Through a sea of Seafood and Cuban restaurants in Clearwater Beach, there is a unique spot that stands out – Pierogi Grill. I found this Polish restaurant several years ago and I am excited to see it still going strong today.
I arrived hungry on purpose since I knew I wanted to get a big Polish meal. I started off with a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. It was a classic in every sense. The skinny noodles and chunks of chicken reminded me of the soup my mom would make when I was sick. It really is a comfort food.
For my main meal, I went for the pierogi and stuffed cabbage. It had been so long since I had stuffed cabbage and I wanted to see how close it came to my mother’s.
Choosing which pierogi to try was a tough decision. They have many to choose from – spinach, meat, sauerkraut, cheese, potato. I went for the potato and cheddar. They boil their pierogi and then sauté them in chopped onion. The potato and cheddar filling had a fantastic flavor and was extremely creamy. The pierogi dough was the perfect thickness – not too much and was balanced out with a generous amount of filling.
The stuffed cabbage was covered in a wonderful tomato sauce. The cabbage was soft and tender, with a sweet taste. The filling of fresh ground meat was moist and had the right amount of rice mixed in. The blending of the sauce, cabbage, and meat mixture was perfect. These were not heavy stuffed cabbages. It was close to my mom’s recipe but not exactly the same. However, it was a great substitute.
Another wonderful feature of the Pierogi Grill is their European market. If you want to get something to cook at home you must walk through. They sell all of their homemade pierogi by the dozen. Check out their assortment of meats – including homemade kielbasa.
If you have a sweet tooth, check out their desserts, including nut roll, just like my mom makes at Christmas.
Grab a container of Kolachki cookies – a shortbread cookie stuffed with a fruit jam and dusted with powdered sugar. It is perfect for the car ride home.
If you are of Polish heritage wanting a taste of old world flavors or just wanting to try something new, check out Pierogi Grill. They do not have a website but make sure to like them on Facebook: facebook.com/pierogigrill
Plus visit them on your birthday for a free dinner!
Enjoy!
T
