Polish Villa

2954 Union Rd., Cheektowaga, NY - (617) 683-9460

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Posted By Michael Stern on 9/23/2011 2:52:00 PM

There are two Polish Villas in Buffalo, and while we suspect that Polish Villa II is every bit as good as Polish Villa I (they're both in the family), our visits during a recent trip to western New York were only to #1. We intended only to have lunch there, but liked it so much that we returned for dinner the same day. If we had time, we would have come back for breakfast, too.

Although the menu does list burgers and sandwiches of all kinds, ham steak, and southern fried chicken, the restaurant's name provides a pretty strong clue as to what really matters in its kitchen. If you frequent other heartland Polish restaurants (as we do whenever possible), most of the old-country specialties will be familiar, from czarnina soup to pierogies, kielbasa, golabki, and fruit crepes for dessert. One course after another, everything we ate was mom's-home-cooking good: slightly sticky potato pancakes served with either sour cream or apple sauce (but you must pay extra if you want both); firm-fleshed, smoky sausages; crisp wiener schnitzel sided by creamy mashed potatoes, kluski noodles topped with chicken and mushrooms.

We were particularly smitten with the pierogie stuffed with sauerkraut, their soft, succulent filling robed in dough that gets quick-sauteed to a crisp just before being served. And oh, the sweet-and-sour cabbage – available as a side dish for any meal; soft but not mushy, balanced perfectly between sugar and tang, it is a benchmark for all cabbage everywhere.

Such food would be good in an impersonal cafeteria. Its pleasures are enhanced by a staff of professional waitresses who really know their stuff, a hostess who is truly hospitable, and a dining room that is occupied mostly by people who, based on the language they are speaking, know excellent Polish food when they find it.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

Pierogie (plate)	Cnarnina Soup (cup)
Golabki (Plate)	Potato Pancake
Sauerkraut	Beef on Weck

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Reviewers Photos [Upload Your Photos]

"When you slide the edge of a fork into Polish Villa golabki (stuffed cabbage), it easily severs the thick, tender leaf that encloses a lode of seasoned meat within."
Michael Stern

"Available filled with cheese, sauerkraut, or potato, these pierogie have a skin that is a perfect harmony of crunchy edge and chewy body."
Michael Stern

"We had to try it! Beef on weck here features well-done but very tender slices on a weck roll that has been toasted to a crisp."
Michael Stern

"Czarnina soup looks fearsome, but actually is pretty friendly. Those homemade noodles share surface space with a large plum and a few puffed-up raisins."
Michael Stern

"So often bland and uninteresting, sauerkraut can be soft, flavorful, and hugely satisfying ... as is this serving alongside a Polish Villa meal."
Michael Stern

"Guarding the dining room from the front door is a mannequin dressed in traditional Polish garb but waving a U.S. flag."
Michael Stern

"One lonely potato pancake. Made to order, of course, it elevates the spud to elegance."
Michael Stern

"Buffalo is not one of the nation's great breakfast cities, but the menu here is promising: kielbasa or kiszka and eggs, fruit-filled crepes and, of course, potato pancakes."
Michael Stern