Kiszka and Polish Sausage by mail?

Ok, I'm just recovering from our semi-annual trip to visit the family, and while I got a good fill of italian beef and pizza, I missed out on some great polish sausage and one of my favorites, kiska!

I know Bobak's and Polana and Usinger's all do it, but there are a lot of local sausage shope in and around Chicago...who makes the best stuff, and better yet, who ships it out to the hungry?

Hi Bob--when relatives moved to Florida over 10 years ago, they would swear by shipments from Krakus Deli, 4772 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, 773-736-3524. Now the Ft. Lauderdale/St. Petersburg area is full of Polish delis, which import stuff from here.

Other places I've seen encased meats packaged for shipping, which enjoy good reputations: Andy's Deli (formerly Mikolajczyk's), 5438 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, 773-631-7304 (I think they have a website); and Wally's Market, 6601 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, 773-427-1616. Another worth calling is Montrose Deli, 5411 W. Montrose, Chicago, 773-725-6123 to find out if they ship.

I know there are Polish communities in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, but don't really know about their delis. If you're really interested, I can find out. Smacznego--Anna

Anna,

Well, that response is why it's great to be here on LTH...great post in answer to my query. If I knew (or remembered) how to say "thanks" in Polish, I'd do it!

Hi Bob--Dziekuje (jen-coo-yah) is thank you. Prosze bardzo (you're welcome!) Don't know where in CA you are, but hope this helps.

From an old acquaintance in LA, Polish delis there. Still waiting for a response from San Francisco:

J&T European Gourmet Food
1128 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, 90401
(310) 394-7227
Cross Street: 11th Street

European Deli & Bakery
722 S. Grand Ave.
Glendora, 91740
(626) 914-3959

Polka Deli
1710 Tustin Ave.
Orange, CA 92665
At Taft and Tustin Ave.
(714) 974-8276

Smacznego--bon appetit! Anna

Anna, I'm intrigued by your mention of a booming Polish population in the "Ft. Lauderdale/St. Petersburg area."

I assume that you mean that lots of Poles have moved into both towns, which are nowhere near each other in FL. Growing up in Tampa (which is to St. Pete as Oakland is to SF, geographically speaking) the only diversity was Latino, Greek and African American, via AL, MS and GA, (which is a pretty good mix for food and culture in its own right). There was always the odd, usually pretty bad Long Island/Chicago/Philly/Jersey Eyetalian place, also. Now my old neighborhood has lots of Viet, Korean and non-traditional Latino such as Brazilian (down-home, not Fogo) and Peruvian. I didn't see any Eastern European presence, but I was not in St. Pete proper. Let me know.

Anna,

Thanks for the info...I am about 15 miles from the Polka Deli and frequent it on occasion. They do carry kiszka made elsewhere in CA...maybe even by the place in Santa Monica, and it is quite good...better than Bobak's IMHO as a point of reference.

I have one memory of kiszka as a child that still sticks with me. My great aunt lived at Belmont & Central and we visited her often. I remember one day she brought home a bag that she said had kiszka in it...I opened it and it was not a ring but a larger blob-like thing that could only remind me of a human heart. It scared me to be honest but it was the best I'd ever had. I know Gene's was a short walk from her house and she shopped there often but I think it was from somewhere else.

In response to JeffB regarding my comments about Poles in Florida. I searched for sites in both Polish and English, and talked to my mom, who publishes a quarterly magazines for Polish language teachers for Polish schools outside Poland. She has subscribers and contacts in Florida.

Based on the info, there are Polish organizations/stores/schools or churches in (forgive me, I don't know Florida that well): North Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami, Clearwater, Lake Worth, Pompano Beach, Miami Springs, Tarpon Springs, etc. Too many towns to mention.

Polish language schools are a very good indicator of young families/emigres who want to their children to continue speaking Polish. The influx is definitely just not Polish American retirees from the East and Midwest, but new arrivals from Poland.

Here's a list of delis I copied off "Echo z Florydy", a Polish language weekly for all of Florida that was established several years ago. It carries ads for all kinds of services. My mom promised to get me a copy of the paper, so I can get a better idea of what's going on:

European Goodies
4701 49th St. N
St. Petersburg, FL 33709
727-526-1118

Old World Delicatessen
1108 Overcash Dr
Dunedin, FL 34698
(727) 736-6801

G & M European Delicatessen
2676 Bayshore Blvd, #L
Dunedin, FL 34698
727-734-1197

Mr. Kielbasa
116 Main Ave
Clearwater, FL 33765
727-442-0637

Eliza's Polish Deli
4106 US 19 Center Plaza
New Port Richey, FL 34652
727-842-8535

Golden Eagle
2533 US 19
Holiday, FL 34691
727-939-9099

Marko's Meat & Deli
4794 76th Ave N
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
727-548-0607

Warsaw Deli
11844 US Hwy 19 N
Hudson, FL
(727) 863-9199

Polish Delicatessen of Leesburg
1322 N. Blvd W
Leesburg, FL 34748
352-365-1747

Lucy's Delicatessen
6542 Gateway Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34231
941-929-8980

WARSZAWA European Deli
5600 W. Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32808
(407) 578-0870

EuroPol Polish Deli
3090 Aloma Ave #125
Winter Park, FL 32792
(407) 678-0909

KOSCIUSZKO Polish Delicatessen, Inc.
2663 E. Atlantic Blvd.
Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Pierogi, Inn, LLC.
6611 Superior Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 929-0101

Europa Fine Foods, Inc.
35263 US Hwy 19 N
Palm Harbor, FL 34684

Hope this answers some questions! Anna

Thanks, Anna. Most of the places on your list are actually in the Tampa Bay area or in nearby Orlando. I will send this to my family down there. Maybe next year I will not have to eat Hillshire Farms sausage with my New Years Day dinner -- a tradition from the Ukranian segment of the family.

Anna Z. Sobor wrote:KOSCIUSZKO Polish Delicatessen, Inc.
2663 E. Atlantic Blvd.
Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Anna,

I will be visiting my parents later this month in Boca Raton and will be sure to check out Kosciuszko in Pompano, which is close, and report back.

Great list, thanks.

Not for years, decades even, but I seem to remember Tadeus Kosciuszko day being a school holiday in Milwaukee when I was a kid.

Enjoy,
Gary