Sunday News: German-Polish home cooking is back at Prosit

Dazzling pop-up lineup at Taste of Buffalo, fire ends Gino's Imported Foods

Prosit’s Paul Schlau makes the finest pierogi I’ve encountered.

If you are one of many Western New Yorkers who have lamented the dearth of proper German-Polish cooking in Buffalo restaurants, you will be relieved to know that Prosit has reopened for another season.

The homegrown restaurant operated by Paul and Janice Schlau at 30 N. Cayuga Road, Williamsville, is a descendant of the Main Street restaurant the Schlaus operated in the oughts.

Now their operation, attached to their house, makes it one restaurant that can honestly advertise home cooking. As well as courtyard seating under a canopy, and complimentary imported coffee and water service.

However, there is limited parking on premises, and one cook. So don’t go if you’re in a rush.

If you do go, you may enjoy Paul’s pierogi, the finest I have yet enjoyed. Not to mention sauerbraten, kasseler rippchen (smoked pork chop), königsberger klopse (meatballs in caper sauce). Follow the Prosit Facebook page for up-to-date menus.

Pastries vary by the day but can include treats like Black Forest torte with whole stemmed cherries, fresh fruit strudel with chantilly creme, cheesecake l'orange circus baked in fresh pineapple halves, polish paczki split and filled with nutmeg pastry cream, and coconut nalesniki, with berries macerated in walnut toffee whiskey.

Prosit, 30 N. Cayuga Road, Williamsville

Hours: open noon-6 p.m. Saturday, possibly more. Check Facebook page before you go.

Bandeja paisa, Colombian national dish, at North Tonawanda’s Dulce Hogar Bakery

REVIEW: With help from a tipster-interpreter, explore the joys of Dulce Hogar Bakery, a new North Tonawanda restaurant serving Colombian and Ecuadorian baked goods and a savory restaurant menu. Cook and baker Esneda Castillo has cooked at numerous area kitchens, but wanted to open her own place so her son Julian, who is blind, could have a place to work. (Later today, for patrons.)

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EVENTS

Buffalo restaurant stars on Taste of Buffalo stage: The two-day downtown food festival has added a killer pop-up lineup. 

Both Buffalo Beard finalists, Mike Andrzejewski taking a break from the Florida heat, Buffalo Spree award-winners, and more outstanding cooks will offer one splendid dish for two hours each, at a variety of locations in the Taste of Buffalo campus. 

Pimiento cheese and chorizo croquetas from Waxlight Bar a Vin. 

Coconut-spiced pork belly burnt ends with pickled vegetables and rice, from Southern Junction.

Vegan cacio e pepe beignets, and yakiniku beignets, from Dopest Dough.

Matcha and lemon fresh fruit tart, from Fig Tree Patisserie.

Latke, smoked pastrami, cheesy mornay sauce, from Bloom & Rose.

Read the whole lineup here.

Gino’s Imported Foods (Photo: Google Street View)

CLOSINGS

Gino’s Imported Foods was destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of July 4.

One of the last old-school Italian groceries in Buffalo, it was operated by Gino Bonanno and his family for 40 years, at 2754 Elmwood Ave., Kenmore. For many cooks particular about their ingredients, Gino’s was the only local source for the sort of funky pecorino romano, olive oils, and chiles they favor.

The Bonannos emigrated to the United States from Calabria in 1954.

THE CRITIC COOKS

When the ultra-sour candy called Warheads hit the U.S. market in the mid-1990s, its malic acid topcoat was too much for some palates. 

My reaction was: finally, a candy that reminds me of rhubarb. The propulsively puckery character of a fresh-picked stalk dipped in sugar never fails to thrill.

Rhubarb pie is divine, straight-up, no strawberries. I’m usually looking for something simpler, though, the shortest distance between the garden and a kiloton shot of rhubarb flavor straight to the dome. 

For the last stalks of the season, two suggestions.

Rhubarb clafoutis. Whip up a simple batter, pour over fruit in buttered baking dish, brief oven ride, voila.

Rhubarb lassi. Mango is the most popular flavor for this yogurt shake, but rhubarb steps up with its own character.

Cook chopped rhubarb with a spoonful of water until it melts.

Add sugar or other sweetener, to taste.

Put 1 cup milk, ⅓ cup yogurt (preferably whole milk), a handful of ice, and ½ cup of rhubarb compote in a blender or food processor. Whir until frothy and ice is mostly crushed.

Taste. It won’t be exactly what you want. Adjust recipe to your taste - more sweet, more rhubarb, more sour - and whole fat Greek yogurt for more richness.

Or something. Because the rhubarb is almost gone, until next year.

More reading from Michael Chelus:

• Mr. Galarneau told us about the difference that an authentic Thai touch can make when you dine at Tiny Thai [Four Bites]

• Nellai Banana Leaf has opened a buffet in Niagara Falls [Four Bites]

• Newell visited the newly opened Prova @ The Plaza at Fountain Plaza [Buffalo Rising]

• This week's edition of Francesca's This week in Buffalo food told us national honors for Pizzeria Florian and Jay's Artisan Pizza, the return of lunch service to Tappo and more [Buffalo News]

• Francesca also wrote about the opening of Beacon Grille [Buffalo News]

• Newell stopped by Sabores De Mi Terra [Buffalo Rising]

• Brett took us to Prova in Fountain Plaza [Step Out Buffalo]

• Brett also wrote about Beacon Grille [Step Out Buffalo]

• Beer Kind Brewing in Tonawanda offers a family-friendly atmosphere [Step Out Buffalo]

• Brian’s Buffalo Briefs told us of a release from Mortalis Brewing, the opening of Beer Kind Brewing [Step Out Buffalo]

• Learn the story behind Em Savage and her Savage Wheat Project [Buffalo Spree]

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