An array of ornamentation adorns its many shelves along the walls. Wooden shoes hang from a line of fancy china dolls, and decorated plates are fixed between flower paintings with elaborate gold frames.

‘A lot of the things came from Poland,’ said Eva Zaczynski, owner and namesake of Eva’s European Sweets Polish restaurant. ‘But a lot came from customers also.’

In a bright voice with a thick accent, Zaczynski describes how every Christmas her relatives in Europe remembered to tuck some Polish trinket into her gift to add to the restaurant’s decoration. Sometimes, she said, a customer will come in with something that reminds them of the place or of an old Polish family member, and they will ask if they can hang it up.

‘Over time, things started collecting, and now it’s more and more,’ she said. The colorful embellishment gives the place a familiar feel, amplified by the fact that Zaczynski runs the restaurant with both her son and her daughter. Happiness pours out of her like a sunbeam.

My dining partners and I arrived to a packed restaurant Saturday night. Although the venue is not big in the first place, Eva’s manages to feel even cozier with its three separate dining areas.

We settled at a table in the back room, where the dim, multicolored lights cast a warm glow over everything.

The extensive menu offers salads, sandwiches and specialty Polish meals. Eva explains how she’s never used strict recipes for any of her meals. Instead, she prefers a more test-and-taste methodology. From kielbasa and golabki to kopytka and gulasz, everything sounded very good — and very Polish.

‘It’s the old style food. It’s very homey,’ Zaczynski said. ‘It’s hearty. As it gets chillier, the hearty food is really popular because it keeps you filled and warm.’

I struggled to pronounce my order: Gnieciuchy, Polish-style gnocchi served with Parmesan cheese, butter and sour cream ($7.25), and finally resorted to flashing a helpless smile and pointing at the menu. My dining partner chose the Placki Hungarian Style ($10.94), potato pancakes topped with ground beef and a tomato sauce. We couldn’t resist ordering a variety of pierogies as well — potato, Ruskie (potato and cheese) and beef.

The gnieciuchy may have been unpronounceable, but from the moment it arrived, I knew it was going to be delicious. A dozen thick potato dumplings, glistening with butter and cheese, packed my plate. Big enough for two bites, they were soft and chewy. Eva serves the gnieciuchy warm, making them the perfect comfort food.

The placki appealed to a different palate. The potato pancakes came with a layer of sauce. Spicy and savory, the sauce reminded me of a thicker version of chili. Though smothered in the sauce, the crisp pancakes maintained their satisfying crunch.

Zaczynski tops her plump pierogies with sautéed onions and serves them with tangy sauerkraut. When I tried my first bite of the meat pierogies, I fell in love with a certain spiced taste that I didn’t recognize.

‘Marjoram,’ Zaczynski explained. ‘I use it in almost everything. Like the Italians use basil, I use marjoram.’

A bit sweeter than oregano, the marjoram gave the meat pierogies an authentic taste. Although we loved everything, we ended up filling to-go boxes because there was so much food.

Just as you start to leave, Eva traps you. A case by the front counter gloriously displays all of her homemade desserts: tiramisu, strawberry mousse, orange cream cake, cheesecakes, pies and more. I was hard-pressed to pick just one. In the end, the chocolate banana mousse cake won me over.

It might sound silly, but the best thing about the dessert was just how strong the taste of the banana came through. No artificial flavors here, just pure banana. Light and fluffy, the banana mousse wasn’t too sweet, so the chocolate cake bottom layer added the perfect amount of sugar. Little flowers made of chocolate sauce bloomed on the side of my plate and were all that remained after a mere 10 minutes.

Leaving the restaurant, I felt completely content. Eva’s has it all: different and delicious food, an interesting atmosphere and a sparkling personality behind it all.

jidonfro@syr.edu

Published on November 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm