Pod Wawelem

Pod Wawelem is a chain throughout Poland that offers a large menu to satisfy all.  We grabbed lunch at the location in Krakow, where the royal road from the Main Market Square Wawel Castle has its end at the foot of Wawel Hill.

Image via Pod Wawelem website

We arrived in Krakow earlier in the morning, and immediately head out for some sight seeing.  We oriented ourselves and checked out the Main Market Square, and walked by a few churches before needing a break.  Keith found this restaurant that had a nice outside seating area, so we gave it a try.

I ordered Pierogis with potato and cheese, which were fried and served with sour cream.  The pierogis tasted just like the dumplings I get from my mother-in-law in NY.  So I was happy to have something a little familiar.

To lighten it up, I asked for a small side salad and received a plate of fresh Roma tomatoes sprinkled with raw diced white onion.  The tomatoes were super plump and juicy.

After trying all the light Pilsner beers in Prague, Keith was happy to see a darker lager beer on the menu and decided to order it.  It was deeper in flavor and refreshing.

From the appetizer section, Keith ordered the Kielbasa described as a grilled white sausage, that came with saurkraut, mustard and horseradish.  The sausage was mild, not as garlicky in flavor than the kielbasa he's used to having in NY.  A basket of sliced rye bread also arrived, providing enough substanance for the sausage to be its own meal.

In case you needed more cabbage, another side plate of the pickled veggie arrived with a large pickle.  My sister-in-law, Corrine, would have loved this pickle as it was a lighter sour version just like Grandpa Walter makes.

For his main meal, Keith blindly ordered the Bigos.  When researching for this trip, he had read about this traditional dish, but was not sure what to expect.  A large bread bowl stuffed with a Hunter's stew of shredded beef, pork, and other game meat seasoned heavily with paprika and spices arrived.  This dish would have been better appreciated on a cold winter's day, and was an interesting introduction to a less familiar Polish dish.

Having filled up our bellies, we were ready to leave and head back to our hotel to check-in and relax a bit after the busy morning.  With our bill, our server gave us two complimentary shots of cherry vodka, stating "Customary shot - free!"  When in Poland...  the cherry alcohol was strong and reminded me of Robitussin.  Not my favorite, but it was good to try.

Total Rating: 3.35
Food: 3, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 3.5, Accessibility: 5

What I ate:

Pierogis

with potato and cheese

Tomato Salad

Plus Keith ate:

Kielbasa

Grilled White Sausage

Bigos

Hunter's stew served in a bread bowl