U Gazdy serves hearty portions of Polish fare
If you are looking for a light snack or are counting calories, save U Gazdy Polish Restaurant for another day.
If, however, you want a hearty, delicious, belly-filling meal that reminds you of being spoiled by grandma, then a stop at this warm, welcoming restaurant is a must. To call it "comfort food" is an understatement. This is "satisfaction food."
Opened in December 2007 by the husband-and-wife team of Szymon and Betty Pierscionowski, U Gazdy Polish Restaurant features southern Polish, or Highlander-style, food, and plenty of it. The pair has years of restaurant operation under their belts, though this is their first foray into restaurant ownership. In my book they got it right on the first try.
"We wanted to have a very traditional Highlander menu, yet with some American twists," Szymon says.
Located next to the long-standing Helen's Polish Deli on an uninspiring stretch of Irving Park Road, U Gazdy is a clean and cozy place set to look like a mountain lodge with blond wood panels and rustic tables. Staff was pleasant, helpful and friendly.
Be prepared for a boisterous crowd on many nights, as the small confines get filled with people enjoying the food, drinks and ambiance. It's not unusual for the conversation at the next table to be completely in Polish.
Meals start with fresh-baked bread accompanied by "smlec" - wonderful and delicious garlic, spice and lard spread. A choice of either chicken noodle or mushroom soup is included with entrees. The mushroom soup was one of the best I have ever had - heaps of fresh mushrooms mingling in a lightly peppered, hearty stock with vegetables and pasta shells to boost the texture. Filling, yet not heavy, aromatic with a slight smokiness. My dining companion declared the soup the highlight of the visit.
Other soups available include red borscht, white borscht with sausage and hard-boiled eggs, tripe soup and sauerkraut with smoked ribs. In addition there are four a la carte salads.
U Gazdy offers three cold starters - herring, tatar (raw steak and chopped onion) and smoked salmon - and five hot starters - among them battered smoked cheese, Hunters Stew and pierogi. The Potato and Bacon that we ordered got high marks on the flavor scale. A large circular hash brown-like patty had a fried, crunchy exterior that contrasted with its wispy interior. The dish came liberally crusted with bacon bits and with a small cup of sour milk that tasted similar to sour cream. A nice touch, but it did make the potato somewhat mushy.
Entrees - which I can only describe as beyond generous - include Harnasia filet mignon, Shepherd's Delight (filet, pork tenderloin and chicken in garlic butter with hunter's sauce, gypsy fries and grilled veggies), veal znycel, rabbit in white wine and butter sauce and other Eastern European specialties. Dining groups of four or more should consider the Highlander Dinner, a platter of pork sirloin with smoked cheese and mushroom sauce, lamb in hunter's sauce, stuffed cabbage in mushroom sauce, potato pancakes, gypsy fries and grilled vegetables (and soup!).
Fish and vegetarian options are more limited: Steamed Polish-style White Fish, Galaician-style Rainbow Trout. potato pancake served with mushroom sauce and mozzarella cheese.
I ordered the Highlander Style Potato Pancake and was presented with a plate-sized cake served folded over with sour cream and cheese on top and surrounded by a generous helping of pork goulash and accompanied by three side salads (beet, carrot and slaw). The pancake was light but hearty enough to stand against the goulash, which was fresh and spiced perfectly. An excellent, filling and satisfying dish.
My dining partner chose the Giewont Cutlet, named after a mountain massif in the Tatra Mountains, and this entrée was as big as a mountain. The large breaded pork tenderloin is pounded thin and rolled with ham around a huge chunk of cheese (had to have been at least a half pound of cheese!), then breaded and cooked. More cheese is added on top before serving. ("That's so it looks like the snow on Giewont mountain," Szymon says.) It's served with delightfully fresh and light dilled dumplings and the Polish side salads. The "wow factor" of the size of the Giewont Cutlet increases as you cut into it, and a wonderful aromatic puff of cheese and meat enhances the taste of the dish. A bit of black pepper gave the dish a nice touch of heat. The only downside to this huge meal was that as the dish cooled, it became a little dry; a bit of mushroom gravy would solve this problem.
With our entrees, we shared a side of Gypsy Fries - pillow-soft and golden brown potato wedges dusted with a bit of paprika. They came plain, so a side of some sauce or gravy would have been a bonus.
With all that food, we skipped dessert. Attorney's Delight and Coco-Rum Townsfolk's Delight have given me a reason to return.
The bar menu includes several brands of Polish vodka and beer. For a special treat, ask to have some raspberry or strawberry syrup in your beer.
"It's a traditional way of drinking beer in Poland," Szymon says. "In the winter we also offer it hot, just like in the Polish Highlands."
My only complaint of the entire evening was that we were seated at one of the two tables (out of about nine tables) that had only backless wooden benches. All the other tables had chairs. While the benches were comfortable enough, it would have been nice to be able to sit back after such a filling meal.
Since U Gazdy has a small dining area (less than 50 seats indoors; about 12 outside on an asphalt parking lot), reservations are highly recommended.
In all, U Gazdy Polish Restaurant is a hidden gem with high-quality food served in huge portions. The food rivals any of the top Polish (and eastern European) restaurants in the Chicago area.
<p class="factboxheadblack">U Gazdy Polish Restaurant</p> <p class="News">270 W. Irving Park, Wood Dale</p> <p class="News">(630) 694-5840</p> <p class="News"><b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday, Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday</p> <p class="News"><b>Entrees:</b> $8.90 to $20.90</p>