Polish chefs share their heritage one pierogi at a time

For a region in which so many people sport Polish last names, there is a surprising dearth of Polish restaurants in Michiana. When I asked locals where to get good pierogi, they would tell me, “You have to know a Polish grandmother.” Sigh.

I was dreaming of fork-tender, delicate dumplings stuffed with savory fillings, a far cry from the fair-food version I had encountered most often here, with an unyielding deep-fried exterior and weepy, crumbled curds inside.

Kolasa’s Polish Peasant in Michigan City, Indiana, is the answer to that yearning and many others. On my first visit, we were not the only ones waiting on the sidewalk for the doors to open. The small dining room, spare but comfortable, fills up quickly with a loyal clientele.

Here I found the holy grail: traditional Polish food made fresh daily with quality ingredients. Owners Mark and Amanda Kolasa are chefs with a fine-dining background. They opened Café Elite and Catering over 20 years ago in downtown Michigan City. The menu evolved to include more Polish dishes, and when they moved to a bigger building in 2023, they rebranded as Kolasa’s Polish Peasant.

The couple is of Polish descent and, Mark says, “We thought it would be a good marriage of flavors and what people are looking for.” When I ask why Polish cuisine is not more readily available, he ventures, “There are more Polish restaurants near the Chicago area, but traditional fare is very time-consuming.”

The Polish Peasant, he says, “is a 99% scratch kitchen.” They grind and case their own sausage, cut and pound the meats. Doughs, fillings, sauces, breads and pastries are made in-house. Amanda is the baker. According to Mark, “If you’re going to compete with Polish busias, or grandmas, you better make everything from scratch.”

He recalls his fondest memories on Christmas Eves, with Grandma making pierogi and six relatives in the kitchen cooking them up. The restaurant’s menu is largely based on family recipes that Mark and Amanda have put their own spin on over the years.

There is stuffed cabbage, potato cakes, pork cutlets with brandy mushroom sauce, bigos (hunter’s stew), sausage and kraut. Kopytka dumplings—small and pillowy—are served with a choice of brown butter vegetables, braised beef in pan sauce or chicken in rosemary wine sauce. We ordered a Polish beer and learned, semi-successfully, from our server how to pronounce the brand name, Zywiec.

The stellar pierogi come with four fillings: potato and farmers cheese, kraut, meat or mushroom. Much of the staff is on full-time pierogi duty; they make hundreds a day by hand. “During the holidays, we have folks that order a hundred or more for their family,” says Mark.

Catering was the Kolasa’s initial business, and they still cook custom menus all year for gatherings large and small—weddings, family get-togethers—serving Polish food as well as other traditional banquet fare. Of their regular customers, Mark says, “They are basically like family. They have seen us grow, and we have seen them throughout their lives.”

Mark’s connection to the community runs deep. He was born and raised in Michigan City and went to St. Mary’s Grade School around the corner from the restaurant. “It’s neat to see your kindergarten or preschool teacher come in and eat your food,” he says.

He is also president of the Polish American Heritage Society of Michigan City. Until Covid-19 hit, they held a well-attended annual event in September, the Polish Heritage Festival, at the International Friendship Botanical Gardens. He hopes they can start up again.

He echoes a concern shared by many immigrant groups that “Polish society is aging out. Young people don’t identify with their heritage anymore.”

The Kolasas are certainly doing their part to honor and sustain their rich culinary tradition. “We are fourth generation and may not speak perfect Polish,” Mark says, “but this is how we pay homage to our culture.”

Kolasa’s Polish Peasant

801 Franklin St.

Michigan City, IN

219.873.1788

Facebook: @kolasaspolishpeasant 

Lisa Barnett de Froberville is a French teacher and translator and the managing editor of Edible Michiana.