional Polish dumplings) with both traditional and more unusual fillings, such as red pierogi with purple cabbage, pierogi with duck and cranberries, and many more. One pieróg costs around PLN 1.5 - 2.0. 

I've decided to try chocolate pierogi with strawberries from Magillo but they turned out to be quite bland. Pierogi with nuts and raisins from Resto Prego, on the other hand, were absolutely delicious. I liked them so much I decided to buy more pierogi from this stand - with meat filling, cabbage and mushrooms, and with raspberries - and all of them were equally tasty. :)

And do you know who's the patron saint of pierogi? It's Saint Hyacinth of Poland ('święty Jacek' in Polish). You can see him in the last photo. :)

Website about the festival (in Polish)

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Wersja polska 

 

POLISH-ENGLISH FOOD DICTIONARY

Pierogi

Going out for a dinner in a foreign country can be a real adventure but sometimes we all need some help from the locals. That's why I've decided to create this short dictionary of traditional Polish dishes. If you haven't eaten any Central European dishes before, they might strike you as weird but they are usually really delicious. Just try them and find out for yourself! :)

Barszcz

Tradycyjne polskie potrawy	Traditional Polish dishes
bigos	a Polish national dish made of cabbage, sauerkraut, cuts of meat and sausages. My family eats bigos during Christmas time and we season it with forest mushrooms and a glass of red wine. It's strange but delicious!
gołąbki	cabbage rolls made of cabbage leaves stuffed with spiced minced meat and rice, sometimes served with tomato sauce. My granny makes the best gołąbki in the world! :)
gulasz	goulash, meat stew. It's the national dish of Hungary but Poles also love it and eat it a lot.
kasza	groats. The most popular is kasza gryczana (buckwheat groats) often served with gulasz or meatballs.
kaszanka	a traditional blood sausage made of kasza gryczana (buckwheat groats) among other things...
kisiel	a fruit dessert similar to jelly. Served warm or cold, sometimes with pieces of fruit or cream.
kotlet schabowy	pork cutlet coated with breadcrumbs. It's very similar to a Viennese schnitzel but we still believe it's one of our national dishes. ;)
pierogi	Polish dumplings. The fillings may range from meat, to sauerkraut, to fruits (especially blackberries) but I especially love pierogi ruskie (literally Russian pierogi) filled with boiled potatoes, cottage cheese and onion.
placki ziemniaczane	fried potato pancakes. They're usually garnished with gulasz (see above), mushroom sauce or sour cream. Probably my favourite Polish dish. :)
smalec	lard with crispy pieces of pork rinds. Bread with smalec and a pickled cucumber is often served as a starter.
zupa	soup. Polish people love soups of all kinds but the most popular ones are: pomidorowa (tomato soup), jarzynowa (vegetable soup), barszcz (beetroot soup), krupnik (barley soup), and żurek (sour rye soup).
żurek	sour rye soup. Traditionally, we eat it for Easter breakfast. Żurek is usually garnished with a piece of sausage, boiled egg or potatoes (or all of them at once).

Gołąbki

Most of the Polish restaurants, especially in big cities, have menus in both Polish and English, sometimes also German or Russian. But if you have to struggle with an all-Polish menu, here are some most common things you might want to order:

Mięso i ryba	Meat and fish
indyk	turkey
kiełbasa	sausage
kurczak	chicken
łosoś	salmon
pstrąg	trout
ryba	fish
szynka	ham
wątróbka	fried liver with onions
wieprzowina	pork
wołowina	beef
żeberka	pork ribs
Warzywa i dodatki	Vegetables and side dishes
frytki	French fries
kapusta	cabbage
kapusta kiszona	sauerkraut
kasza	groats
marchewka	carrot
ogórek	cucumber
ogórek kiszony	pickled cucumber
pomidor	tomato
sałata	lettuce
sałatka	salad
ziemniaki	potatoes

Sernik

Desery	Desserts
ciasto	cake
lody	ice cream
sernik	cheesecake
szarlotka	apple pie
Napoje	Beverages
piwo	beer
kawa	coffee
kompot	juice made of various fruits boiled in water. In most restaurants it's cheaper than bottled soft drinks.
herbata	tea
wino	wine
wódka	vodka

Placki ziemniaczane

 And here's proof that Poles love their vegetables, especially tomatoes. It's a satirical song from 1960's titled 'Addio Pomidory' - 'Goodbye, Tomatoes!' ;)

Smacznego! = Bon appétit! :)

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W STAREJ KUCHNI - POTATO PANCAKES

I usually prefer light dishes, especially in the summer, but sometimes I feel an urge to eat potato pancakes ('placki ziemniaczane' in Polish). If the urge becomes irresistible, I most often go to W Starej Kuchni restaurant (which means 'In an Old Kitchen' ), which serves traditional Polish dishes tasting almost like homemade.

The interior resembles an old cottage: the walls are hung with cast-iron pans, rings of sausages and garlic wreaths. Wooden cupboards are full of preserves in round-bellied jars, some of which you can even buy, while a wood-fired oven exudes cosy warmth in the winter. The only incongruous element seems to be a wall painting of a huge library. Is it really possible that a 19^th-century cottage had such a luxury as a book collection filling one of the rooms? ;)

Potato pancakes served here are crunchy and fresh. We usually order them in one of the two forms: several smaller pancakes in forest mushroom sauce (PLN 32) or a huge 'mill-wheel' pancake with oscypek (sheep cheese from the Tatra mountains), bacon and cranberries (PLN 37). The latter dish is so big that if you're stomach has a limited capacity, you'd better share it with your companion. Sometimes when we feel like eating something more meaty we order grilled ribs, which are also nice but very, very filling.

The restaurant gives a free snack before the meal (it's usually bread with lard or garlic butter) and a shot of wiśniówka (cherry vodka) as digestif. The vodka not only is tasty, but it also helps digest the heavy, traditional dishes. And even though I'm always totally full up as I leave W Starej Kuchni , I don't regret a single, tasty calorie...

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Przeczytaj to po polsku 

Address: ul. św. Tomasza 8, Kraków

Website: www.wstarejkuchni.pl