If you’re looking for perfect Polish grandma food in Chicago and you
don’t happen to know an actual Polish grandma who lives there, I can give
you three reasons why Peaches and Pears Restaurant on Archer Avenue may be your next best option.
First, when a restaurant boldly claims to have the best
homemade soups in Chicago on a sign directly over its entrance, how can you not
be intrigued enough to find out for yourself?
Second, the setting … Peaches and Pears definitely has
that clean, friendly family diner vibe. It looks kind of like a Perkins but with
a much more interesting menu and infinitely better food (at least to my senses …
your taste buds may say otherwise). Plus,
it’s always a good sign to see two police officer on their dinner break at a
locally run restaurant. You know they
know where to find a really satisfying meal.
Third, when I was discussing where to find authentic Polish
food in Chicago with my friend Rich Miller of Capitol Fax fame, without
hesitation he told me to go to Peaches and Pears Restaurant. I took that recommendation to heart.
When you come to Peaches and Pears for the first time, the
biggest challenge you’ll probably have is simply figuring out what to order. Most family restaurants have a pretty diverse
selection of entrees, salads, sandwiches and so on to appeal to all palates. Peaches and Pears cranks the diversity volume
up to 11.
Breakfast is obviously a big deal here, with entire sections
of the menu devoted to pancakes, waffles, crepes and French toast. And that’s just the carb-heavy part of the
breakfast menu. In the mood for an
omelet, breakfast skillet or croissant sandwich? The choices are seemingly endless.
Unfortunately, breakfast was not an option given my work/travel
schedule. But thankfully, the dinner
options at Peaches and Pears are almost as varied. They offer plenty of different burgers, wraps,
paninis and classic sandwiches like the Reuben and Monte Cristo. Your standard variety of steak, chop and
seafood entrees are on the menu, too. One
section of the menu is devoted entirely to Italian fare if that’s what you’re
in the mood to have. And then there’s
what I came for – the “Taste of Poland” section.
So, I went in thinking I wasn’t that hungry, and the
stuffed cabbage rolls seemed like the right size entrée, but they were running
a stuffed pepper dinner special that sounded even better. Indecisiveness gets the better of me every
time.
I ordered a cup of soup to start the meal. It made perfect sense. After all, why order a salad at a place that
stakes its reputation on its homemade soups?
They had several daily specials, but I could not resist the tomato,
rosemary and orzo soup. And boy, did it
hit the mark! Huge bits of orzo swimming
happily in a savory tomatoey broth alongside a wide assortment of Italian-blend
mixed vegetables. The complementary
bread and crackers were a nice touch.
The rolls were wonderfully chewy with a lightly crisp exterior.
 |
| You know they're serious when it comes served with a knife sticking out of it. |
The size of the stuffed pepper was enormous, easily
encasing a half pound of … well … stuff.
 |
| Meat sweats were inevitable ... |
The tomato gravy was the perfect topping for both the
pepper and the scoop of mashed potatoes it came with. The potatoes were also the real deal … I
nodded approvingly every time I found an imperfect lump in the pile.
Perhaps the unhealthiest yet most delicious part of the
meal was the veggie side I ordered – a cucumber salad, served in a decadently
rich but smooth sour cream and dill sauce. Somewhere there is a proud Polish grandma knowing
her recipe is being used here.
In fact, everything I tried at Peaches and Pears Restaurant
tasted like it was cooked with care and served from the heart. I walked away with my craving for Eastern
European comfort food fully quenched. In
a city known for its Polish pride, this local gem made an impression on
me.
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