Pierogibites opens in Bellmore
A Polish platter at Pierogibites in Bellmore comes with three pierogi, a stuffed cabbage and grilled kielbasa sausage. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
The scent of fresh dill wafts around the dining room as a crowd of train commuters lines up for pierogi. The sweet smell is a reminder that Polish cuisine isn't always just hearty meats and potatoes, it can be delicate, too. And the brand-new Pierogibites in Bellmore brings an artisan feel to the foods of Poland and Ukraine.
Operating more or less as a takeout spot with a few tables in the dining room, the menu is filled with interesting regional dishes such as kopytka, a different type of dumpling that more resembles Italian gnocchi. Thimble-sized nibs of fluffy potato dough arrive in a plastic container without sauce, save for a helping of chopped bacon and caramelized onions. For a flavor boost, dip each little glutinous puff in some bright pink beet horseradish spread; sweet, with a fierce kick. (Consider asking for this one on the side.)
Owned by two couples from Poland — Basha and Chris Karolak, and Anetta and Daniel Jurski — Pierogibites serves smaller shareable portions with a menu that's designed to mix and match. You can still get a heaping box of pierogi stuffed with fillings like mashed potato, ground meat or sauerkraut and mushrooms. The handmade dumplings are served in portions of four, eight or a dozen for $18. But there are so many fun things on the menu it feels wrong to ignore them. From the "bites" section: Deep fried croquettes stuffed with pork or sauerkraut, and stuffed cabbage rolls of ground pork and rice in a chunky but light tomato sauce.
Another standout is the Ukrainian borscht, which is more like a rich stew than its Polish counterpart, which is typically made with a clear beefy broth. Even through the plastic container, this creamy beet soup sings with flavor, sweetness and tartness from the medley of beets, beans and cabbage blended together until somewhere between chunky and velvet.
The easiest way to try different things is to order a Polish platter ($20), which comes with a stuffed cabbage roll as well as a kielbasa sausage split lengthwise and firmed up on the grill, as well as one type of each savory pierogi. There is also a sweet cheese pierogi and if it's anything like the cheese blintz, it's worth a try.
Pierogibites,100 Bedford Ave., Bellmore; open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. 516-907-2800, pierogibites.com.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
