Pork cubes skewered on a stick, breaded and pan-fried; a Polish-American Depression-era dish that mimics chicken using cheaper cuts. A Slavic Village family-table staple.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 2 cities.
City chicken emerged in Polish-American kitchens in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit during the Depression of the 1930s, when chicken was more expensive than pork. The recipe stuck through the 1950s and remains a fixture at Slavic Village family tables and church festivals. Sokolowski's University Inn ran a weekly version until its 2020 close; Rudy's Strudel and Seven Roses in Slavic Village still rotate it through the cafeteria board, and the dish appears on every Polish parish fish-fry and pierogi-festival lineup.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy
Tip from the editors. Cut pork shoulder fresh; loin is too lean and dries out in the braise.
The West Side Market on West 25th Street since 1912, the 60-vendor public market in the Hubbel and Benes Hall, runs cheap-eat lunches from bratwurst, pierogi.
Try: Cheap-eat lunches from 60+ vendors: bratwurst, pierogi, gyros, tacos
Prosperity Social Club on Starkweather Avenue in Tremont, a 1938 tavern with wood-paneled walls, runs late pierogi and tavern fare on weekends to 01:00.
Try: Pierogi, kielbasa and tavern fare
Max's Allegheny Tavern is a century-old german tavern tucked in deutschtown that survives the north side's changes, off most visitors' radar.
Why locals love it: A century-old German tavern tucked in Deutschtown that survives the North Side's changes, off most visitors' radar.
Tip: Order schnitzel or sauerbraten with a German beer. A nod to the North Side's German immigrant roots.
S&D Polish Deli in Pittsburgh: A Polish deli, grocery and pierogi counter on the Strip that gets overshadowed by the bigger Italian market names.
Why locals love it: A Polish deli, grocery and pierogi counter on the Strip that gets overshadowed by the bigger Italian market names.
Tip: Buy a dozen pierogi to go and a kielbasa. Ask about the monthly pierogi-making class if you want to learn.
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