“Polska Laska” translates to “Polish Chick,” and that’s how Olive Beals, the owner of Pittsburgh’s hottest Polish food pop-up, describes herself. On Instagram, Beals stated that the goal of Polska Laska is to bring “real Polish food in a cool and sexy way,” and we can’t think of a better description or name for her business!
With bona fide Polish heritage (her great-grandparents came from Poland and settled in Massachusetts) and obvious talent in the kitchen, Polska Laska’s initial pierogi drops and later pop-up events have captured the attention of foodies in the ‘Burgh, where the judgment of pierogi can be somewhat harsh thanks to high expectations – we’re a little spoiled with great Polish food.
Thankfully, Polska Laska more than meets expectations – and Beals exceeds them! She began the year by making more than 500 pierogi a week in her home kitchen and has grown into a larger prep space, pop-ups at local businesses, and partnerships with restaurants and breweries who carry her ‘rogis.
While Polska Laska’s menu does vary slightly depending on what’s available and in-season, you should expect to find pierogi on the menu board at pretty much every pop-up. Recently, Polska Laska appeared at Allegheny City Brewing in the North Side with three tasty pierogi options: potato and smoked cheddar, vegan sauerkraut and mushroom, and a unique “taco” pierogi with ground beef, cheddar, pico de gallo, and scallion.
Other memorable flavors rotate in throughout the year, with ingredients like ramps, buffalo chicken, garlic herb potatoes, farmers’ cheese, roasted corn, and even sweeter fillings like blackberry and blueberry cheesecake!
However, while pierogi is the focus of Polska Laska’s menu, you can expect to find other delicious features, usually with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. At the most recent October pop-up, Beals also offered peanut butter chili with ground beef, beans, peppers, tomatoes, and a little bit of peanut butter for a unique, savory flavor!
(Oh, and you could add a scoop of chili to your potato and cheddar pierogi for just a few extra bucks. How cool is that?!)
Previous pop-up featured dishes include kielbasa sandwiches with sauerkraut, onion, and matchstick potatoes as well as chlodnik, which is a type of cold beet soup similar to borscht. Homemade cookies of various flavors are also often available.
Need a fix ASAP? Earlier this month, Polska Laska announced that its pierogi are the snack of the month at D’s SixPack and Dogs in Murrysville, so head on over if you want to sample!
But what will be on the menu next time, and where can you get your next Pittsburgh Polish food fix? Perhaps a storefront is in the future? You’ll have to wait and see, but to be among the first to know, make sure you’re following Polska Laska on Instagram!
