Port Richmond Eats- Philadelphia

[monavano]

I got my Polish on this weekend in Port Richmond.

During an unexpected plan to Philly these past few days, we managed to do a couple of my favorite foodie things. I wanted to go to Krakus Market to stock up on mustards (because I'm obsessed with mustards....like Bubba can rattle off shrimp dishes, I think there ought to be that many mustards. Just because), but alas they were on vacation. So, Mr. MV and I thought to wander across the road to Syrenka's Luncheonette, a cafeteria style, informal, no frills restaurant serving good comfort food. Get anything but the canned veggies.

We ordered a golabki (stuffed cabbage), a kielbasa sandwich with sauerkraut on rye, and potato cheese pierogie.

Waddling out, we wandered over to Julia's Bakery and Cafe to see if anyone else besides Krakus Market sells Polish cookies called cruschiki. Well, no actually. But, we got a good look at the menu which serves not only sweets, but savories such as crepes, soups and sandwiches.

Walking back to the car, we spotted Piast Market, a typical corner store. It is all Polish, all the time. I mean, not one sign in English. So, I got some kielbasa; kabanosa which is skinny kielbasa, and pointed at a very dark smoked kielbasa (well, they all are, but this one looked very dark and actually smells incredibly smokey) which I ordered a pound of. I bought a package of Borowick (the king of) mushrooms and we set out.

Last night's dinner was beer braised kielbasa with sauerkraut and buttered marble rye (from Stein's in Krewstown).

[philadining]

Excellent report! I'm suddenly very hungry...

[KatieLoeb]

Awesome. I love the Krakus market. It's a shame they're closed. Did the sign say when they're back from vacation or whatever? I'm due for a frozen pierogie run as well as some mustards.

Syrenka's stuffed cabbage (galumpkes, as I know them) are some of the very best I've had. I haven't been there in ages. Perhaps I'll need to plan for lunch there when I stop by Krakus.

[monavano]

Awesome.  I love the Krakus market.  It's a shame they're closed.  Did the sign say when they're back from vacation or whatever?  I'm due for a frozen pierogie run as well as some mustards.

Syrenka's stuffed cabbage (galumpkes, as I know them) are some of the very best I've had.  I haven't been there in ages.  Perhaps I'll need to plan for lunch there when I stop by Krakus.

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I asked a guy walking his dog about Krakus. Fortunately he knew that they re-opened this past Monday.

Katie, their stuffed cabbage is the best. I've been making them at home for years, but never attained the tenderness of meat and cabbage that you get with babcia's golabki. Until on a visit to Syrenka's last year, as I was standing in front of the counter and watching her plate my golabki from the steamer it hit me. Viola! Must braise low and slow! Must parboil cabbage until very tender and not cut out the "vein" so I can roll like a fajita and make those softball size wonders.

Syrenka's= inspiration!

Now my golabki are big, tender and delicious. I use a combination of 2 mom's recipe's: My own, and Martha Stewart's..

Edited August 8, 2007 by monavano (log)

[MarketStEl]

This looks like:

--an opportunity to broaden my cultural horizons,

--an excuse to ride the 15 trolley, which I haven't had since it went into service.

I didn't know there was a significant Polish presence in the city.

[monavano]

This looks like:

--an opportunity to broaden my cultural horizons,

--an excuse to ride the 15 trolley, which I haven't had since it went into service.

I didn't know there was a significant Polish presence in the city.

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Tha MAC machines are programmed for Polish! Sitting in Krakus luncheonette, you can catch up with Polish soap operas. In fact, the Karate studio (I think that's what is is now)across from Syrenka's used to be a Polish club, where as a little girl, I'd go to with my family, in full Polish dress.

Port Richmond's skyline is punctuated by 3 iconic spires. St. Adelbert's, an anchor for the Polish Community for generations, is the east-most church with double spires. You've probablly seen it a million times while driving up and down I-95, past the Allegheny Ave. exit.

The trolley runs right down Richmond St., Sandy. Lots of markets, eateries and bakeries are within a few blocks of Allegheny and Richmond. On a nice day, it would make for good walking.

Next visit I'm going to try to put Taconelli's into my schedule.

Edited August 8, 2007 by monavano (log)

[mandabear]

did you guys notice the pictures of the former Pope and Robin Williams on the wall of Syrenka's?

My father works in Port Richmond and incendentally the Rib Ranch in PR makes the wings for the Wing Bowl, as well as La Colombe's warehouse and roasting facility are in Port Richmond.

