Gina rocks, five-fruit pie continues to be best non-homemade in the city, off-duty cops and building commissioners at two tables, cash only, throwbacky Oscar Meyer bacon on everything. Still tickin' (though Gina did say "send any hungry people our way, please!"). My only complaint was some dry kugelis, but I did make two converts out of the blynai and koldunai today. And the Napoleon with apricots Gina had been hard at work at looked spectacular.

This morning we were looking for a great brunch place not too far from the home, so I consulted my GNR guide and landed on Healthy Food. As we walked in, we realized how lucky we were that we had made this choice: had we waited not 2 weeks, they would have been closed.

We wanted to try as much as we could, and with 2 people, that can only mean a combination plate.

Combination - Kugelis, Cheese Dumpling, Meat Dumplings (w/ Ubiquitous Sour Cream)


A great plate of food, and we couldn't pick a winner here. The cheese dumpling was nice and sweet, blintz-like. The meat dumplings were rich, salty, and juicy, and the dough in both held up very well. The kugelis was a tad bit on the dry side, but as far as I know, that might be traditional, and a touch of sour cream was enough to elevate it and everything else to even greater heights.

Blueberry Blynas


We also went with a blynas (p. blynai), a Lithuanian pancake-crepe hybrid that was deeply satisfying.

In addition, we walked away with the last slice of rhubarb pie and ate it later. The verdict? The flaky, slightly crunchy crust was easily on par with Hoosier Mama's, and the rhubarbs shined.

While the food was great on its own, it was the atmosphere that brought this place to the next level. Our waitress chatted with us, joked with us, and generally treated us like we had been going there for years. Unbelievably warm service, great food, had we discovered it sooner it no doubt would have been a regular haunt.

Her five fruits pie is as good as any in the city. I am very sad to hear they're closing - it's been my go-to for employee / colleague welcome and farewell lunches, as it is just pure good feelings on a plate, and Gina really makes it seem like you're eating in your family kitchen, regardless of your background. I know where I'll be for lunch later this week.

Amata wrote:We love this place, and hope it thrives despite the current gentrification of Bridgeport.

Amata

p.s. Some of the above pictures are from last Father's Day -- this was Antonius's choice of where we should take him out. Like I said, this is one of our favorite spots.

I am genuinely sad about this news... Healthy Food is a really wonderful and special place, reflecting how wonderful and special Gina is... She's done her bit and deserves only great amounts of praise, expressions of respect and affection and, of course, gratitude... so too the regular HF staff...

My family and I have many fond memories of dining at Healthy Food...

We -- Amata, Lucantonius and I -- will really, really miss this place...

Antonius

Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant
Another Delicious Meal


Given the news about Gina retiring and Healthy Food closing as of next Tuesday...

... Amata and I had to get there today. As always, we had a great time chatting with Gina and the food was outstanding. It also happened to be the birthday of the waitress, Margie, for whom we all sang a round of the appropriate song:

Great bread and soups to warm us up on a cold day...

Sauerkraut soup...

Chicken soup...

We both had today's combination special...

Very nice stuffed cabbage...

And the koldunai were as wonderful as ever...

I really love these dumplings...

... as you may have guessed by now...

Quite a hearty meal but then... there came a freshly baked pie...

... a rhubarb pie... really delicious...

I love the look of this restaurant, both on the inside...

...and outside...

Some bits of good news to pass along:
1) Gina has decided to open the restaurant on Monday, the 14th of December, day before the final day of operations; the hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2) You can order goodies to eat for the holidays -- koldunai, mushroom dumplings, kugelis, pies, whatever; call Gina at 312.326.2724.

Though nothing is settled, it sounds as if there is a reasonable chance some good people (whom we actually know) may buy the business and carry on the tradition. Healthy Food without Gina is unimaginable but nonetheless, it would be really great to have a continued Lithuanian presence in this part of the city. I hope things work out.

We will try to get there again this week but, in the meanwhile...

Gina, ačiū labaĩ!

Antonius

Gina, ačiū labaĩ!

Antonius--
No need for anything fancy over the last i. Just a plain i: labai

Indeed, I see it without the accent in my concise Lithuanian dictionary and looking further on the wonderful web, so too, for example, on this webpage:
http://ualgiman.dtiltas.lt/dekojimas.html

... but it appears with the accent consistently throughout the book I've learned my wee smattering of Lithuanian from, an intro level book by Dambriūnas, Klimas and Schmalstieg, the first two academicians and native speakers, the third a very distinguished historical linguist specialising in Balto-Slavic... In any event, the gesture was the point and I took the effort to get it right, at least according to the reliable source I have at hand. Seems odd that three knowledgeable scholars would get something basic wrong and I suspect they didn't. Perhaps usage in this regard has changed or is variable along some parameter...

Antonius

Antonius--Accents are not used in written Lithuanian. Table 1 in Dambriunas, Klimas and Schmalstieg gives the standard Lithuanian letters that are used in writing. The annotations in the book are only to guide the student in pronunciation. Look at a Lithuanian newspaper at http://www.lrytas.lt and you'll see what written Lithuanian looks like. Note this is not a criticism, just a clarification! Congrats on your efforts to learn some Lithuanian.

Marija -

Many thanks. Alas, for this old dog, more than a smattering of Lithuanian is too much of a new trick.

Antonius

I am heartbroken at this news.

