Restaurant Review: Crocus

My parents have been talking about visiting Crocus, a southside Polish restaurant, for a while now. They had stopped for a drink a few months ago, and were raving about how cute the place was and how nice the owner (who, of course, they had talked to for quite a while!) was.

A few weeks ago, the restaurant came up on Groupon, so I bought a coupon and we decided to dine there on a Saturday night. We were there this past Saturday. While we were just about the only diners at about 8:00, we had a wonderful experience, great food and wonderful conversation with the owner/bartender.

We each started with some Polish beers, including Okocim (I can't remember the names of the others). They were light beers, but full flavored and tasty. We also each started with a cup of sweet cabbage soup, which included chunks of veggies in a flavorful broth. The rye bread our waitress dropped at our table was great, too.

For meals, my parents and I ordered the same thing: the Polish plate, which included a good mix of typical Polish fare--three pierogi (one cheese, one meat and one sauerkraut), a cabbage roll, half a Polish sausage, sauerkraut and boiled potatoes. Everything was excellent, and I surprised myself by liking the sauerkraut (it's something I don't normally like).

Nate got the sauteed pork tenderloin with sauerkraut and potatoes. The pork was cooked perfectly and was nicely seasoned.

Overall, we had a great experience, that was accentuated by a very nice and helpful server. The restaurant also offers a buffet with typical Polish foods--I'd like to go back sometime and try the buffet and the different foods I didn't get in the sample plate.