Get to Old Krakow now

A tree grows near Krakow

 Back in New York where I'm from, there are Polish restaurants aplenty, and the cuisine is one that is perfect on a chilly January day when you want a little stick to the ribs grub. Like those in many Eastern European restaurants, the menus tend to be replete with hearty meats and satisfying carbs.

While San Francisco is a veritable smorgasbord of ethnic restaurants from around the world, Polish food is a bit underrepresented in the mix, and sadly, with the closing of West Portal staple Old Krakow, the number of Polish possibilities is about to decrease by one.

This Sunday June 14, Old Krakow will close its doors for good, at least in this location. While there may be plans to reopen eventually, they are far from certain.  On a recent visit, our server told us that the owner is going to take a month or so to evaluate options and then consider a possible move. The shuttering comes primarily from lease problems, although our server, who has worked at the restaurant for years, along with much of the rest of the staff hinted that there might be other reasons for the decision as well.

So, citizens of San Francisco, you have four more days to fill your bellies with much of the best of what Polish cuisine has to offer. Old Krakow serves up a range of Polish salads such as cucumber dill, marinated beet, and Polish style potato. Other classic appetizers include boiled pierogies, steamed potato dumplings in a creamy mushroom sauce, and marinated herring. They are famous for their rich sauerkraut, and vegetarians can get something almost as good with the restaurant's sweet warm red cabbage. For main courses, the usuals are all hand from stuffed cabbage to goulash to a meaty Hunter's stew. For a lighter, but still traditional (especially in the mountainous Tatra region) fare, grilled halibut with steamed veggies is also available.

In these last few days of service, reservations are recommended, as is patience as the small staff is a bit overwhelmed with the large number of people heading over for their last bites of sourdough soup and Crakovian cutlet. With the forecast calling for a gray and chilly weekend, a warm, comforting meal at Old Krakow is definitely in order.