Travel along Main Avenue beside the winding Passaic River in Wallington, and you’ll notice the Polish influences right away. There are the delis and banquet halls, and even a statue dedicated to General Casimir Pulaski of Poland.
Then there are the restaurants. If this heart-shaped borough in North Jersey conjures visions of pierogies, stuffed cabbage, borscht, blintzes and kielbasa, it’s because all that and more can be found there. Polish people started immigrating to Little Poland more than 100 years ago.
“It’s a very Polish place, and we want to continue to preserve our roots and also bring back to the community,” says Sebastian Stopka, whose family owns Tatra Haus, which features Polish Highlander fare.
The restaurant specializes in the cuisine found near the Tatra mountains in Southern Poland. Well-known Polish foods are served, but opt instead for regional dishes like grilled Highlander sheep cheese with bacon and cranberry sauce or rye bread with pork lard spread and pickles. “You wouldn’t see that anywhere else,” says Stopka.
Krakus Restaurant offers all the Polish classics (pierogies, stuffed cabbage, blintzes) and is a mainstay for family-and-friend gatherings. The pickle soup is particularly delicious, light and briny, but with a hint of cream. A perk: Krakus has a full bar.
Just up Main Avenue, Chefski’s beckons. It’s mostly a grab-and-go. The menu, though concise, does offer a dozen types of pierogies. The ones I ordered managed to remain pleasingly light yet substantial, even after a 20-minute drive home. Be sure to grab a soft drink from the case, direct from Poland.
