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Quick Bite in Chicago's Polish Downtown At the end of a brief Chicago visit, Don and I had a quick feast with our daughter, in the neighborhood where Don's father grew up.  We needed to drop Heidi at the airport before noon, but I insisted we squeeze in a Polish Dining Adventure on Sunday morning! On Polish Broadway Podhalanka sits on busy Division Street... called Polish Broadway by some. It faces the Polish Triangle (plaza) which is in the center of Chicago's old Polish settlement. Don's grandfather moved here at age 14 in 1900, after traveling alone from Poland to Ellis Island.  I'm a little jealous of Don and Heidi, with their connections to Poland. I made up for my lack of Polish blood, by embracing theirs. I practically demanded a visit to this iconic place while it still exists! The majority of Polish families and businesses have moved to the suburbs. Nervous Don and Heidi agreed to go along with a speedy visit and maybe sample some Polish pierogi or potato pancakes. But all 3 of us were a little anxious. But, because of time issues.  Before arriving, I'd read some angry reviews from diners who complained about the owner pressuring them to order things they didn't want. Were we up for this? I promised I'd do the talking and stay firm. At 10:15, I opened the front door and we stepped in. I didn't see an angry owner. I didn't see any customers at tables, or at the counter. Just 2 giant bags of potatoes. "Greeting" We stood for moment and then a man appeared. (We learned later that his name was Greg.) Greg was wearing a black apron, black Crocs and a serious expression. "Good Morning." he greeted in a flat tone, with a Polish accent.  He offered no other words, so I asked if we should just sit anywhere. "Second table." he answered without a gesture. Second from where? I wondered. He read my mind and pointed to a table near a white couch. Beef Tripe Stew or Pickle Soup? Greg brought over some paper menus and placed them on our plastic tablecloth. Before we had a chance to consider some bargains, like Tripe Stew for $5.80 or Pickle Soup for $5.75, Greg spoke. First he reminded us that they only accepted cash.  Then he began, "I'll tell you what we're going to do. I've got some soup and some sausage..." Then he listed off all the things he was going to have us sample. I could hardly get a word in. My turn I jumped in when I got the chance and explained with great enthusiasm, that we were on the way to the airport and had limited time, but we'd heard such great things about the food! "We just can't leave town without trying a little something... maybe some potato pancakes..."  He cut me off and told me they were out of potato pancakes. I didn't dare point out the potatoes on the stools. Not that we had time for those potatoes to be scrubbed, peeled, grated and cooked. Pierogi I firmly told Greg we would get just a couple orders of Pierogi. He looked like he was thinking, then asked what time our plane left. Does he think we're lying? I wondered.  Then Greg offered a slightly Grinch-like smile, with a suggestion. "You can take some extra orders with you. I have bags of Peirogi in the freezer!" 1980s Decor Greg finally seemed to understand that we just wanted 2 pierogi orders. The stress lifted and we all seemed happy.  He took our order back to the kitchen. We could see a woman bustling around back there. As she cooked, we admired the decor. Polish and American flags, surrounded Michelangelo's famous work. The TV right across from us was broadcasting in Polish.  There were postcards attached to the edge of the bar. Cans of soda and bottles of water rested on shelves. No booze at Podhalanka's, but evidently the building housed a tavern in the past.  An image of Pope Paul II decorated one wall, while Princes Diana decorated another. It was if we were in a time warp from the 1980s, which is when Helena Madej opened her Polish restaurant. I read much about her later. Warm Food After a while, Greg brought us a large warm plate, holding our polish dumplings, stuffed with various fillings.  Greg suddenly seemed warmer. He asked where we were from and Don told him he once had family in the neighborhood. I asked Greg which pierogi fillings he liked best. "Meat!" he answered without thinking. "I like meat!" The ice was broken. The cabbage filled pierog was my favorite. Don and Heidi liked the finely ground meat filling best. I would have like the potato and cheese more, if I'd come in more hungry. Those little goodies were incredibly hearty!
