Polish food in the heart of New Britain

Recently, during the process of driving around Newington and getting succeeding in getting lost in the suburbs, my friend and I felt the need to rally our failing spirits with some hearty fare. Our first thought was that we must be somewhere need the German club (http://www.hartfordsaengerbund.org/) and the thought of a mug of beer, bratwurst and saurkraut had instant appeal. We did eventually find it, but arrived to find the doors locked and the interior dark. Our disappointment was only slightly alieviated by the poster on the door for an upcoming event titled, "Vienna Night" that peaked our interest. We changed gears and directions, and decided the next best thing would be to jump on the highway and have some Polish food instead. While I am partial to Hartford's Polish Home, my friend suggested instead that we go to New Britain and visit one of her favorites, a place called Cracovia.

Well we found what we were looking for in Cracovia, and more. Walking into the restaurant is a combination of walking into a time warp, with the restaurant's lunchcounter feel on the left side, and then on the right hand side, neatly lined tables sheathed in thick plastic tableclothes. The walls are adorned with Polish folk art.

I really started to smile though when I opened my menu and read at the top: "Receipt for Happiness" which went as follows : "Four cups of love, Two cups of loyalty, Three cups of forgiveness, Cup of friendship, Two spoons of tenderness, Four quart of faith, And barrel of laugh, Join love with loyalty, and mix well with faith, Flavour of goodness, tenderness and lenience. Splash by laugh then add friendship and love. Bake on the sun. Big portion serve every day."

We were instructed by our waitress that to eat Polish food, you should also drink like you are Polish. We decided it was only right to tap into our eastern european roots and follow her advice, so we agreed to take her beer suggestion and make the most of our dining experience. I was even more tickled to see the vintage soda glasses that were brought to sip our beer from.  

Despite many interesting offerings on the menu such as barley and pickle soup, or roast pork stuffed with plums, I couldn't bring myself to deviate from what I had been craving all afternoon. Kielbasa and onions with mashed potatoes, and a side of spicy saurkraut. It looks like a modest portion, but was 100% filling!

My friend chose to try one of the weekly specials, potato dumplings stuffed with fried meat, and a side of cucumber salad. Sadly, I didn't get a photograph of the salad because we ate it so quickly. Thin strips of cucumber smothered in yogurt with dill. The dumplings were also incredibly filling and served for lunch the following day.

Cracovia is the kind of place that is just special. It, and restaurants like it from all different ethnicities showcase not only provide us with the chance to sample new cuisines, but they also preserve a cultural heritage and national pride that can be shared through one of the most translatable formats on the planet, which is food! These places along with their social clubs (french, italian, jamaican, polish, etc) are in danger of disappearing all together as we move towards globalization and a homogenized world and they become less useful to the groups of people who relied on them. My advice to you? Enjoy them while you still can.

Cracovia, 60 Broad St New Britain, CT 06053 (860) 223-4443 http://cracovia.homestead.com/

Happiness = coconut and curry

For quite some time, I had been avoiding checking out the relatively recently opened Sweet Chili 312 Thai Restaurant. It was a bias that I had carried with me from the previous tenant of the restaurant, a Siamese place that I had found in earlier years to be somewhat of a disappointment. However, I am happy to report, that the new occupants of the space have done exceptionally well at creating a serene dining atmosphere and some wonderful new takes on classic thai flavors and dishes. My dish in the above picture was a delightful combination of spicy yellow curry sauce balanced with coconut milk. It was tossed with onions, pineapple, tofu and tomatoes. 

One of my dining companions for the evening tried the grilled jumbo shrimp which were served on skewers, accompanied by a chili lime sauce, and was quite pleased with the portion, preparation and flavor of the meal. The other sampled a vegetarian dish of sauteed vegetables with tofu called Pad Pik Pow, in which they were tossed in a traditional Thai roasted chili sauce.

 I have visited a few times before deciding to take the photos and write the post, and I happy to say that I think Sweet Chili will be around for a long while. Service is excellent, the food quality is consistent, atmosphere is lovely. And, most importantly to me, there are many tasty vegetarian options! While I usually recommend that diners in search of good Thai food stay in Parkville, this is one that is worth crossing from Park St over to Park Rd to enjoy. 

Website: http://www.sweetchilli312.com

Update and Action Request: GE Salmon Approval

Aqua Bounty vs. Native Salmon

One of the first posts that I wrote when I started this blog was about the company called Aqua Bounty Farms and my concerns about the genetically engineered fish, especially Salmon that they have been working on growing and getting FDA approval to sell to US consumers. Just to update any new readers, Wikipedia defines it as such: "the AquAdvantage salmon has been modified by the addition of a growth hormone regulating gene from a Pacific Chinook salmon and apromoter from an ocean pout to the Atlantic's 40,000 genes. These genes enable it to grow year-round instead of only during spring and summer." Now this issue has reached a head, and we have until April 26 to say no to GE Salmon being approved. From all reports, including research from the Perdue University and the National Academy of Science, there are sizable risks if these transgenic fish pose to nearby populations of native fish if escape into our waterways, which there seems little doubt that they will.  Chefs/ restaurants, grocers, and seafood distributors have been signing pledges not to sell GE Salmon based on the feedback of their customers. PLEASE  join them and find the time to go to regulations.gov, search for GE SALMON and comment and send your thoughts. The only way we have a chance to stop this from happening is to take a moment to speak up. 

LINK to Comment: http://www.regulations.gov

I also encourage you to take a few minutes and do some further reading on the subject. Good place to start is at:  Salmon Nation

GMO OMG & the 2013 Environmental Film Festival

GMO OMG / U.S. Premiere


Tuesday, April 9th, 7:00pm / Burke Auditorium, Kroon Hall, 195 Prospect Street

Today in the United States, by the simple acts of feeding ourselves, we are unwittingly participating in the largest experiment ever conducted on human beings. Each of us unknowingly consumes genetically engineered food on a daily basis. The risks and effects to our health and the environment are largely unknown. Yet more and more studies are being conducted around the world, which only provide even more reason for concern. We are the oblivious guinea pigs for wide-scale experimentation of modern biotechnology. GMO OMG tells the story of a fathers discovery of GMOs in relationship to his 3 young children and the world around him. We still have time to heal the planet, feed the world, and live sustainably. But we have to start now!

Followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Jeremy Seifert, Justin Freiberg, and Tara Cook-Littman.

About the Filmmaker
In 2010, Jeremy completed his debut film, DIVE!, Living Off America’s Waste. Initially made with a $200 budget, a borrowed camera, and a lot of heart, DIVE! went on to win 22 film festivals worldwide - including screening at EFFY 2010. With the release of DIVE!, Jeremy began the production company, Compeller Pictures. He is now a filmmaker and activist, traveling the country and speaking on humanitarian and environmental issues. Jeremy’s second film, GMO OMG, tells the hidden story of the take over of our food supply by giant chemical companies, an agricultural crisis that has grown into a cultural crisis. He has once again found the heart of the project in his own journey and awakening. Jeremy and his wife, Jen, live in North Carolina with their three children, Finn (7), Scout (4), and Pearl (2).

Preceded By: Mushroom Man
3 min. Dir. Leslie Iwerks. This is the story of how mushrooms can save the world! Renowned mycologist and mushroom pioneer Paul Stamets harnesses the power of infamous fungi to fight the planet’s leading problems, from developing cures for cancer to destroying toxic radioactive waste.


Check out the entire free and relevant line up of events at the 2013 Environmental Film Festival at Yale here: http://environment.yale.edu/film/2013/gmo-omg/