Flavor of Oklahoma: Experience Polish comfort food at Taste of Poland in Tulsa

A Tulsa restaurant is bringing Poland to Oklahoma, with the state’s only fully Polish restaurant.

Taste of Poland combines flavors from the owner’s home with an Oklahoma twist.

It’s an unassuming restaurant near 41st and Memorial, but stepping inside, you can feel cultures blending, and sample food we hardly ever get to try here in Oklahoma.

“Food is my passion,” said owner Alicja Sokolowski. “It always was.”

She grew up in Poland before moving to New York City, then relocated her family to Tulsa. Alicja was inspired to open the restaurant after first selling her pierogies at farmers' markets and seeing a massive demand.

“It just explode. I start to sell 17 to 1,800 of them a week, just two hands, a little home kitchen,” she said.

Alicja puts her heart into each dish and makes nearly every menu item, down to the condiments and cheese, from scratch.

“This is the way I was taught to cook in my home,” she said.

We start back in the kitchen with her famous pierogies.

“Potato, cheese and onion stuffing.”

The dough for each pierogi gets rolled out and then stuffed and closed shut.

Patrick Stinson was a mushroom farmer and met Alijca at the farmer’s market and now works as a cook at the restaurant.

“I was selling mushrooms, and she was selling pierogies,” he said.

He boils the pierogies, then fries them.

“They fry from 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes,” he said.

There are lots of flavors to choose from, like the not-so-traditional Okie Pierogi, which is stuffed with brisket, beans, and served with homemade barbecue sauce.

It's the BBQ to give it the extra kick,” Alicja said.

Each pierogi is fluffy, crispy and flavorful—pure comfort.

Alicja is also known for her stuffed cabbage. She adds a meat and rice mixture to blanched cabbage, and these are boiled for about an hour until cooked and soft.

We also sampled the pickle soup, which is made from brined pickles she makes in-house. Light, tangy and comforting,

There is also the hunter stew, which has cabbage, sauerkraut, sausage, beef, mushrooms and plums and is slow cooked.

Or you can try the zappy, a toasted baguette with caramelized mushrooms, cheese, and topped with homemade mayo.

Salads also have elements like honey, ginger, pears, and homemade farmers' cheese.

“When you cook for somebody, you tell them that you love them,” said Alicja.

And you can’t skip dessert- the honey cake, cheesecake, and mold cake are all unique desserts that aren’t too sweet.

Alicja is hopeful people will sample something new and give Polish food a try because this is her passion and what she loves.

“People who feed you give you their heart,” she said.

Alicja says her biggest issue is staffing and hopes to find some new people to work at the restaurant.

Taste of Poland is located at 4343 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74145.