Kasia’s Deli & Romanian Kosher Sausage Company

Kasia’s Deli & Romanian Kosher Sausage Company

Under the expert guidance of deli-savvy jazzfood, I had lunch today at Kasia’s in Ukie Village. We bought a bunch of stuff from Eastern bloc counter gals who seemed to teeter ambiguously between their own private unhappiness and their growing contempt for us. I’ve noticed this attitude in dames at other delis, do not find it in the least offensive, and did not allow it to affect my appetite.

Jazzfood graciously took over the ordering process, and we laid out our lunch on one of two café tables at the front.



Clockwise from top: spinach crepe, bigos (hunter stew: sauerkraut with sausage), beef puffs, egg rolls (?!), lima beans, a meat lump draped in onions (jazzfood, what was this?), cherry blintz, veal meatballs (a favorite, flecked with dill), pierogi, pureed beets, and “old-fashioned” meatloaf.

The spicing of these dishes was extraordinarily dialed down, but the flavors, though slight, were good, and as we were really hungry, we ate just about everything here. The pricing was very reasonable (under $20).

On a deli binge, we also stopped at a Ukrainian deli (forget the name) down the street from Kasia’s, as well as the Romanian Kosher Sausage Company (holiest of holies, all glatt meat: got a medium-hard sausage from the rack of sausages all aging to varying degrees). Here’s a shot I got off before I was told no photos:



Here, I also picked up a kishke, Romanian Sausage brand, which I enjoyed so much at Bergstein’s NY Deli yesterday (must try Manny's, which I understand is house-made).

As I’ve observed elsewhere, sometimes my ignorance of whole genres of cuisine appalls me: two weeks ago, I couldn’t have told you the difference between a kishke, knish and kreplach. In the past day, I’ve eaten all of these delicious foods, sometimes more than once, and all I’m thinking about now is knocking back some knockwurst on a Queen Esther roll with, as directed by jazzfood, mustard and onions.

Kasia’s Deli
2101 W. Chicago Ave.
773.486.6163
http://www.kasiasdeli.com/

Romanian Kosher Sausage Company
7200 N Clark St
773.761.4141

David Hammond wrote:Here, I also picked up a kishke, Romanian Sausage brand, which I enjoyed so much at Bergstein’s NY Deli yesterday (must try Manny's, which I understand is house-made).

As I’ve observed elsewhere, sometimes my ignorance of whole genres of cuisine appalls me: two weeks ago, I couldn’t have told you the difference between a kishke, knish and kreplach. In the past day, I’ve eaten all of these delicious foods, sometimes more than once, and all I’m thinking about now is knocking back some knockwurst on a Queen Esther roll with, as directed by jazzfood, mustard and onions.

Did you try the chopped liver?

iblock9 wrote:

David Hammond wrote:Here, I also picked up a kishke, Romanian Sausage brand, which I enjoyed so much at Bergstein’s NY Deli yesterday (must try Manny's, which I understand is house-made).

As I’ve observed elsewhere, sometimes my ignorance of whole genres of cuisine appalls me: two weeks ago, I couldn’t have told you the difference between a kishke, knish and kreplach. In the past day, I’ve eaten all of these delicious foods, sometimes more than once, and all I’m thinking about now is knocking back some knockwurst on a Queen Esther roll with, as directed by jazzfood, mustard and onions.

Did you try the chopped liver?

Yes, I did, and you know, when I eat chopped liver I'm always expecting something like pate, and the taste of the former is always much sharper than I expect. What I found odd, from a physiological standpoint, is when you add acidic raw onions to the mix the sharpness of the liver is, surprisingly, blunted. With some raw onions, I found Bergstein's chopped liver quite tasty. Do you know if they make that in house?

Yes everything at Romanian's is made in house - chopped liver, kishke, corned beef, pastrami, salami - another thing to try are their hot dogs- either the regular or garlic dogs - IMO the best hot dogs in the city if not the country -

David, what kind of pierogi (and how many types were on offer, if you recall,) did you have at Kasia's? Jonathan and I thought their cheese version was quite good at the Taste of Polonia this year.

