S for Sioux

Sioux in Poland? It was a restaurant chain and one of its places used to operate in the city where I lived. The food was great there. The menu included a variety of different types of dishes, however, its main part was the Pol-Mex meals. Pol-Mex = meaning Mexican food made in a Polish way. 

The names on the menu were typical for the Mexican type of food, but they had not much in common with the Tex-Mex cooking, besides the ingredients. As I said, it was all delicious.

Another thing that I liked there was the interior. The restaurant had two floors, with western-like furniture, lamps and other decorations. Booths that looked like wagons were downstairs and saloon-type furniture upstairs. The walls were decorated with murals and photograph of Native Americans. 

The restaurant waiters were friendly and helpful. It was a really nice place to be regarding all sorts of meetings, and simply to have good and not too expensive food.

There was another Sioux place in a nearby city, Sopot. The menu offer was equally tasty there, but the restaurant was much smaller than our favorite spot in Gdynia.

 

The chain headquarters used to be in Poznań, a city in central Poland. More than a decade ago, my mom and I happened to visit Poznań. Then, we also went to their local Sioux place. To our great disappointment, their food was awful. You could think it should have been the opposite, considering the fact that the chain executives were so close. Well, maybe that was a sign that something wrong was going on and that was why the chain did not last.

When we came back to Poland, regrettably, we learned that our favorite Sioux place in Gdynia (+ most of them in the country) had been closed.

 

 
PS

Google says that the restaurant still operates in only two cities in Poland.

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"My Polish Alphabet" is about things, places, and people that come to my mind when I think about Poland.

My Texas Alphabet: S for Southern Cuisine

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., a member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so I think it is the right time to mention Southern Cuisine in my alphabet. I do like traditional Southern dishes as they taste similar to what I had at home in Poland. My favorite one is fried catfish with fries and coleslaw. I had never eaten catfish before coming to Texas. Since I used to live by the Baltic Sea, we most often had cod, herrings, or other cold sea fish. On the other hand, I have always liked coleslaw (it is a popular side dish in Poland too), but I did not know it is a Southern thing. Anyway, I am glad I can have it here.

In Texas, hushpuppies are usually served with fried fish. At first, I had no idea what they were. Later I learned they are little cornmeal balls, deep fried in hot oil and I got used to them too. Hush puppies are crunchy and sometimes a bit spicy so they improve the taste of the fish meal.

Hush puppies, catfish with French fries and coleslaw - my favorite Southern meal

Although I enjoy eating out, in my opinion, home made food is the best. And usually healthier as well.  That is why I have learned to make quite a few Southern dishes from scratch. I follow traditional Southern recipes but sometimes I alter them a bit (e.g. I coat the meat - before frying it - with a thinner layer of batter).

 

Some examples of my Southern cooking achievements:

Dinner

Cornbread Dressing

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Baked Beans

Baked Mac & Cheese

Southern Style Shepherd's Pie

Chicken & Dumplings

Chicken Fried Steak with Mashed Potatoes & Cream Gravy

 

Bread & Muffins

Irish Soda Bread

Sugar Donut Muffins

Cinnamon Rolls

White Bread

Dinner Rolls

 

Desserts 

most Southern cakes and pies are often very sweet - so, if possible, I try to make them less sugary

Oatmeal Cookies

Banana Pudding

Cherry Cheese Pie

Texas Sheet Cake

Carrot Cake

Pecan Pie

I enjoy cooking and baking for us. It is time for me to make our Thanksgiving cake now.
So, off to see the the kitchen/baking wizard! :)

You will find more on my cooking and baking adventures in The Kitchen with Tobo.

Other 'S' entries by Polish Ladies Abroad:

Karolina: S jak Smutek i Plotkara