WHAT’S HOT

Where We’re Eating

On the menu this month: European fare, including German käsespätzle, Polish

pierogies, and Czech crêpes. —PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG & RIANE MENARDI MORRISON

POLISH PLATES

Pierogies Factory

Littleton and Wheat Ridge

Not long after Cezary Grosfeld moved to Denver from his native Lomza, Poland, in 2005, he started selling pierogies—classic Polish dumplings stuffed with ingredients such as earthy spinach and feta and tangy sauerkraut and mushrooms—at local farmers’ markets. Their popularity led Grosfeld to open Pierogies Factory’s first fastcasual, brick-and-mortar outpost in Wheat Ridge in 2015; a Littleton location launched in January. Visit the new bare-bones, yellowwalled space to sample the soft potato- and farmers’-cheesefilled pierogies, topped with velvety sour cream and caramelized onions. The menu also sports perfected technique: pounding the slice of pork loin extra thin and frying it in clarified butter. The result is a delicately crisp schnitzel with a richer, meatier flavor than oil-fried versions. Enjoy it alongside an order of sauerbraten—a hearty beef dish zinged with balsamic vinegar and red wine—or käsespätzle.

Eastern European specialties such as bigos, a gently sweet and zesty hunter’s stew made with sauerkraut, shredded red cabbage, and slow-cooked ground pork.

TASTE OF DEUTSCHLAND

Gabys German Eatery

Lakewood When Gaby Berben, who hails from Germany’s Cologne region, debuted her tiny restaurant in April 2018, she crafted a new recipe for her Viennese-style schnitzel with mushroom sauce. Now, the breaded cutlet is one of the most popular offerings on the menu, thanks to Berben’s

From top: The Polish platter at Pierogies Factory; palačinky at Cafe Prague; schnitzel with mushroom sauce at Gabys German Eatery

Deutschland’s decadent answer to mac and cheese is made with chewy, homemade egg noodles layered in gooey Emmental and jammy onions.

CZECH MATE

Cafe Prague

Morrison

Restaurants serving upscale cuisine from the Czech Republic are a rarity in Colorado, but Morrison’s 18-year-old Cafe Prague is a delicious exception. Owner Dennis Cionetti, who was born in the City of a Hundred Spires and moved to Denver in 1978, worked as a bartender at the restaurant

before purchasing it from former proprietor (and childhood friend) Tomas Stibral in 2015. Since then, Cionetti—alongside chef and fellow Prague native Aleš Zabilansky—has delighted Coloradans with classic dishes from his homeland. Our go-to: the Bohemian-style roasted duck seasoned with caraway seed; served atop soft, steamed bread and potato dumplings; and accompanied by slow-braised, sweet-and-sour red cabbage. Zabilansky also prepares global fare, including a salmon fillet stuffed with tender crab meat and melted brie. For a sweet finish, get the palačinky, a pair of filled crêpes—one with cream cheese and dark-rum-marinated raisins, one with tart raspberry preserves—for dessert.

WHEN LIFE GIVE YOU POTATOES, MAKE POTATO SALAD.

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