LynnB wrote:David, what kind of pierogi (and how many types were on offer, if you recall,) did you have at Kasia's? Jonathan and I thought their cheese version was quite good at the Taste of Polonia this year.

We had just the cherry pierogi, but they had blueberry and, I think, cheese/potato. It was a little heavy, but I understand that Kasia's has won a lot of prizes for her pierogi.

If I remember correctly, I believe they're offering a special of 8 dozen pierogi for $20, which sounds like a good deal if you're having about 15 friends over for lunch.

David Hammond wrote:

LynnB wrote:David, what kind of pierogi (and how many types were on offer, if you recall,) did you have at Kasia's? Jonathan and I thought their cheese version was quite good at the Taste of Polonia this year.

We had just the cherry pierogi, but they had blueberry and, I think, cheese/potato. It was a little heavy, but I understand that Kasia's has won a lot of prizes for her pierogi.

If I remember correctly, I believe they're offering a special of 8 dozen pierogi for $20, which sounds like a good deal if you're having about 15 friends over for lunch.

8 dz for $20.00!?!?! that is a good deal. esp when I don't want to put in the work to make them at home. They freeze well. Have to find some time to get into the city.

tryingthisout69 wrote:8 dz for $20.00!?!?! that is a good deal. esp when I don't want to put in the work to make them at home. They freeze well. Have to find some time to get into the city.

I saw a sign when I was in there advertising this offer, but I recommend calling first before you head down town (just to make sure I got the terms correct).

One of the good things at Kasia's is a pelmeni-like dumpling (but they're not called pelmeni) and a good-quality Wisconsin butter in a white-paper package for a good price (it may be "Amish," but I doubt it).

David Hammond wrote:On a deli binge, we also stopped at a Ukrainian deli (forget the name) down the street from Kasia’s,

Was this called Ukraina (as detailed by happy_stomach here)?

aschie30 wrote:

David Hammond wrote:On a deli binge, we also stopped at a Ukrainian deli (forget the name) down the street from Kasia’s,

Was this called Ukraina (as detailed by happy_stomach here)?

That's an excellent supposition, but no, it was a different place.

WOW! I was just looking for a deli that made their own all-beef sausages and salami's. Once again LTH has proven to be a gold-mine for me. I will definitely be checking out Romanian Kosher Sausage Company, and will report back on my experiences.

David Hammond wrote:Eastern bloc counter gals who seemed to teeter ambiguously between their own private unhappiness and their growing contempt for us. I’ve noticed this attitude in dames at other delis, do not find it in the least offensive, and did not allow it to affect my appetite.

I miss the "mean girls" from Andy's on Division. It took me years to get the barely perceptible nod and slight smile reserved for regulars. Then they closed. IIRC, Andy's mean girls were a regular topic on LTH at one time. Good to see Kasia's still going strong.

2 of my favorite places in the city - Kasia's might be the best deal in town for a simple dinner. Very good mushroom-barley soup, pierogis, better-than-subway subs for $3.99, stuffed-cabbage... etc etc

I think the in-house medium-hard/hard salami at RK is the best in Chicago.

Thanks for this great report. I live three blocks from Kasia's and don't take nearly enough advantage. Their soups are delicious and conveniently packaged in to-go quart containers for a very reasonable price (I want to say ~$2 apiece). The perogies are significantly cheaper than they are down the block at Dominick's.

I'm quite familiar with the attitude you speak of; doesn't phase me in the least (my Ukrainian landlord is similarly annoyed by me at all times). As a result, though, I've never inquired about the "Free Round Bread on Saturdays" that's mentioned at the bottom of their Web page. Anyone know what that's about?

And David:

David Hammond wrote: got a medium-hard sausage

I know it's good, but please try to contain yourself.

Try the dill pickle soup at Kasia's. It's great. Slightly creamy, very dill-y with big chunks of potato. Great hearty soup for the cold winter months. Almost like my grandma's. Almost. The closest I can get now.

NDG - I think if you buy a certain amount of smoked or fresh sausage you get the free bread. I've never really asked either and I buy sausage there quite a bit. You may have to speak Polish too. Although I may have been told once to grab a loaf of bread but I can't remember. It's damn good bread to wrap around your sausage. And that is not meant to be dirty. BTW. Always been a big fan of the Burger Project.

