Polish Villa
On a recent trip up to Buffalo, NY for a wedding, I was on a quest to take advantage of the strong Polish roots that have been established there. So being the food lover I am, I did a bit of research, and it turns out the place to be (according to the interwebs, and anything on the interwebs HAS to be true) is a little place called the Polish Villa. Not to be confused with the Polish Villa Part Two, which looks to be of the same ownership, but only as a second establishment located 2.5 miles away. I’ll reserve judgement and jokes, and leave that up to you.
The decor inside is, as I was warned, a bit on the cheesy side. The theme seems to be, as honest as the name of the restaurant implies, what you’d expect to find in a Polish villa in Poland. Thick wood beams, lattice colored windows, and well, let’s say it’s not the Four Seasons.
More like the set of Sesame Street.
Regardless, this is a proud heritage from a proud people. People who gave us gifts such as …uh…polka. And Weird Al Yankovic, of which the latter was an embarrassing and not often talked about phase of my childhood.
Let me tell you something, a little therapy goes a long way.
Ah, but we’re getting off track here. What about the delicious food? Polish cuisine has spawned such fantastic dishes such as the pierogi, the galumpki, and the potato pancake. So what better way to experience all of that deliciousness other than ordering the Polish Platter here at the ‘Villa?
Man, these people just do not pull any punches.
To start, I was offered either the salad or the soup of the day, which happened to be Borscht that day. I’m still working on getting over my traumatizing childhood experiences with beets, but what the hell. This whole meal was going to be a risk, so I went all in.
A hot soup mixed with sour cream and chunks of beet, this was decidedly chowdah-ish, and surprisingly good. Not a huge bowl but rather a cup, but a perfect appetizer to start the meal.
Next up, a potato pancake with a very generous portion of butter, which I had no reservations of slathering on top. The pancake itself was very good if not a bit bland, but the butter here made all the difference. The potato is very smooth, to the point that it seems like it’s a giant fried pancake of mashed potatoes. Healthy? Probably not. Tasty? Definitely. I made quick work of the pancake and put it to rest.
Now, Polish food isn’t exactly going to ever get nominated for prom queen, but what it lacks for in looks, it makes up for in taste. I ordered both the regular and smoked kielbasa, which came with a galumki (picture on the left), two pierogies (one potato and one cheese), and a small dish of cabbage cooked in vinegar. The galumki is a large ball of ground beef and rice wrapped in cabbage, then covered in a rich and creamy tomato sauce. It does look a bit daunting, but think of it as a European version of meatloaf.
The kielbasa are about what you’d expect. Giant hunks of meat, although I didn’t care too much for the smoked kielbasa, preferring the regular kielbasa instead.
The shredded cabbage was less tangy than sauerkraut, but had a sweeter side to it, which paired rather well with the kielbasa. A nice little side, and obviously a staple of polish dining.
But let’s talk about the real crowd pleaser here.
Oh pierogi. Oh just look. LOOK AT YOU. I don’t think the photo above fully does these any justice, but imagine a giant dumpling about 5-6 inches long, filled with potato or cheese, and given a nice pan fry for maximum delectableness. If these things were any better tasting, they’d be illegal in every city except for Amsterdam.
I’m sure there’s a way to make that happen.
It’s probably a good thing there aren’t Polish restaurants as good as this in the area, or I’d likely have my diet wrecked. Service here is fair and friendly, and the atmosphere is more casual, like the type of place Tiger Woods would pick up his Friday night romp after yet another dismal showing on the green. As an added bonus, Canadia, America’s Hat, is just a half hour drive away, where you can do all the things you can’t do in America, like ending every sentence with “eh” without ridicule. Although I don’t think you’d get too much guff saying that sort of thing here in Buffalo, either.
See Polish Villa on a map here.
Recommended For:
- Pierogiepalooza
- Sausage Swallowers
- Frugalistas
- ‘tatophiles
Not Recommended For:
- Vegetarians
- Carbaphobes
- Zone Dieters
- Paleo heads
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