This business has had a lot of publicity in the local press, so we *had* to try it, even though…read moretheir license is only beer and wine. (I'm a lush, if you've not read the rest of our writing on Yelp.)
We're always looking for a new place to have a bite -- and several drinks. This place soft-opened a few weeks ago, and is now officially open.
One must enter through the front door of Pol-Mart, a good delicatessen and Polish specialty store (I prefer Zieliniak, down the street, but I'll forgive the Pol-Mart people, because they're creative.) Apparently the space upstairs used to be a dusty gift shop. It's a lovely little cafe with a baby grand piano, a stage, and some ambitious lighting effects. They currently offer live entertainment on only Fridays - but have plans for more. The decor is very Old Country, but handsome and clean. The appointments (glassware, cutlery) are of high quality. We love that - we love a professional restaurant that doesn't cut corners.
There's a great beer selection - not vast, but good. Wines are limited and cheap, but not very good, but a good value. I bought a glass, then a bottle, of the serviceable Riesling from Zum, in Germany. Best Buddy had his usual Bud Light. We're delighted they have domestics for him, because there are too many places in town (craft breweries, Polish restaurants) which offer only hops-heavy brews. These folks have you covered.
The menu is a delight! There are two different cold-cut platters, either for one ($7-$9) or for two ($10-$12), with bread and pickles to accompany. A "French" platter contained only cheeses. It's all gotta be good because they source all the charcuterie from the deli downstairs! A modest offering of the most popular Polish foods appears on the menu (Pierogies, savory and sweet; stuffed cabbage, and the like -- and salads, by themselves or with a grilled chicken breast or a piece of salmon).
We didn't try that -- we opted instead for hamburgers. The waitress, who was delightful, actually asked "why are you coming to a Polish restaurant for *hamburgers?*" I told her that our starting-out place on Broad Street in Little Poland, the Belvedere, had begun to close every Wednesday. I left the new People's Bank, and expected to go across the street to have a Scotch or three -- and then recalled that the bartender had lamented that the ownership decided to take a day off on Wednesdays. So this brought us to this little cafe. (I missed the Scotch, but it's okay).
Soft music played in the background, and out the window one could view the enormous cathedral that graces the middle of Broad Street. The whole deal, three beers, a glass and a bottle of wine and two very nice burgers was only $50. It was an off-peak time, so I had to get up to summon our server twice, but she was very, very nice and very professional. She encouraged us to visit on a Friday night when they have the live music.
Go here - it's a great place, trying hard, and needs to establish itself. There aren't enough places in New Britain to get a drink at lunch, and that's another (selfish) reason why we love the place.
