Philly in Review: Warsaw Cafe
Away from the loud engines of cars whizzing along Spruce Street towards the pricy offerings of nearby Rittenhouse Square lies the Warsaw Café. Tranquilly tucked between the residences of 16th Street its charm strikes oh so delicately in the face of the pretentious Center City West ‘scene’. I’m not here to talk about your Christian Louboutin sandals, I want to eat.
This Polish Café salutes everything European- comforting in a place where we take our out-of-town friends to a grease pit on 7th and Passyunk as our city’s gastronomic goodie.
No florescent lights here.
Warsaw’s store front is completely comprised of windows overlooking a quiet street. Burgundy and cream walls adorned with European Art Noveau advertisements and nature scenes create a pleasantly pedestrian feel. Red table tops adorned with small shaded lamps and red carnations in glass vases are set off against royal purple napkins, which feature traditional place settings. Two Forks? Do guests get to take one home?!?
Warsaw’s small details create real atmosphere. The ostentatious shock value which seems to run rampant in Center City is no where to be found.
An extensive beer list is on hand, consisting of many Belgians yet, surprisingly only one Polish beer. A FranzisKaner Hefe-weissbier at 17 ounces, however, is enough to last you from appetizer to dessert. We start with the sausage and kraut (cabbage) perogies. The thick flaky dough overpowers the internal taste of the Polish meat pocket in some instances but is brought back to life with the addition of sour cream and scallions.
Entrees come after a reasonable time. The stuffed cabbage leaves are encouraged with veal, sausage, onion, rice, mushrooms and herbs. All this is topped with a perfectly light tomato sauce. Rough-cut steamed tomato and zucchini as well as roasted potato are perfectly paired with this rustic dish. Absolutely savory and satisfying. The cabbage skin of this dish simply falls apart with the light touch of a fork; spilling out perfectly seasoned rice and sausage. Another entrée, the Swiss Chicken, is on special tonight. Lightly battered in dough containing paprika and brown sugar, it was piled high on a bed of rice and topped with a plum sauce. A filling meal but slightly bland. More plum sauce please!
Moving to a sweeter spot, Warsaw meets overwhelming success. The Linzer Tort stikes at the heart of a raspberry enthusiast. Furthermore, the tort’s butter almond crust creates the same melt-in-your-mouth sensation you would expect from a cheesecake. A baker’s dream!!
This dough, so soft and smooth in texture, is the perfect contrast to the sweet but slightly bitter and grainy impression of the preserves. What remains: an engaging berry and nut sensation mingling on the lips.
The Warsaw Café is one of only three Polish eateries in Philadelphia; the others being scattered in Manyunk and Fishtown. The Polish were one of the first large settlements of immigrants to Philadelphia in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, yet it seems Philadelphia’s Polish ancestry has taken off to the burbs, making way for the fusion/continental samplings of those immigrants still currently in the city, particularly those of Latin or Asian descent. Regardless, when you’re searching for comfort food remember the simplicity of a Warsaw meal; hot, well-rounded and served with true ambience at no extra cost.
Warsaw Café
305 S. 16th Street
(between Pine and Spruce)
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.546.0204
Date or Group?? Both!
Good Service?? Terrific, friendly and knowledgably staff
Alcohol Situation?? Extensive beer and wine list. Yay!
Payment? Credit Cards and cash are both accepted
So Go Already!!!