A great Chicago tradition. I was in the place about a month ago and had their zeppelin special. Not bad. Waitress told me biz was slow (I was the only diner in the place at first). Maybe that has something to do with it.

I'll be back for sure. This Crain's article says Gina is not interested in selling. I hope she changes her mind.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/ ... 2&seenIt=1

njtb wrote:I am heartbroken at this news.

A great Chicago tradition. I was in the place about a month ago and had their zeppelin special. Not bad. Waitress told me biz was slow (I was the only diner in the place at first). Maybe that has something to do with it.

I'll be back for sure. This Crain's article says Gina is not interested in selling. I hope she changes her mind.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/ ... 2&seenIt=1

The linked article has a nice mention of LTH and the GNR program:

By midday Wednesday, news of the restaurant’s closing, which Ms. Biciunas-Santoski posted on Healthy Food Lithuanian’s front door, had spread through Web sites such as Chicagoist.com and foodie favorite LTHForum.com. Healthy Food Lithuanian is listed as a Great Neighborhood Restaurant on the LTH site, where it’s praised for its “charming slice of old ethnic Chicago serving up beyond-hearty food in Bridgeport.”

I was in for a final late lunch today. They were out of almost everything. They are going to be open Monday and Tuesday however with full menu.

I was there at 12:15 today and they were already out of kugelis and all but two fruits for the pancakes. Very sad.

mrefjl wrote:I was in for a final late lunch today. They were out of almost everything. They are going to be open Monday and Tuesday however with full menu.

I was planning to visit this weekend but didn't make it.

You did mention "... with full menu" for Monday and Tuesday. Does that mean they are going to restock? ... or should I not waste a trip by visiting today?

Panther in the Den wrote:You did mention "... with full menu" for Monday and Tuesday. Does that mean they are going to restock? ... or should I not waste a trip by visiting today?

They should be restocked BUT, if your priority item is kugelis, you might want to call and see when it will be ready, as they ran out yesterday and had to start a new batch for today -- it takes a good while to produce.

Antonius

Just gave them a call...

They will be opening at noon today.

The Kugelis will be ready about 1:00 (this is when I am planning to arrive) and they should have the meat dumplings (Koldunai).

They will not have zeppelini.

As posted on their website...

Since 1938 Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant has been serving homemade Lithuanian Cuisine. The last 50 years in the Biciunas Family. Healthy Food will be closing its doors on Tuesday, December 15. They have decided to open especially on Monday the 14th as well (Monday was a closed day). BE sure to drop in one more time for your favorite Lithuanian entrée you have enjoyed over the years. Be sure to say good-bye to Gina as she plans to retire and enjoy the remainder of her years.

You can also order all manner of Lithuanian goodies for the holidays before we close by calling the restaurant at 312-326-2724.

Also remember, that Gina has a good selection of Amber Jewelry available as well. I wish to thank you my loyal customers (friends) made through the years for your patronage. If you can stop in before we close, I would enjoy seeing you again!

-- Grazina Biciunas-Santoski

If you can’t make it in or are not able to talk to Gina, use this e-mail link (gkoltz at edc-corporate dot com with a subject of: Message for Gina) until the end of December 2009 to send and message to her.

A few photos from last Friday.

It's hard to believe this old storefront may no longer be a part of the Bridgeport landscape.



The restaurant wasn't crowded so I got to spend a leisurely hour in one of the cozy booths.



On a last visit it's tough to resist one of the combination plates.



Sofia hasn't been at Healthy Food very long but she embodies the friendly, generous spirit of the restaurant.



One last pass out through the old door. So sad.

I am very sad. Having enjoyed Healthy Foods for over 30 years, it will leave a gap for me.

Best of luck to Gina and all the lovely staff who have made me feel welcome and fed me well over the years.

I did make it out there for a last meal yesterday.



As usual everything was very good including the staff who was great company while I waited for the Kugelis to finish cooking.


Kugelis fresh from the oven

Chatting with Gina she mentioned that she will be taking a vacation to Florida for a few weeks. Good for her!

Driving away I couldn't help getting a little choked up. I will miss them.

Panther in the Den wrote:
Driving away I couldn't help getting a little choked up.

That was just the arteries. Drink some green tea, take a nap and you'll be set.

Some photos I took the final night, 12/15/09:









RIP Healthy Food (1938-2009)

It is hard to believe tomorrow marks 1 year since Healthy Food Lithuanian closed for good.

The building is now for sale, but you can look in and see not much has changed. A few weeks ago, I saw somebody that looked like Gina working in there at a table.

Places have popped up in Bridgeport since then (Han, Nana, Ruby's, Zaytune), but it's just not the same without HFL. RIP.

Mark Lennon, the executive director of Benton House (a 100+ year old community center in Bridgeport), reports on their facebook page that Gina Santoski will be making Sauerkraut Soup for Art Bowl tonight. It's a cool event where the price of admission gets you a unique, handmade ceramic bowl to fill with a variety of soups (some cooked by foodies, others by local chefs).

In a somewhat meta twist, the soup will be served in the downstairs of the Benton House gym, which contains an installation of all the furniture from the Ramova Grill. It's a 1-2 punch of now-gone Bridgeport gems.

100% of the proceeds will benefit the Benton House Food Pantry

$15 w/a canned food donation
$20 w/o a donation
6:30 - 9:30
BYOB

Benton House
3052 S Gratten,
(773) 927-6420
website

edited: it's tonight!