This was my first time at Cracovia Polish Restaurant and I have to say, I am so happy I pushed through dining here with my sister.
I was in Spring Hill for the weekend as I had leisure to attend to pertaining to letterboxing. While I was here, my sister wanted to show me the progress of the construction of her house, her first (hopefully her only) one. It was looking good, and after showing me the grounds, we decided to eat dinner just to catch up on life. I admit I picked Cracovia for the fact it was "unique" compared to the other food fare around town and I am always privy to try more unique food fare.
The Cracovia experience begins not when you eat, but when you arrive. The restaurant looks like an ancient fortress out of Polish historical lore. Such is accented entering through the large castle doors to an open dining area furnished as if it were medieval times. I am talking about suits of armor, grand portraits, large drapes with large tassels, flying buttresses, and torch lights (modernized with light bulbs of course). There is even a medieval style ledger to sign your entry at the front door in which a bust of a knight provides a sword pen to ink your name and date of visit.
After seating, our waitress offered us some suggestions after giving us bread and free Hors d'Oeuvers, tomato prosciutto caprese (beefsteak tomato, mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, baked parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar). For an appetizer, we got the beef tartare (Freshly ground beef, spiced and served with an egg, onions, pickles, and mushrooms. Eaten with the bread). PHENOMENALLY DELICIOUS! Take note the beef tartare is served only on Fridays and the weekend, in the restaurant only.
For our mains, I got the Cracovia Chop (Roasted pork steak on the bone served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and stewed cabbage) and my sister got the Pork Tenderloin in Mushroom Sauce (served with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies). Everything was delicious and cooked to the order we wanted as in medium for me and medium rare for my sister. My sister also jokingly commented the veggies must be "butter carved into veggies" because you could taste the veggies but the flavor of butter was thoroughly prominent. Trust me, if veggies tasted this good every time I ate them, I would be eating so much more veggies.
Finally, we just had to eat dessert. I mean, everything was beyond excellent so we needed to see if dessert was the same! O... M... G...! How?! The dessert of the day was tiramisu... and it was better than any Italian restaurant has ever made it! Sister and I discerned the thick cake in place of the lady fingers must be the secret, and yes, it was. The chef even made sure to keep that "secret recipe" by stating it was a "homemade cake."
Even though the tiramisu was amazing, the homemade apple cake was leaps and bounds... better. Now the chef of Cracovia has my upmost respect and admiration. Tiramisu is my favorite dessert and anyone that can create a dessert that is better than my favorite dessert should be highly regarded and well-paid.
There is only one cautionary note and one debilitating sad note, in which I must stress the latter is on my sister and I and NOT Cracovia.
For the cautionary note: the price of food can be high. I understand inflation has increased prices across the board but take note the appetizer was $19 and the mains were $27 each. Even our desserts were up in price as they were $14 each. They are, however, worth the price simply on the taste and how much food you get too.
Now for the sad note, my sister and I did not get a chance to explore the deli. We arrived before it closed but by the time we finished our meal, that would not be the case.
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SIDENOTES:
The restrooms were clean AND they fit the ambiance and decor of Cracovia too. I definitely loved the toilet paper roller designed to look like the bust of a knight holding it for you while you do your... well... do your business.
Cracovia Polish Restaurant is recognized as a venue in the UnTappd App. I suggest getting one of the German beers of tap. I got the Weihenstephaner Original. Very delicious, gave it a 4.75 out of 5.00 rating on the app.
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I look forward to coming back and eating more of the food fare Cracovia has to offer. I really want to give them a perfect 5-star score right out of my initial visit, but I must stay vigilant. Like I say in all my reviews, the fifth star is earned for consistency. If Cracovia is consistently this amazing for at least two more visits, I will update this review with their earned fifth star.
Until then, just on my initial visit, I highly recommend Cracovia to anyone who wants to try something new. read more