polish potato pancakes like my grandmother

One half of my heritage stems from bucktown and Weber High School. My father married a fiery italian woman from the suburbs who came from an enormous family (largest in chicago at one point). Through mere numbers and proximity, I spent much more time with my italian family.

One of the fond memories of my Polish grandmother Wanda's tiny Hoyne Avenue kitchen was potato pancakes, with thin crispy lacelike edges.
A few years after gram's passing, my father started a chistmas time father and son breakfast outing with ten or twelve duos including a large canadian-polish former Blackhawk. We always went to the Busy Bee in Wicker Park. These were the clone of Wanda's. Maybe four inches in diamiter, thin, crispy with a hint of onion. Applesauce, sour cream, salt and a side of Polish sausage split and griddled was a perfect breakfast and a great memory. When the busy bee closed, the holiday outing kind of lost its steam. The cakes were never as good and the atmosphere altered to much.

My father passed on 9/11 of this year, possibly causing me to seek out some old memories. I have been on a kick to find that holy grail of the perfect potato pancake (as my mind and memory sees it). The following places have been tried:

Healthy foods-- great flavor and crispness, but seemingly made with mashed or riced potatos and way to thick;
Juicyo-- nice size and look but to much flour and not enough potato flavor;
Mabenka-- close but not a cuban cigar, again the iternal texture seemed off;
Our Kitchen-- might be it. As good as I have had.

I would love your other recomendations. I love the side potato served with my pastrami at Mannys but this is not what I am seeking.

Thanks in advance

Babaluch

Healthy Foods
3236 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL 60608

Our Kitchen
363 W. Lake St
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Mabenka
7844 South Cicero
Burbank, Il 60459

Juicyo
2942 S Finley
Downers Grove 60515

Without a doubt, I think the potato pancakes at Smak Takare the best I've had in Chicago (and believe me - I've had a lot of them!)

I remember the potato pancakes at Busy Bee and saddly they're no more. However I think the cakes at Smak Tak are fabulous and you'd be hard pressed to beat them. They're slightly larger in diameter than the Busy Bee version, but they're crispy and light.

Smak Tak
5961 North Elston Avenue
Chicago, IL 60646

Mellonhead is right on both counts.

I really miss the Busy Bee. Their bigos with a side of potato pancakes was an excellent hangover remedy.

I'm sorry I can't compare them with Smak Tak, having never been to that doubtlessly fine institution, but it is your duty to visit GNR winner Podhalanka and try their divine potato pancakes. *


Podhalanka
1549 W Division
Chicago
773-486-6655


*Why isn't there an emoticon for "licking chops"?

Smak Tak's are very good.

I am also partial to the potato pancakes at Resi's Bierstube. The owners are from Karlsruhe, Germany.

Potato pancake crawl, anyone?

Resi's Bierstube
2034 W. Irving Park Road
Chicago
773 472 1749

fleurdesel wrote:Potato pancake crawl, anyone?

What a wonderful idea!! Except that it would literally be a crawl before too long. (But it sure is a great idea!)

fleurdesel wrote:Smak Tak's are very good.

I am also partial to the potato pancakes at Resi's Bierstube. The owners are from Karlsruhe, Germany.

Potato pancake crawl, anyone?

Resi's Bierstube
2034 W. Irving Park Road
Chicago
773 472 1749

Stimmt uffallend!

(Though it's been a while for me, I thought Resi's were very good; in other words: I agree!)

Antonius

P.S. Interesting post, Babaluch.

While I have not had the opportunity to try any of these other fine establishments, (although I do plan to soon!) I think that The Bavarian Lodge in Lisle has an excellent rendition of potato pancakes. Theirs are also very thin, crispy on the edges with the required onion and a bit of garlic as well to enhance the wonderful potato flavor. They are served with the must haves of sour cream and apple sauce.

The Bavarian Lodge
1800 Ogden Avenue
Lisle, Illinois 60532

Thanks for the info. -thon sounds good.

I will try to get to one of the suggestions this weekend.

I dont know if these are like your grandma used to make. But I really liked the potato pancakes I had a while back from Sawa's Old Warsaw on Cermak in Broadview. I'm not sure about the ones served in the smorgasbord buffet but if you order them to go they cook them fresh and came out great. Sold by the piece along with pierogis, blintzes, fried chicken etc...its a great place to place a pick up an order for a day of football.


Sawa's Old Warsaw Potato Pancakes

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant
9200 W Cermak Rd
Broadview, IL 60155
(708) 343-9040

Thought I'd post pictures of potato pancakes from three of the places mentioned upthread.

Smak Tak



Resi's Bierstube



Podhalanka

Only the Smak Tak ones look good, the others are too thick. My mom made great ones too, very thin, crisp with a hint of green onion. Of course I never learned her secret before she passed on. The closest I have found was at Alexander's, a Greek family restaurant on Rte. 31 and I-90 in Elgin. I've had too many that use flour and make them too thick.

Not the atmosphere you're looking for, most likely, but as I read your post Walker Bros. kept floating into my mind. Not a Polish restaurant in the least, but the description of the potato pancakes seem dead on--lacy edges, significantly thinner than the (admittedly alluring) pics above, hint of onion. Here's a picture from Holly Eats

Yup, Walker Bros. makes crispy lacy potato pancakes everybit as good as the ones we grew up with. They get my vote for the best potato pancakes in the area, though I agree it sounds very unethnic.

LikestoEatout wrote:Only the Smak Tak ones look good, the others are too thick. My mom made great ones too, very thin, crisp with a hint of green onion. Of course I never learned her secret before she passed on. The closest I have found was at Alexander's, a Greek family restaurant on Rte. 31 and I-90 in Elgin. I've had too many that use flour and make them too thick.

Take everyone's word for it, they all taste good. Very good.

You may want to check out the Potato Pancake thread here: http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=10986