Week 4: Polish - Warszawa

All Hallow's Eve arrived early for DEP this year when six sisters gathered to dine by candlelight, or shall we say, to dine by a candle light at Warszawa. Only moments after appetizers were served, we experienced a haunting power outage. Ms. C.P.'s immediate reaction was appropriate. "So, are we still getting our food!?!?" she exclaimed to the waiter. Although other DEP members were noticably flushed at Ms. C.P.'s apparent brashness, deep down they knew that Ms. C.P. had perfectly captured their inner turmoil. Ms. J. "I Want Seconds" H. was the lone exception: her primary concern was safe access to the facilities during the outage. Ms. J.H. assures us that the facilities are emergency-friendly at Warszawa.

Our evening began with two types of Pierogi. The braised beef, carrots and onions filling made for a standard meat-filled dumpling. The white cheese, potato puree and caramelized onions filling was a welcome contrast to the beef filling. The "melt-in-your-mouth" creamy inside was enveloped in a thin and crusty pasta shell. Polish grilled sausage was a disappointment because it tasted like "well, it tasted like grilled sausage" although Ms. L.W. noted that the horseradish sauce was uniquely flavorful. Crispy Potato Pancakes with cinnamon apples and dried plums were a hit. The small round discs of mashed potatoes were fried to a delicate golden crisp creating a creamy texture that was perfectly cut by the tartness from the apples and plums. Ms. S.R. contrasted the potato pancakes with traditional Jewish latkes which are generally thicker and more robust with its shredded rather than mashed potatoes. Cucumber salad in a lemon and dill yogurt dressing received mixed reviews, ranging from average to outstanding.

Angel hair pasta with sauteed leeks, roma tomatoes and smoked trout was perhaps the least popular dish of the night. The pasta itself was fine but was overpowered by the strong fishy taste of smoked trout and weighed down by a heavy tomato cream sauce. Breaded chicken breast with garlic and herbs was likened to standard breaded chicken in American cuisine but the accompanying vegetables were well-seasoned and the plate was consumed quickly. Beef Stroganoff with wild mushrooms and egg-drop dumplings was the clear crowd favourite with its creamy sauce and tender pieces of beef.

Despite the lack of electricty, we had a wonderful meal and found the food delicious. Unfortunately, our rating takes into account value so Warszawa's slightly pricier menu worked to its disadvantage.

1414 Lincoln Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
Tel: 310-393-8831
http://www.warszawarestaurant.com

Vegetarian friendly? Yes.
Parking: Small lot behind restaurant; spaces alongside building available in evenings; street parking.
Entree pricing: $13-24

THE SISTERHOOD HAS DELIBERATED: 7 ROSES OUT OF 10.