east valley
Volume 4 Issue 42 Mesa, AZ
May 1, 2021
Mesa restaurant revels in eastern Europe cuisine BY MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contirbutor
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IN THE BIZ
ataliya Koshalko moved to Arizona from Ukraine with her family in 2001. “We all came over together,” she said, explaining how she spoke no English. “I was looking for a job where I’d be able to use my skills and at the same time to learn English,” she recalled. “None of the businesses were Russian or Ukrainian-speaking at the time. When I opened my business, I said my doors would always be open for people who don’t speak English yet.” Then she added, “The accent will stay forever.” She started as a �inancial advisor before opening All Pierogi in 2010 at 1245 W. Baseline Road near Alma School Road in Mesa. Koshalko worked both jobs for �ive years. No family members work at the restaurant. “I love to cook,” Koshalko said. “I started cooking when I was 11 years old. When I had guests at home, they were always asking me, ‘Why don’t you open a restaurant? You’re so talented at what you do.’ One day, I decided to do it. I opened it as a side business. One day, it became the main business,” adding she had no background in the food industry. All of the recipes used at the restaurant belong to Koshalko’s grandmother, who passed away 25 years ago. In the beginning, Koshalko said, “I used a commercial kitchen for a couple Public Notices ............... page 2 © Copyright, 2022 East Valley Tribune
of years. I wanted to see if this concept was good for Arizona or not. I’m the �irst one to open an authentic Ukrainian food establishment in Arizona. “Two years later, I decided to open a small market. We sell Eastern European items there. It’s meats and items from Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany, from many different countries.” All imported. But customers complained about there only being a few tables. When space became available next door, Koshalko expanded. The restaurant now has two kitchens. All the dishes on the menu are homemade and handmade every day including the pasta. “We don’t use any premade food,” Koshalko said. “This is why our food is so unique because people like the taste…People will say the food is delicious like their grandma made or the food is delightful like their mom or neighbor made.” Besides pierogi the restaurant also serves pelmeni. “It’s like stuffed dumplings with meat,” said Koshalko. “It looks like a ravioli but it’s homemade. Not machine-made. “We make potato pancakes, schnitzels. We have fresh, homemade sausage. We have soups on the menu - red borscht, green borscht, smoked sausage dill pickle soup. It sounds weird - pickles in a soup - but when people try it, they think it’s delicious.” As far as what makes Ukrainian food different from other types of food such as Middle Eastern or European, Koshalko said it’s not about preparation (USPS 004-616) is published weekly
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since pierogi is made the same way. It’s about something speci�ic to a culture. For example, red borscht. “Polish people make red borscht but it’s clear and just basically bouillon. We add vegetables, for example. Our pierogi is very similar to Polish. Pelmeni is similar to Russian. It’s always meats of culture.” The most popular pierogi at the restaurant is potato and cheddar but Koshalko explained this variety is not made in Ukraine. “In Ukraine, all the cheese stuff - we call it farmer’s cheese but it’s dry cottage cheese. A lot of people don’t know what farmer’s cheese is here but they try farmers cheese and chive and they like it. “Right now, it’s very popular. When they try it once, they come to try it again and again.” She said potato pierogis are popular in Ukraine. In addition to pierogi, she said potato pancakes are popular. “When you try ours you’ll tell right away it’s different,” said Koshalko. “We make them from scratch and the spices. It’s not what you buy pre-made, frozen.” She said the base ingredients in Ukrainian food are salt and pepper. Nothing spicy. Even during the pandemic, customers could not get enough of their favorite dishes at All Pierogi. Koshalko is appreciative of the restaurant’s loyal customers who kept her going with website orders. Information: allpierogi, 480-2623349; Closed Monday & Tuesday. Subscriptions are $26 for 2 years, $14 for one year. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ 85026.
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