PS Taconellis is not worth the hype in my opinion

Edited August 16, 2007 by mandabear (log)

[KatieLoeb]

This looks like:

--an opportunity to broaden my cultural horizons,

--an excuse to ride the 15 trolley, which I haven't had since it went into service.

I didn't know there was a significant Polish presence in the city.

←

Significant would be an understatement, Sandy. Port Richmond, if you close your eyes, sounds like a bustling corner in Warsaw. If the buildings were older you'd totally think you were in Poland. I remember once trying to ask an older woman for directions somewhere and she shrugged at me. "No English", she said. There are many immigrants and first and second generation Poles in Port Richmond. A lot of the older folks never learned to speak English and didn't have to, as there's a thriving community with stores, bakeries, banks, medical offices, etc. right there that serve their community in their native language.

There's also a kielbasa factory up there where one can purchase freshly smoked sausages. Anyone remember the name and address for that? I've always wanted to check that place out...

[TarteTatin]

About 2-3 years ago, Slow Food organized a walking food tour of all the Polish places in that neighborhood. We went to Czerws smokehouse and got a tour and free samples, went to a few bakeries, a supermarket with another talk, had a huge take out lunch in a park. It was all organized, with a map, etc. Lots of fun, and totally free, except for what you bought. Lunch was something like $5 for a huge amount. I've tried to talk Hansjakob into doing it again. Maybe if more people told him we wanted it? It was a blast.

[monavano]

I stopped by Port Richmond on Christmas Eve to pick up a couple goodies. I bought a cheese babka and cruschiki (fried dough cookies with a healthy dose of powdered sugar) for a family get together on Christmas day. I also got 3 kielbasas: a juniper berry flavored kielbasa from Krakus Market and from Piast- a twice smoked Luska (very dark) and the Polish slim Jim kabanosy.

[MarketStEl]

I stopped by Port Richmond on Christmas Eve to pick up a couple goodies. I bought a cheese babka and cruschiki (fried dough cookies with a healthy dose of powdered sugar) for a family get together on Christmas day. I also got 3 kielbasas: a juniper berry flavored kielbasa from Krakus Market and from Piast- a twice smoked Luska (very dark) and the Polish slim Jim kabanosy.

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Awww, man, now I'ma hafta go!

I picked up some smoked kielbasa from Martin's Sausage in the RTM a couple of weeks back, and after eating it, I can't go back to what they sell in the supermarkets. I can only imagine that Krakus' and Czrews' are even better.

[monavano]

I hear you Sandy. I buy the store brands but when I get the real deal it's a treat. Frank and I dove into the kabanosy (skinny kielbasa) as soon as we got into our car!

Being the day before Christmas, Allegheny Ave smelled of smoked meats from the stores cranking out kielbasa. Heaven

Edited December 28, 2007 by monavano (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Sandy:

Don't miss the Krakus market. There's a whole case of different flavored frozen pierogies in the back that were lovingly hand made by little Polish ladies. They're awesome. Also a great selection of preserves, mustards, etc. as well as some nice Eastern European herbal teas and such.

[monavano]

Sandy:

Don't miss the Krakus market.  There's a whole case of different flavored frozen pierogies in the back that were lovingly hand made by little Polish ladies.  They're awesome.  Also a great selection of preserves, mustards, etc. as well as some nice Eastern European herbal teas and such.

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I forgot to mention that I also got Koscuisko mustard and Spicy Polish Mustard.

[KatieLoeb]

I can't remember the brand name, but I seem to recall purchasing a really delicious spicy mustard with horseradish in it at Krakus market. It was rockin' on a roast beef sammie.

I agree there should be many many mustards. My friends jokingly refer to me as "Condiment Queen" because I have so many varied stuffs in my refrigerator door.

[MarketStEl]

I can't remember the brand name, but I seem to recall purchasing a really delicious spicy mustard with horseradish in it at Krakus market.  It was rockin' on a roast beef sammie.

I agree there should be many many mustards.  My friends jokingly refer to me as "Condiment Queen" because I have so many varied stuffs in my refrigerator door. 

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I don't recall you ever reporting in the condiment census I conducted over in Food Traditions & Culture.

You do mustard, I do hot sauce. Somewhere between these we should find a happy medium.

[KatieLoeb]

Sandy:

I do mustards, hot sauces, preserves, pickles, you name it. It's all good. I like my condiments.

Sorry I didn't see your survey before. Not on that thread too often.

[MarketStEl]

This looks like:

--an opportunity to broaden my cultural horizons,

--an excuse to ride the 15 trolley, which I haven't had since it went into service.

←

So I finally got around to fulfilling this desire on Saturday. I had planned to go on Friday, after the funeral of a dear friend, but I got sidetracked. Unfortunately, what I feared was the case was the case: SEPTA runs buses on Route 15 on the weekends.

