Hokey-Polka: Polka Polish Restaurant in Eagle Rock

Filed under: Eastside, Eat — StyleGuide @ 6:55 am

Searching for Polka, you’ll be surprised by the exterior.  It sports the same plate glass windows and swinging door that front convenience stores across the developed world.  Enter the restaurant, however, and you’re transported from a small, squat strip mall in a dusty, barren stretch of Los Angeles to your Polish grandmother’s living room. 

The decor overwhelms and comforts at once.   Walls are covered alternatively with ruby flower-printed curtains and a huge river-scape mural.  White statuary and porcelain figurines compete for space with silk flowers, photos, decorative plates and all manner of knick-knacks. 

Welcome to Polka, where the family runs the kitchen, the food is generous, the hospitality is gracious, the surroundings curious and kitchy, and the ambiance fitting for anything from a family meal to a romantic dinner.

Make your way to your seat, and immediately a mug of hot, homemade soup arrives on the table in front of you.  A green salad with homemade sesame dressing follows, then a turkey-platter-sized plate of authentic Polish fare, including entrees like kielbasa and boiled pierogis (choose chicken and pork, or one of two appealing vegetarian options).  Plates are heavy on vegetables like corn, carrots and green beans.  Expect a starch like potatoes or rice and a small dessert.

Let’s face it, Grandma’s home-cooked meals are an airline flight away for most of us in L.A.  A night at Polka makes for a pretty good substitute.

Price: $-$$ (lunch entrees start at $9)

Where:  4112 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, Ca 90065 (Eagle Rock)

Call: 323-255-7887

http://www.polkacatering.com

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