Who would go to a restaurant specializing in French and Italian cuisine in hopes of finding authentic Polish food? Only those aware that for the past month, Ristorante di Mare, a South Beach bistro specializing in Mediterranean cuisine, also has been serving great Polish dishes every Monday night.
How did this happen? Well it seems Chef Jean Zana and his wife, Edyta, persuaded her Polish mother to spend a night a week in the kitchen producing the kind of dishes those with Polish ancestors yearn for.
Pierogi? Golumpki? Sour pickle soup? If any of those ring any bells, you will want to jump on the phone and make a reservation for a Monday evening, where the $50 prix fixe Polish dinner will bring back a flood of memories.
The week before last, we arrived relatively early on a Monday evening and found Ristorante di Mare virtually full. Monday!!! Fortunately, we had reserved.
Our server tried to tempt us with a couple of that evening’s French specialties being offered by Chef Jean, and they sure sounded good, but we allowed that we were there for the five-course Polish prix fixe ($50) – and he told us about half those present had come with the same idea.
For starters on this evening, we began with a bowl of red beet borscht. While the name borscht is Russian, the Poles – who call it barszcz – claim this dish as their own, and it was a perfect starter for a chilly February night.
The soups, however, apparently change from week to week. The previous Monday, it had been Polish sour pickle soup – which our server said had drawn raves – so no telling what you will get on your visit.
The second course, however, is the same every week – pierogi? This is the plural of the Polish word for these amazing hand-made dumplings – in this case stuffed with mashed potato and a little cheese – topped with a very rich cream sauce that included scallions, onion and bacon. To die for.
Then as a palate cleanser, there comes a shot of Polish potato vodka. While I do not profess to be a vodka aficionado, potato vodka has a unique taste that seemed just right after the Pierogi.
For a main course, we had a choice of four dishes. I chose the golumpki – a cabbage roll made from softened cabbage leaves filled with ground heritage pork and seasoned rice, baked in a casserole, and topped with a pureed tomato sauce. A delicious dish.
My husband picked the halibut in a lemon butter dill sauce. In Poland, this dish tends to be made with haddock – but it can be made with any white fish. The flavors of lemon and dill are what make this dish, and the halibut was an excellent piece of fish.
Our companion had the chicken cutlet – a very nice schnitzel with lemon juice – and we all sampled the evening’s fourth entrée, the famed grilled Polish sausage, kielbasa. All of the entrées were served with mashed potatoes and two little sides, a cucumber with sour cream and pepper slaw, and a Macedonia salad of potatoes, peas, egg, carrots, mayonnaise and seasoning.
Then for dessert, we were offered one of the most frequently seen sweets in Polish homes – Polish apple cake with a dusting of icing sugar (szarlotka). There are 100 different ways of preparing this Polish version of American apple pie; this one was a bit less sweet than most and a perfect ending for our meal.
Our sense is that a lot of good things are going on at di Mare, which seems to be emphasizing its French culinary roots more than its Italian.
But Polish night at di Mare provides a dining experience unique to Vero Beach, and if you like this type of cooking (and who doesn’t like pierogi?), this is an opportunity you will not want to miss.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer is a beachside resident who dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.