la.foodblogging

K and A: We had been meaning to go to Warszawa for a long time. We see the sign every week on our way to brunch from the Farmer’s Market (hey, we like food-related routines!) and always comment that we need to eat there.

We went on a Thursday night at 8pm and the restaurant was quiet, with 5 or six other groups hidden away in little rooms. Warszawa doesn’t make a pretense that their location was once a house. Vintage posters decorate the butter-cup yellow walls and tables are scattered throughout a few rooms of the once-house.

We started our meal with two appetizers, bacon-wrapped dried plums and potato pancakes. The bacon-wrapped plums were pretty close to perfect. We could have finished off an entire plate of them. The potato pancakes were good and came with sour cream and fruit compote of the side. The pancakes were good if not a little too crispy; our entire table would have been happy ordering another round of bacony goodness instead.

A: As for our meals, the four of us ordered very different things. I ordered the Steamed Cabbage with Beef. It could have been tasteless and mushy—big amounts of ground beef can get that way. But the beef inside the cabbage was flavorful, tender, and moist. The light tomato and paprika sauce on top of the cabbage rolls was also great (and not too salty). The portions were perfect: I got two good sized cabbage rolls, potatoes and broccoli on my plate and could barely finish them all. Our friends who ordered the paprikash and gnocchi also enjoyed their dishes.

K: I ordered a pierogi combination plate—three types of pierogi stuffed with white cheese and chives, potato puree with caramelized onions, and chicken with herbs. Overall, they were delicious! The flavors were not overpowering, but complex and savory. I would definitely recommend this dish. Next time though, I’ll be getting the roast duckling.

K and A: The four of us finished off three desserts—a crepe filled with a lemon cheese and served with raspberries, a warm apple tart ala mode, and a chocolate item not on the menu. Of the three, the lemon cheese crepe was the only dish that impressed us—it was very good, although all of us wished there had been more!

Overall we loved Warszawa. The service was great, the food was awesome, and our dining experience was unpretentious and wonderful. Apparently there’s a covered patio and bar area in the back for sports-watching and the like, which might be fun to visit…especially for more bacon-wrapped dried plums!

Warszawa can be found online here.

Warszawa Restaurant
1414 Lincoln Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
310.393.8831

A: We're a newly-married couple that lives in West Los Angeles. We're both graduate students at UCLA. Alison is a medievalist-in-training and Kevin is working on his Ph.D. in Computer Science. We both have developed a love for cooking and exploring the amazing culinary landscape of Los Angeles.