Food & friends
Sometimes I really hate myself & some days I think I’m friggin’ awesome. It’s all about choices.
Last night I called it quits in fairly decent time & watched a movie on my iPad at my little flat. But, I vowed I was going to get out there & meet some people, see some things, do some stuff, so I booked a free walking tour to the Jewish Quarter for Saturday at noon. After buggering around that area yesterday & pretty much falling in love with the vibe, I knew that’s where I wanted to spend my Saturday. GD it, I was staying up late & having some fun!
My airbnb host messaged me bright & early & told me about a cool authentic Jewish restaurant that had live music I should check out, so I had a solid plan & dressed appropriately :-D
The walking tour consisted of a large group of people, hosted by a tall hard-core looking guy named, Big Tom. He had a shaved head, devil’s beard, both eyebrows pierced & decently covered in tattoos. But, the thing that stood out about Big Tom was his mesmerizing feminine hands & the fact the guy just rambled on & on & on & on. OMG Big Tom! Stop talking & start walking! The first hour of the tour we had only walked 50 feet. We did manage to get a little further in the next hour & half, but honestly….the depth of the stories was way too much for my brain to absorb, but again…I did learn a ton about the Jewish history of Krakow. I chatted a bit with a pretty girl from the US & learned she was solo as well & in Krakow as part of her two month European getaway. So after Big Tom stopped talking & the tour was complete I asked her if she wanted to join me at the restaurant my host recommended, Once Upon A Time ~ Chajim Kohan, right near the market square.
That’s the things about tours…you always end up meeting people.
The restaurant was dark & really old, with ancient wooden tables, some of them old singer sewing machine tables with the sewing machines still attached, & mismatched wooden chairs. The walls were covered in a mixture of old Jewish period clothing, war art & whimsy. The gaps were filled in with plants & vintage stand lamps that added a golden hue for ambience.
The menu was absolutely to die for & I hungrily ordered Duck Pate with cranberry-horseradish sauce & borscht soup with mushroom dumplings…it was delicious! Whitney ordered Kalahora, a garlic soup with tarragon, that also came with croutons + the breaded chicken cutlet with roasted potatoes & veg. The dinner started with a complimentary ménage of Jewish flat bread accompanied by little bowls of things to top the bread with…pickled cabbage, shredded carrots,tzatziki, hummus, etc. We chatted easily & had some laughs.
Whitney was keen to taking the Tram back towards where we each were staying, the night had turned drizzly with gusty winds. We exchanged Insta info & promised to stay in touch. Honestly, meeting her was the cherry on top of the day :-)
But, about the food…
Mushrooms are a great big huge deal in Poland. There is no limited on when or where you can pick, so it’s a free for all & the fungi plays a big part of most of the traditional polish dishes. At the market where I bought local goods from when I first blew into town, there was an entire alleyway filled with a bunch of different kinds & I’m definitely going back to get some, since the butter I bought is going to be going to waste if I don’t use it up. Mushrooms fried in butter…help me Jesus!
I haven’t indulged in much traditional polish food, other than the first day where I had some perogies. It’s not really my style of food, but I do appreciate the authenticity here & must try some polish sausage at some point. Argh…my time is ticking here & I don’t feel done yet. I’ve booked this airbnb til Tuesday. What to do, where to go?
These are the choices that, when made, will determine whether or not I love myself or hate myself.