Also try the Kabonosy. A thinner smaller smoked sausage. HEAVY on the garlic.

The mystery "meat lump" was pork which along with the veal meat ball were my two favorite things.

The perogi was beef, it was the blintz that was cherry. I found it respectable, but no Andy's and miles from Podhalanka where when I need to get my bigos on, I order it in advance and bring 10 or more hungry people.

viewtopic.php?p=250997#p250997

Salami and kishke wise, Romanian is my gold standard.

Thanks, jazzfood; yes, the blintz was cherry, the pierogi meat.

I also ended up getting the "vegetable salad," which was basically a potato salad, but very light, which I like. Dicing the potatoes (rather than cutting them in big chunks, American style) makes for a much airier and gentle mess of spuds.

One question for you guys: When you bought that stuff from Kasia's deli case, was it warm or did you eat it cold?

aschie30 wrote:One question for you guys: When you bought that stuff from Kasia's deli case, was it warm or did you eat it cold?

Ironically, the Aryan ice maidens behind the counter warmed our food for us.

David Hammond wrote:

aschie30 wrote:One question for you guys: When you bought that stuff from Kasia's deli case, was it warm or did you eat it cold?

Ironically, the Aryan ice maidens behind the counter warmed our food for us.

Ha-ha, thanks.

Some of the Romanian meats are available packaged at the Jewel on Howard Street east of McCormick. That's where I pick up their garlic hot dogs and salami. Pricey, but worth it.

AOP

AnotherOakParker wrote:Some of the Romanian meats are available packaged at the Jewel on Howard Street east of McCormick. That's where I pick up their garlic hot dogs and salami. Pricey, but worth it.

AOP

I just had some of the Romanian Sausage Co. salami for dinner. What we've been doing is crisping it in the oven to concentrate and perk up the flavor (The Wife also dabs off some of the fat that rises to the surface). With this approach, it probably makes sense to use one of the younger sausages as we're artificially aging it by heating it.

AnotherOakParker wrote:Some of the Romanian meats are available packaged at the Jewel on Howard Street east of McCormick. That's where I pick up their garlic hot dogs and salami. Pricey, but worth it.

Steve's Deli in River North uses Romanian sausages in its sandwiches, and you can buy whole salami's to take home with you. In the building in which I live many residents are passionate about Romanian products: the original owners lived in the building for many years, and their children/grandchildren who run the business today still do.

AnotherOakParker wrote:Some of the Romanian meats are available packaged at the Jewel on Howard Street east of McCormick. That's where I pick up their garlic hot dogs and salami. Pricey, but worth it.

AOP

If you are at that Jewel you are only about 15 minutes from the store itself shere you will be able to save anywhere from $4-$8 a pound on the romanian products -

weinstein5 wrote:

AnotherOakParker wrote:Some of the Romanian meats are available packaged at the Jewel on Howard Street east of McCormick. That's where I pick up their garlic hot dogs and salami. Pricey, but worth it.

AOP

If you are at that Jewel you are only about 15 minutes from the store itself shere you will be able to save anywhere from $4-$8 a pound on the romanian products -

Yes, Jewel really gouges you on Romanian goodies. If you want to stay west, AnotherOakParker, go to Fresh Farms on Touhy for Romanian's salami chubs (both large and small) for $3/lb. less than Jewel charges and their hot dogs also for about the same less (can't remember exactly). These are in their large deli meat cases next to the deli proper. They also have the salami and, sometimes, tongue available for slicing behind the deli counter. For sliced salami, I think they charge an additional $1/lb.

I used to live directly across the street (diagonally) from Romanian, in my very first roach-ridden starving-artist studio apt., circa 1983. But for Romanian, the neighborhood was pretty much a desert. No Mexican seafood, no Peruvian beef hearts. A taqueria or two and the A&T nearby was pretty much it. Haven't been back to Romanian in quite a spell. Must go. Missing it like crazy now from this thread.

R.I.P. Kasia! https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016061 ... saler-dies