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 February 2007 Back to Table of Contents Back to Archives Main Page Section: Food Europa: Where Old World Meets New By Annemarie Jason
I’ve never traveled abroad, but when I visited Bistro Europa, it seemed as though I had. The tiny restaurant — cozy, casual and welcoming — is dominated by a small bar where customers may dine. Simple wooden tables, chairs and stools provide the rest of the seating. Quiet sounds of accordion or Portuguese, French or Italian songs mingle with the chatter of guests enjoying wonderful food and drink. All of this without a passport! As I sat down at the bar with friends, two people next to us enthused about the food. One recommended the “excellent” potato pancakes, with “the right amount” of crispiness on the outside. I sampled these later and agreed. (I could almost hear my father’s blissed-out sigh when he’d bite into the ones my mother used to make.) Our other neighbor had Cornish game hen, which was “meaty,” and so big that she regretted not being able to eat the whole delicious thing, but she’d gobbled up every bit of the celery root hash that came with it. Three young men at the end of the bar shared a Swiss fondue of Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheese. It came with asparagus, red pepper, grapes, bread slices and sticks, which they happily dipped while telling us that this was good stuff. Owners/chefs Ela and Mike Pijanowski have created a new Buffalo treasure that pays tribute to the great dishes many of our ancestors enjoyed. These are foods that should not be forgotten. Restaurants around Buffalo used to serve them, but many Old World favorites have been displaced by those young whippersnappers, fast foods. Here are a couple of gifted cooks who produce adventurous combinations of flavor and texture — all from the confines of a small kitchen. It’s hard work to make food magic everyday, and with such large portions and reasonable prices, only the truly foolish would not stop by to support this noble effort. While Europa’s menu features mostly Eastern European dishes, it changes frequently and seasonally. It’s divided into small and large (dinner size) dishes, which please light nibblers and hearty eaters alike. Small specials on the evening I visited included cheese and onion pierogies (as mouth-watering as my Aunt Jean’s), poached pear salad; lentil, Spanish chickpea or sorrel soup and a smorrebrod (Danish open-faced sandwich) served with beet salad and greens. The smorrebrod changes daily, along with the fondue and risotto selections. The risotto special was flavored by tomato, basil and scallops. Europa’s leisurely atmosphere reminded my friend of her days in French cafes, where food was fine and strangers actually talked to each other. She reminisced fully with a glass of wine — a light, dry Chapoutier “Belleruche” Cotes du Rhone, and nibbled on a tenderloin sandwich with fontina and mushroom sauce. She loved the vinaigrette on the spinach and olive salad that came with it. Items on the regular menu include albondigas de chocos, (fried squid croquettes with saffron sauce) and pork rilletes, (pork slowly roasted in butter, cream, mushrooms, truffles and Dijon — all on a fresh baguette). My friend tried the pork cutlet with horseradish cream and a side of dilled sour cream cucumbers and potato pancake. She said the pork was moist, flavorful and well-cooked. There’s cassoulet, a stew with duck, sausage, beans and pork; and a weisswurst with red apple cabbage. This comes with a mustard spaetzle that is a pure avocation of German cuisine. Spaetzle (little homemade noodles) are also served with rindsrouladen, sliced beef top round stuffed with bacon, onion and pickle with a side of sauerkraut. If I could, I’d invite my dad to taste the liver dumplings that come with the chicken paprikash. They were a pain in the neck to make, according to my mom, but they are one of the reasons I think Europa is a little bit of heaven. Another is because I had a great dessert there: chocolate raspberry cake. This turned out to be a perfectly textured white cake layered with raspberry cream, frosted with whipped cream and a sprinkling of shaved chocolate on the outside. I also discovered a wine with a name that could not be ignored, “Woop Woop” Shiraz! Tokay, a rich Hungarian raisin wine, provided the perfect ending for this divine dining experience. There are only good reasons to go to Europa. Make sure to use every one of them. back to top back to table of contents Current Issue | About Forever Young | Where to Find | Advertise | Our Advertisers | Community Calendar | Contest | Clubs | Contact Us | Archives | Home |
