There was a time the Capital Region’s culinary scene was a rather limited one. A time when Ed Koch, the late mayor of New York, famously trashed Albany for supposedly not having a decent Chinese restaurant. When the choices in Schenectady essentially were Italian or not. When Troy seemed like a place where people only had breakfast or lunch when they went out to eat. When all shared a love affair with Irish pubs and Greek diners as the local version of exotica.
But, that was then, and this is now. Over the past two decades the local food scene has expanded exponentially and it has become difficult to keep up with the parade of restaurants opening each year, offering new -- to the region -- cuisines from Mexico, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam, the Caribbean, Korea, and on and on. However, there remains a sector of the world that, despite a very distinctive cuisine, remains underrepresented in the area: Eastern European.
That is a geographic mass generally defined as covering Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Bavarian region of Germany, and that general neighborhood.
Considering how many immigrants from those places came to the Capital Region, particularly right after World War II, it is surprising their food preferences have made little commercial impact. But, aside from foraging through annual Ukrainian, Armenian, Polish, etc., ethnic festivals, it is rare to find a regular selection of such foods. However, “rare” does not mean impossible to find. You just have to know where to look. Here are five places (one with four locations) that specialize in the dishes of Eastern Europe.
MY DACHA
7 Northern Dr., Troy (Lansingburgh)
646-363-2177 | website
Owners Aledin and Nataliya Kamel –- he originally from Egypt, she from Ukraine -- founded their casual “Slavonian European café,” named for the Russian word for vacation home, in 2017 in a bleak former pizzeria on Albany’s bustling Lark Street. It wasn’t the greatest location, with that street’s notorious lack of parking limiting their clientele mostly to walk-ins from the neighborhood.
So, in the fall of 2018 they packed up their pots and pans and headed to the hard-scrabble Lansingburgh neighborhood of Troy where they reopened in a small shopping strip dominated by a pair of dollar stores and offering free parking. Lots and lots of free parking in a huge lot. While their offerings primarily reflect her homeland, here and there are touches from the 20 years they spent in Milan, Italy, where Aledin worked in pizzerias before they moved to Ukraine -- to run an Italian restaurant, of course -- and then on to the U.S. to escape Ukrainian unrest. So, tucked in with the expected pierogis, stuffed cabbage, crepes, stroganoff, beef tongue, borscht and solyanka (a popular soup in the former East Germany, combining meat, fish, or mushrooms, pickled cucumbers with brine, potatoes, cabbage, sour cream, dill) you’ll find shawarma, that Middle Eastern favorite of rotisserie-roasted mixed meats, plus pizzas and calzones, and even palava, a West African stew that has a certain following in Egypt.
MUZA
379 Congress Street at 15th St., Troy
518-662-4455 | website
Muza, named for the Polish word for “muse,” has operated since 2007 on the southern edge of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) campus.
This quirky place, named for the Polish word for “muse,” has operated since 2007 on the southern edge of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) campus. Jan and Alicia Siemiginowski dish out classic schnitzels, pierogis, kielbasa, potato pancakes, dumplings, crepes, goulash, and the like. They also offer a nice portfolio of beers not readily available at local restaurants – Zywiec, Warka, Pilsner Urquell, Okocim, Franzikaner, Perla, and others imported from Poland, German, and the Czech Republic. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with wall murals, dark wood, a bit of stone – like visiting an old friend’s home.
In 2015, the Siemiginowskis’ son Adam and his business partner Tim Tyrrell turned the long-neglected hillside backyard into a sort-of-standalone entity called The Hill at Muza, a year-round European outdoor beer garden complete with exterior heaters and entertainment. It serves some of the classic European dishes from the main kitchen, but also offers grilled and smoked menu items.
EURO DELI AND MARKET
231 Wade Road Extension, Latham
518-785-0103 | website
This is truly Eastern European fare made available in a typical American suburban shopping strip, a shop now in its 10th year. It stocks a seemingly endless variety of meats from Poland, Germany, Ukraine, and Hungary to layer its generous and inexpensive portfolio of subs (just $3.99-$6.19 for six-inchers, $7.99-$9.19 for foot-longs).
The hot foods are largely traditional Polish featuring combination platters of such staples as grilled kielbasa, pierogis, stuffed cabbage, bigos (hunter’s stew), sautéed sauerkraut, and, of course, pierogis and potato pancakes. But, you can find a hint of Hungary and Romania in the meatballs and mushroom gravy, several types of goulash, and the Smokey Gypsy sandwich mix (smoked gouda, pork loin, ham), with a few all-American faves such as a Philly cheese steak and a tuna melt thrown in for good measure. In addition, four soups are available each day, and they’re anything but run of the mill. Not many places offer traditional pickle soup or borscht.
DNIPRO EURO DELI
898 Loudon Road, Latham
518-218-9271 | website
The Dnipro Euro Deli takes its name from a city on the Dnieper River in central Ukraine and the range of offerings at this 14-year-old deli largely reflect the cuisine of that country.
The name refers to a city on the Dnieper River in central Ukraine, and the range of offerings at this 14-year-old deli largely reflect the cuisine of that country – cheeses, caviars, cured meats, candies, and cookies. However, it isn’t self-limiting, stocking more than 70 different kinds of meat and cheese products from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and even Italy.
All its meats, cheeses, and breads are free from additives and preserves. Plenty of organic products, and it caters to special dietary requirements. It also is popular at lunchtime, especially for those who want to linger over a sandwich and a beverage with one of the Ukrainian- or Polish-language publications it sells.
WOLFF’S BIERGARTEN
895 Broadway, Albany | 518-427-2461
2 King St., Troy | 518-244-5215
165 Erie Blvd., Schenectady | 518- 631-9517
Wolff's Biergarten began in 2009 in a onetime Albany firehouse on the edge of the Warehouse District.
This group of restaurants – subtitled “and wurst haus” -- that began in 2009 in a onetime Albany firehouse on the edge of the Warehouse District is all about three things: European biers, a line of wursts, and televised soccer in a setting reflective of the Bavarian region of southeastern Germany. An example of the fare can be seen in the Wurst Breakfast platter served during weekend brunch: Choice of two wursts -- bratwurst, knockwurst, weisswurst, bison chipotle, smoked wild boar, or venison -- with scrambled eggs, potato pancakes, blueberries, and coffee, tea or orange juice.
The regular menu offers all of those wursts and such classic accompaniments as potato pancakes, bacon-and-leek brussels sprouts, and sauerkraut. The extensive beer list specializes in German products, but is dotted with numerous other imports – such brands as Hofbrauhaus Traunstein, Kostritzer, Carlsburg, Bitburger, Paulaner, and Spaten.
(William M. Dowd, a longtime journalist and author, and a judge in the fields of food and drink, lives in Troy, NY. His daily blog, Notes On Napkins, covers those fields in the Greater Capital Region, Adirondacks, Catskills, and western New England.)
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