It is true that the State Department begged U.S. citizens to avoid foreign travel because of the global effect of COVID-19. So what can you do instead?
My recommendation is to make a stopover at “Little Poland” in New Britain, Connecticut. If you live in New England, for example, you can drive seamlessly to and from the state of Connecticut, and “Little Poland” can offer you the European vibe you might not place anywhere else. (For a list of state citizens who cannot enter Connecticut, click this site 🙂
(Total transparency: my first call is Karpowicz, I am completely of Polish origin and I have never met a pirogi that I liked).
Bill Moore, president and chief executive of the British Chamber of Commerce, graciously presented me with an exclusive interview for Forbes.com on “Little Poland,” a special domain of New Britain, which geographically includes about a square mile. “It’s a small, eclectic neighborhood,” Moore said. “It’s full of restaurants, churches, deli and shops,” he said. “It’s a gem in the heart of New Britain … It’s a fun day trip.”
In fact, you will also find jewelry, agencies and even a hairdresser.
A little context: at the end of the 19th century, Polish immigrants began arriving in large numbers in New Britain to start a new life running in the city’s many factories. As a result, in 1930, a quarter of the city’s population was of Polish descent. Most settled in and around the Broad Street neighborhood near the Sacred Heart Church and created homes and businesses that created a strong cultural, social, and devoted community.
In fact, the domain is famous. President Reagan visited him in 1988, and last fall, Polish President Andrzej Duda visited him in September 2019, and “about 4,000 more people came here to welcome him,” Moore said.
In 2008, the city of New Britain officially designated Broad Street as Little Poland. Residents feel that this small component of the United States is like that of Europe. Today, New Britain has the largest Polish population of all Connecticut cities and Little Poland is a bustling ethnic enclave that welcomes visitors from Connecticut and elsewhere.
Little Poland makes sure to keep Old World culture alive while following existing trends. He even keeps his own Facebook page and Twitter account.
I recently had the thrill of visiting one of the top known in Little Poland, the Roly Poly bakery, where you can find almost everything Polish, from the mythical Pickles with Polish dill to paczki (donas). The owner, Remi Szupryczynski, gave me an exclusive interview, in which he told me about everything-Roly-Poly.
First, “roly poly” is a British word that applies to stuffed cakes, in the United States it may refer to slightly obese people. Mr. Szupryczynski laughed and told me. “We paczki every day with seven other flavors, for $1.60 each.” I find it hard to maintain my shape when each and every ingredient is so fresh. You just can’t pass without taking a bite. “
And he praises the bakery’s homemade rye bread, which is one of his bestsellers: “You can eat a piece of a loaf of bread alone without a problem.” It’s paradise … The bakery and rye bread are the ones that attract consumers to the store. »
Roly Poly, an on-site bakery, offers a wide variety of other products. You can buy products, beer, groceries, cosmetics, cold cuts, hot dishes, family and dairy products, as well as baked goods, and all from Poland. “We are the largest Polish store on the East Coast,” he told me. “We new York vendors care about everything.” In fact, the shop is a real lollapalooza – or deserves, I say, “Poland-palooza” of everything that is Polish.
But it is the award-winning bakery that brings Poles and non-Polishs back to the region. Paczki (pronounced “punch-ki”) comes in seven other flavors, such as apricot pudding, pink (a classic Polish ingredient), blackcurrant, strawberry, raspberry, plum and nature. There are a multitude of hot dishes almost as big as Krakow itself: you can enjoy pierogi (cheese, blueberries, sauerkraut and potato and cheese), as well as golabki (meat combined with rice and wrapped in cabbage), salads (10 on weekends), soups like potato and chicken, and this family favorite, bortsch.
Whatever you do, get a bottle of the well-known Bacik dill and garlic pickles that for $3.29 are compatible with marijuana. “They’re the best,” Szupryczynski says.
You can also locate a multitude of Polish cosmetics that are as affordable as they are.
There is also a small café so you can shop for food on site.
After that, he moves on to the award-winning place to eat Staropolska, which won enthusiastic reviews at the New York Times in 2013. At the time, his writer, Rand Richards Cooper, hailed the place to eat as “a homemade Polish dinner at costs that defy all competition,” and it was noted that “the amounts are huge.” The place to eat belongs to Margaret Malinowski and her husband Bogdan (who is the chef), and she told me that Staropolska has won several kinds of honors and awards. One of the most popular dishes is the Polish fountain of cabbage stuffed with $22, bipasss (stew), kielbasa, potato pancakes and pirogi, with a wonderful salad. You can also find a multitude of delicious Polish soups, such as the classic cold beetroot, barley, cucumber and cold fruit if it is European. On Saturdays, the place to eat serves pickle soup, which is also very popular. Malinowski also urges consumers to try sorrel soup, which he says is very popular. Staropolska means ‘old Poland’ and its motto is, in English, ‘You come here like at Mom’s house’.
In fact, on June 19, Michelin published its 39th edition of “Important Cities of Europe” and, for the first time, a place to eat in the country – Krakow, Poland – awarded a star. His call is Bottiglieria 1881. Actually, it will be crowded when Poland opens its tourism to the United States. As indicated in Eater.com.
Wherever you dine, in authentic Poland or in Little Poland, it will be “pyszne”: delicious.
And it’s up to you if you ever participate in a paczki contest. (The record according to Thrillist is 23 cakes in 15 minutes).
Na Zdrowie! (For your health!)
To be more informed about my Wanderlust travels, please follow me on Instagram on @DebbiKickham.
Debbi K. Kickham is the former editor-in-chief of Robb Report magazine, “The Millionaire’s Magazine”, and has largely covered the luxury market, writing mostly.
Debbi K. Kickham is the former editor-in-chief of Robb Report magazine, “The Millionaire’s Magazine”, and has largely covered the position of the luxury market, writing about everything from Asprey to Zegna. In addition, he has been a professional journalist for luxury for 25 years, working in the world from Boston to Bora Bora. Debbi covers the hotel and hotel industry, luxury cruises, spas, style, good looks and wellness, airlines, recommendations and more, and has also written a great-selling and good-looking eBook called The Globetrotter’s Get-Gorgeous Guide, www.gorgeousGlobetrotter. Com. He has given the impression in publications as varied as USA Today, CBS This Morning, Shape Magazine and PeterGreenberg.com. As a professional communicator, Debbi also co-wrote the Boston Globe’s sales success, Off The Wall Marketing Ideas, which teaches her everything she has learned at Harvard Business School. Debbi writes for national and foreign magazines, newspapers and internet sites around the world. She is the global one with her Canfora of Capri sandals, with her beautiful carry-on luggage, her Jet Set Candy bracelet and satin pillowcase, and she has never met a bungalow on stilts she doesn’t like. However, her favorite position to stop is her husband Bill’s inner embrace. You can send an email to Debbi to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter on @SATWgal. Your FB page is Globetrotter’s Get-Gorgeous guide.