But the point was to get there. I rode past Krakus Market, which I will save for my next trip, which will be much sooner than I would have imagined, because:

There's also a kielbasa factory up there where one can purchase freshly smoked sausages.  Anyone remember the name and address for that?  I've always wanted to check that place out...

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Czerw's Kielbasy (pronounced "Crews," as close as I can tell)

3370 Tilton Street (one block north of Westmoreland)

215-423-1707

Tuesday-Thursday 8 am-4 pm; Friday 7 am-5 pm; Saturday 7 am-2 pm

Nearest SEPTA service: Trolley Route 15 (Haddington to Port Richmond via Girard Avenue and Richmond Street) or Bus Route 60 (East Falls to Port Richmond via Allegheny Avenue) -- both routes connect with both the Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Line at Girard and Allegheny stations on each, respectively -- to the end of the line at Richmond and Westmoreland streets. Turn left on Westmoreland, then right at the next corner, which is Tilton. Czerw's is on the left almost all the way to the end of the block.

You. Must. Go. There.

The kielbasa is that good, and it comes both fresh and smoked, in several varieties. They were out of the regular kielbasa when I went, so I took home some of just about every other smoked variety they had: a pound of the Cajun smoked kielbasa, a pound of the smoked turkey kielbasa, a half pound of the "Hotter than Hell" smoked hot sausage, a half pound of kabanosa to snack on (which I polished off on the walk back to the bus loop from the store), and -- on the recommendation of a friend who gave me a lift back from the funeral -- a pound of their pork breakfast sausage. The turkey kielbasa was not as firm as I'm used to, but it would be hard to tell it apart from the traditional beef-and-pork variety, and the smoked hot sausage lives up to its billing.

If the kielbasa is better than anything you've had so far, which it is, the breakfast sausage is better than any pork breakfast sausage you are likely to get anywhere else in the future--fresh and flavorful with a hint of sage. Bob Evans, eat your heart out; step to the end of the line, Jimmy Dean. After eating this, I don't even want more Parks' sausages, Mom. Now the only thing they need to do is come out with a spicy version of this, and I'd be in Sunday breakfast Heaven.

They're happy to give out samples too.

[monavano]

I'm so happy to hear you made the trip to Port Richmond, Sandy. I agree that Czerw's have the best kielbasa. It's a good thing you didn't get the fresh, because you could stink up an entire bus with garlic! Of course, I think that's a good thing. Near me, the closest Polish shop is The Kielbasa Factory in Rockville, Md. Where they get their keilbasa from doesn't hold a candle to Czerw's. I have very, very high standards when it comes to Polish products: http://www.dcfoodies.com/2008/01/the-kielbasa-fa.html

Czerw's is pronounced "chairv's". That's as close as I can spell it!

ps...do they still have Philly cheesesteak pieorgies?

Thanks!

[MarketStEl]

Footnote:

Went back up there on Good Friday to buy more breakfast sausage and some plain kielbasa.

Stood in line for an hour. Realized as I approached the door that I wouldn't get to place my order in time for a noon roundtable discussion at the Inky, so left.

Returned the next morning to get both. No line. No breakfast sausage, either. Kielbasa fresh out of the smoker, though.

Folks, it doesn't get any better than this. My fellow choristers polished off the bulk of a pound, fried with peppers and mixed with mezze penne and Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

Another attempt at breakfast sausage later today.

If this keeps up, I may have to consider moving to Port Richmond.

[monavano]

Footnote:

Went back up there on Good Friday to buy more breakfast sausage and some plain kielbasa.

Stood in line for an hour. Realized as I approached the door that I wouldn't get to place my order in time for a noon roundtable discussion at the Inky, so left.

Returned the next morning to get both.  No line.  No breakfast sausage, either.  Kielbasa fresh out of the smoker, though.

Folks, it doesn't get any better than this.  My fellow choristers polished off the bulk of a pound, fried with peppers and mixed with mezze penne and Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

Another attempt at breakfast sausage later today.

If this keeps up, I may have to consider moving to Port Richmond.

←

Good Friday is probably the busiest day for all things kielbasa in Port Richmond. Pork reigns supreme on Easter, and traditionally smoked and fresh kielbasa (and bread etc) are bought on Good Friday. The fresh kielbasa is prepared along with hard boiled eggs, breads and pastries. Everything is layed out on the dining table for blessing on Holy Sat., whether in house or brought to the church.

Be sure to treat yourself to stuffed cabbage (golabki) at Syrenka's soon!

Edited March 25, 2008 by monavano (log)