None of us felt drawn to the aged bottle of Przyprawa. I believe it was sort of a Polish soy sauce, which probably would have been a great addition. Posing with Greg The restaurant was still empty when we got ready to leave. 2 young guys came in at one point, but didn't have cash. (the ATM wasn't working)  I took advantage of the lull and asked Greg to be in a photo. He was happy to oblige. An hour earlier I never would have guessed we'd end up talking so easily with this guy. He told us he'd taken over for his Aunt Helena, who had owned the biz for about 40 years. Was she the woman I spotted in the kitchen? Off We Go We headed out and I took one more look at that little building, with its faded sign and vintage stone facade.  Since our visit I've read some interesting interviews with Helena. She must have been a brave and stubborn woman, coming from Poland and taking on this business, then refusing to move when crime crept into the area. She lived upstairs initially. Maybe she still does. How wonderful that her nephew has been able to help, especially when the pandemic hit. Neighborhood After our quick "lunch" we made a quick drive into the old Polish neighborhood, behind the restaurant. We found the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, where mass is in Polish. Don wondered if that was where he attended his grandmother's funeral as a child.
But just a block away, we found another church. St. Stanislaus Kostska was once one of the largest parishes in the nation, with 35,000 parishioners! Which one did his father go to as a child? Don wasn't sure. Appreciating Heritage We didn't have the time (or the address) to explore further and find where Don's dad once lived.
But we drove off to the airport, feeling satisfied and thoughtful, after our meal at Podhalanka. We got to at least try some pierogi and we also got to enjoy a little conversation with our Polish host, Greg.
Driving through the old neighborhood where Don's dad once played and went to church and school, was the icing on the cake. I have no Polish blood, but I married into a good family! I had a wonderful father-in-law!
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Donut Day! Nothing like a glowing neon sign, to tempt me! Especially when I see the word DONUTS!  The silly man on the clock face also inspired me! I felt like I should prance over to Stan's and get me some donuts! Rain in Chicago! We did just that, last October. Don and I were visiting the windy city with our daughter, to attend a wedding.  It rained the whole time, but we rewarded ourselves with sweets. Stan's was just a short walk from our hotel. Donut Shopping in the City The idea of donuts on a rainy day seemed perfect.  The revolving door made donut purchasing even more fun! Festive Cozy! It was warm inside and the smells were wonderful! Fresh donuts and fresh coffee!  The colorful display of blenders was festive! The colorful display of fresh donuts was mouthwatering.  Actually the only colorful donut we purchased was green. Lemon Pistaccio! History? I knew nothing about the history of Stan's. I thought we had come upon an iconic, one of a kind donut place.  But the decorated tile on the exterior told me that the original Stan's was in Los Angeles. It opened in 1965. Hot Dogs...Steak Sandwich! Our Stan's As it turns out there are about 6 Stan's in Chicago. And I don't think any of them is older than a decade.  There was no grand history to our little corner oasis on a wet day. But we were plenty happy with our purchase. We took our cute box (covered in plastic wrap) and headed back to the hotel.  Somebody... I am naming no names...  ... took a bite before I could snap a photo. At the Willows It was a rainy and windy day in Chicago and we had donuts and coffee!  What a cozy place to enjoy our sweet feast! The Willows Hotel! Oh how I love the name and the coziness of this place!  It's been nearly a half year since our donut morning! I need to start planning another donut day for June 7, 2024.
That will be National Donut Day! Grandpa John's Cafe Back in the fall, Don and I spent some time wandering around the small town of Nauvoo.
