Spotlight | Polka Dot

Welcome to Broadway Stages’ Spotlight, where we feature local shops, restaurants, organizations, individuals, and venues that provide goods and services to our community. October is Polish-American Heritage Month. Join Broadway Stages in honoring Polish-Americans’ values, culture, and contributions during this observance! This week, we order a huge helping of pierogi at Polka Dot in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

To stand out as a Polish eatery in New York City’s “Little Poland” is quite a feat, but Polka Dot does just this. Originally opened as the Polski Meat Market in 1996, Polish immigrant Marzena Parys worked at and ran the business with her husband. Later, when he passed away, Parys pivoted the business toward the café that it is today.

With the café being located on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Parys took inspiration from the neighborhood around her, both the Polish immigrants long-established in the community and the new residents moving into the neighborhood. Parys changed the name, the look, and the feel. What has not changed is the care and personal dedication to the products they offer. While the café doesn’t open until 10:30 a.m., the kitchen is hard at work by 7 a.m. A staff of nine multi-generational Polish women prepare 30 dishes daily, ranging from traditional fare to modernized recipes.

“I have always loved Polish food, and I couldn’t live without it,” said Parys. They also sell a wide variety of kielbasa, the owner’s favorite being the spicy dry Kabanos, an ideal snacking sausage, and the Kielbasa Wiejska, a breakfast sausage. But far from being just a meat market anymore, they also do a brisk business in pierogi, cheese blintzes, golabki (stuffed cabbage), red borscht, and apple pancakes.

One customer said, “I haven’t had food like this since the last time I was in Poland!” Another noted that Polka Dot had the best perogi besides his Nana’s.

Best of all, the Paczek z Marmolada Rozana (doughnut with rose jelly) can even make you forgo the neighborhood classic Peter Pan doughnuts on occasion! “The customer decides what we do, truly,” Parys said. “I listen to what people want, and if they like it, we stay with it. If they don’t like something, no more.”  With this approach, checking in regularly with the online menu to see what is new is wise!

Polka Dot is closed on Monday but open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Patrons can dine in or enjoy the free Wi-Fi while having a glass of house-made kombucha. You may want to get something from the cold section of ready-made soups and to-go beverages on their way out. You can order online for those looking to dine in the comfort of their own home.

To savor the food with your eyes, we recommend you follow Polka Dot on Instagram and keep up with their offers on Facebook.

Parys said, “I think if something is really, truly good, it will always last.” Broadway Stages wholeheartedly agrees. With great food, friendly service, and a comfortable atmosphere, we are sure Polka Dot will be here for a long time to come. So, stop by today and be sure to tell them Broadway Stages sent you!