Chris- Krowlewskie Jadlo, a Polish Restaurant
Note: An interview with Chris, owner of Krowlewskie Jadlo, a Polish restaurant, on Manhattan Avenue, follows this article.
Krowlewskie Yadlo, is a Polish restaurant, newly discovered by me this summer when I wanted to take my guests from San Francisco to eat at a restaurant representative of Greenpoint. I did not want to take them to one of the newer places, with an impressive scene, comprised of the (largely) newly arrived youth and quite similar in feel to San Francisco, where I once lived and where my guests had (literally) just arrived from.
Enroute from picking up my San Francisco friends, mother and teenage son, and minutes after departing from JFK, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, we were hit by a limosine. The date was May 30th, post-Memorial Day weekend. So, after this intense entry to New York and my friends sitting for hours in a plane, a neighborhood restaurant, was the only option.
The aim: find a nearby place, authentically Greenpoint,within walking distance from my apartment, with atmosphere, where the air inside would let my California guests know: You are in a different place, unlike any other; not the new Greenpoint, but the fast disappearing scene of old Greenpoint.
The image which stood out for me and made me immediately think of going to Krowlewskie Jadlo, (although, I must admit, I had never been inside before), was the image of the knight- in -shining armor statue, out front. The name, Krowlewskie Jadlo, does not exactly roll off the tongue to those unfamiliar with the Polish sound and syllable structure. But what is a stand-out feature is the knight- in- shining armor, out front, greeting non-customers and customers, alike. In fact, now when I speak of Krowlewskie Jadlo to Americans, I say the name, mention its location and then quickly say, ” It’s the one with the knight- in- shining armor out front.” Immediate recognition follows.
The interior of the restaurant resembles a dining scene from the movie set of Camelot. There are heavy wooden tables, chairs and booths and the continuation of royal themes of chivalry, with fake portraits of kings and lords; all of which of speak of meat and masculinity. The taste in decor: definitely not pandering to modern American sensibilities. How refreshing!
The food presentation is also unusual. A large array of appetizers, ordered and unordered, arrive on a wooden slab. You feel, there must be a mistake: there is so much food and your main dishes haven’t even arrived.
Although this blog is not intended to be a critique of food, having been to Krowlewskie Jadlo many times since, in my opinion, they serve the best Ukrainian borsht. (I have also had other, very tasty dishes).
Along with typical Polish fare found in other Greenpoint restaurants, kielbasa, pierogi,and soups, Krowlewski offers food with accents of German, French and Noveau American cuisine.
And most unusual of all, in Polish Restaurants heavily laden with meat, there is a suprisingly, sizeable section of well-thought out vegetarian dishes on the menu.
Krowlewskie Jadlo offers good value for your dollar. And since my initial visit, in late May, when it was relatively easy to get a table for two, it has now become considerably more popular and sometimes there is a wait for a table. It is booming with business and I am happy to say, there is a mix of young and old, couples and families, the newly arrived and long-time residents of Greenpoint dining at Krowlewskie Jadlo.
Please find out why this Polish restaurant has become so popular with new and old Greenpoint residents and nonresidents alike, by viewing my video interview with Chris, the owner of Krowlewskie Jadlo (pronounced: KROO-LEV-SKI-e Yad-WO).
greenpointstories 
Dear Readers:
The photos of Krowlewskie Jadlo, are less than ideally placed, but I will attempt to further edit at a later time. I am a real amateur!
Genevieve La Riva
Thanks so very much!!!!!