Polonez

In a city full of superb Eastern European restaurants, Polonez has earned a reputation as one of the best. We originally visited on a Friday for its wonderful fish fry, but any time you go, a long list of Old World specialties makes it a rewarding experience. From warm buns and homey chicken noodle soup at the beginning of a meal to elegant crepes at the end, Polonez delivers a rare heartland feast.

Potato pancakes are especially noteworthy. Thin as a dime and lace-edged, they pack sour-creamy wallop that makes the perch they accompany seem all the sweeter.

Good as the fish-fry is, even on Friday it would be a crime to visit this immaculate Old World eating hall and not also have some butter-glistening pierogi and the hunter’s stew known as bigos, packed with ham and sausage. And of course you want to finish things off with a digestif of plum-flavored sliwowica.

From the outside, Polonez has little charm: a blocky building with a simple sign, its only real color the flags of the U.S. and Poland flying overhead. But inside is charming and elegant. Tables are covered with soft white cloth. Decor is all about Polish culture, including two life-size mannequins outfitted in traditional garb. And the waitstaff couldn’t be more caring and kind.

Polonez is a Milwaukee must-eat!