The town once had a longer name, Quashquema. But the Mormons bought the riverside town in 1839 and changed the name. Don and I decided we needed a little food to sit and absorb this history. We spotted Grandpa John's and gave it a try. Curb Appeal How could we resist a cafe that seemed to merge with an old movie theatre? And the name Grandpa John's was pretty homey.  Plus, the red letters on the marquee invited a little chuckle. NOW SHOWING LORD OF THE ONION RINGS! My kind of corny, food humor. Hopping with Locals At noon the place was busy with local diners, moving along the buffet line. There were a few large community tables, one of which was filled with a family of 10.  I guessed that was a Mormon family and I began to wonder how many of the 1,000+ residents are Mormon. I did see some Coke being served, so maybe not all! Cozy Booth Don and I could have boldly joined others at a large table, but how could we resist the cute wooden booths.  I'm guessing these might be original from when the cafe opened in 1918 as Kraus Cafe and Confectionary. For Lunch I went for the buffet, which gave an option of All You Can Eat, or One Main Course & 2 Sides. Since my clothes always get tight on a road trip, I went for the lesser.
I kind of enjoyed my meatloaf with corn casserole, salad and potato bread! Don's tuna salad was pretty decent as well. Why didn't we go all out and have... ...Ice Cream or Beer? We should have ordered ice cream or beer, in honor of John A. Kraus, the original owner. He came to Nauvoo as a business man in 1912, making cigars. He ended up making ice cream, using cream from local cows and ice from the Mississippi River.  After opening the cafe, he got a liquor and beer license and brought in some billiard tables. The movie theatre (behind the left side of the cafe) didn't go in until 1950. Today In 1987 the cafe changed its name to Grandpa John's Cafe, after the original owner.  It wasn't clear to me if family still owns this little restaurant, but I did hear a grandpa story from a woman who worked at the cafe. Back When She told me that when she was a little girl, her grandpa took her to the cafe and they sat on the stools so she could have ice cream.  She laughed to let me know her grandpa didn't have ice cream. He had a little beer instead. She said the movie theatre still opens for special shows at Christmas and Halloween.
What a fun step back in time. A Return Visit
Sometimes you have a dream-like memory of a place and you're not even sure if you just imagined it. An Old Photo  But I knew from this 20-year old photo, that I really did once visit Diamond Mineral Springs. My kids don't remember. And my dear mom is gone, now. But Mom was the one who was giddy about the place and took the kids and me on a Sunday adventure to eat at the old place with the wood porch and screened doors. Fall of 2014  So when Don and I were traveling along the Mississippi River last fall, I hoped we might be able to find it. We did and they still served family style meals on Sundays! The porch and doors looked just like I remembered! Past the Pies We arrived right after they opened their doors, to assure getting a table. We walked past quite the pie display on the way to our seat! Sit Anywhere!
The window tables looked inviting, since the windows were actually open and letting in a fresh fall breeze, but we couldn't resist a booth! Thanks for Not Changing!  I just wanted to go up and hug someone for not replacing these old wooden booths. Owners over the years may have been tempted, but someone was good enough to just leave history alone! Look carefully and you'll see a hook on the wall trim, to hold the table up for floor cleaning! The table was so narrow, the plate setting had to be staggered. And just look at the rounded, pew-like benches... and coat racks! Empty For a Moment  The peaceful dining room began to fill up with after church crowds fairly quickly. Don and I studied the chalkboard above our booth, but ended up asking our young server for suggestions.
Our server suggested his favorite, the walleye. Don went for that and I got the traditional fried chicken. That already is a ridiculous amount of food, since it wasn't even noon! Other Stuff! First came the pickled beets and coleslaw. Then my 4 pieces of chicken and Don's 4 fillets of fish served on slices of white bread! There were green beans with onion and pork and mashed potatoes (with lumps that I like) and white gravy.  There were massive biscuits served with apple butter, which had teeny slivers of apple peel! We stuffed ourselves while the warm breezes and diners began to fill the room. A Little For the Road  We had no room for any of the amazing pies. And we would have needed a bigger carry out container had we been able to take ALL the food we weren't able to finish. But we were on a road trip and we figured we could at least take a couple biscuits with us. And when we ate those biscuits later, I grinned and said, "I'm so glad that place was just how I remembered it!" Don smiled and said, "I wish we had taken some of that apple butter with us!"
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The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
October 2025
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