USA, Canada / Is there anyone of Polish heritage in West Central Indiana? [8]


No Poles at Valpo went I went there. Valpo is heavily Lutheran.

USA, Canada / Is there anyone of Polish heritage in West Central Indiana? [8]

My anecdote, while disapointing, might bring a smile to your face, because it might be familiar. One of my brothers lives in Terre Haute, Indiana. Several years ago, he and his wife (fiance at the time) went to his future in-law's house for Christmas Eve. They were students at Indiana State at the time. My brother shows up with several pounds of smoked and white kielbasa (I know it's not traditional Wigilia fair, but our family adjusted the tradition to fit our taste buds), two cases of beer (in case they ran out) a bottle of brandy, Krupnik, and vodka. He said he was nearly laughed out of the room. A few people picked at the smoked kielbasa, NO ONE touched the fresh stuff, and none of them took a drink.....at all. They thought he was crazy. That was close to 20 years ago. He has never spent Wigilia there since.

I'm sure there are Polish students at Purdue.

USA, Canada / Taste of Polonia 2009 Chicago, Illinois [33]

regionpolski:
There'll be fresh Okocim in Indiana in around two weeks. We are expecting a shipment in a week. It will hit the stores shortly thereafter. It'll be in Lake County, Indiana only

Why only Indy,Because of the distributor territory?[/quote]

As I understand it, Okocim from Stawski was sold to one distributor in Chicagoland. However, Stawski was a direct importer, as well as a wholesaler. As a direct importer, Stawski sold to several wholesalers, in addition to operating as a wholesaler in Chicagoland. Other wholesalers ordered direct shipment from Poland through Carlsberg USA (now Beverage Alliance). The one wholesaler in Chicago was stuck with thousands upon thousands of cases, kegs etc.

We will only sell in Indiana because that's the law in every state. Wholesalers can't sell beer across state lines. A direct importer, such as Stawski, could sell to other wholesalers in any state.

USA, Canada / Taste of Polonia 2009 Chicago, Illinois [33]

There'll be fresh Okocim in Indiana in around two weeks. We are expecting a shipment in a week. It will hit the stores shortly thereafter. It'll be in Lake County, Indiana only.

USA, Canada / WIKIPEDIA'S POLISH-AMERICAN ENTRY [10]

Governments are their policies change. I'm not saying it will happen, but it certainly can happen.

USA, Canada / WIKIPEDIA'S POLISH-AMERICAN ENTRY [10]

I've heard Polish immigrants say everything under sun regarding Poland. Some can't wait to return, others call Poland a "******** country" because it offered them no future. Some are happy Americans, who say Poland is a nice place to visit, but they wouldn't want to live there. Others are just here for the money. In Chicagoland, there's certainly no shortage of Polish people and Polish Americans. In general, I find these people very proud of their heritage. They will work hard, but will harder for big $$. I see a lot of silly competetion between Polish immigrants. Who can earn the most money, have the best stuff, and pay virtually nothing for it. If a Polish housekeeper earns $10 an hour, she has five friends who tell her they earn $15 an hour and do half the work.

I'll add just a few other thoughts. Tecgnology has had a profound affect on the immigrant experience. The proliferation of satelite TV, video phones, etc. have made Poland (and any other nation) closer than ever. The same technology has also allowed third and fourth generation Polish Americans to re-establish their Polish roots. Ultimately, the Polish-American communities require Polish immigrants. If Poland continues to develop a sound economy, fewer Poles wil look to emmigrate to the US, or any other destination. Personally, I think the future is far too uncertain to to shut the door on another wave of Polish immigrants. I know others have shut the door to such thoughts.

One last thought. I believe the US government blew it after Communism fell in Europe. The US should have opened its borders to waves of Eastern and Central European immigrants. These were/are well educated people.

USA, Canada / Please help me find new places to buy Polish food in the Chicago area [37]


Joe and Franks and Gilmart both sell beer.

USA, Canada / Please help me find new places to buy Polish food in the Chicago area [37]

I don't know about the old Bobak sores in Orland Park and Burr Ridge. I had been to both, and I didn't care for either's homemade food.

Here are a few suggestions:

Joe and Frank's on Archer and Harlem is very good. They will grind tatar if you ask for it, something many places won't do.

Bobak's on Archer has great smoked bacon. I also made a great impulse buy there last weekend. They sold a packaged grilling sausage with sun-dried tomatoes in it. I was pleasantly surprised. Aside from the bacon, and the sausage, I generally avoid Bobak's. I could very well be far too critical. I haven't had bad food there, I just believe I've found better. Taste of course is subjective.

Gilmart on Archer remains very popular. For whatever reason, I can't warm up to the place.

There are two little places on Archer I like too.
Wzadza's Deli is just off Archer, West of Gilmart, East of Bobak's on the Northside of Archer. They have good gallertas, and tasty soups too. Their homemade sledz is good too. Their meat is mostly from Andy's.

Dunajec Is on Archer, just West of Gilmart. It's very good, and all the meat is prepared there. I really like the szynka cyganska (Gypsy Ham) and the sausages are top notch.

I will also highly recommend one place on the far Northwest Side. Boniek's Deli on Foster and Harlem is outstanding. Really good kielbasa, kizka, and on Saturdays a homemade tatar that is outstading. It's worth the trip.

I'm not that familiar with the area around Milwaukee and Belmont. I'm a bit intimidated by the parking hassles, and it's really crowded on weekends.

I hope this helps you out.

USA, Canada / HOLY SATURDAY FOOD BELSSING IN YOUR AREA? [13]


It's fine for my wife and I. My wife and I don't have children (she has a daughter and grand daughter in Gdansk) so we don't have to be directly concerned with poor schools, drugs, etc. There are still plenty of Polish people here in town, although many, but not all are senior citizens. On our street there are several Polish speakers, icluding an immigrant family. There was a Doma shipping store a block from the house that just closed. There are a few Polish stores in the area, but none in East Chocago. Munster has a lot of Polish immigrants, as does the Crown Point area. I'm of the opinion that these new immigrants are well educated, or skilled tradesmen. They don't need the mill jobs, not that there are any. On an aside, as mill workers age, and most are close to retirement age, there will be plenty of mill jobs. Many of those jobs, believe it or not, require some college. Perhaps the city can couple with the mills, and draw people back to the city.

Overall, East Chicago's decline from the late 1970's has continued. The mills and steel industry in general only employ a fraction of the people they once did. I'm not sure how much you know of East Chicago; in addition to the decline in industry, the bars and social clubs have also declined considerably. I know that South Bend has maintained clubs and the like. The casino industry has killed off the social clubs that at one time were hubs of the community.

Several churches still offer Polish mass. The most surprising one to me is St. Hedwigs in Gary.

What's your connection (if any) to East Chicago?

USA, Canada / HOLY SATURDAY FOOD BELSSING IN YOUR AREA? [13]

I remember as a kid I hated taking the basket for the blessing. There would be several of us kids walking to church, but not talking, even if several of us were "escorting" one basket. We were scared our fathers would find out we didn't take it seriously. This was 25-30 years ago. I'm 41 years old. Yesterday, I'm talking to a buddy of mine. He's 80 years old. It was the same way when he was a kid. It was hilarious. He had the same funny stories I had. That basket had better come home in the exact same condition your mother packed it. No talking. The gossip ladies in the neighborhood would report your every move and mannerism back to your parents.

USA, Canada / HOLY SATURDAY FOOD BELSSING IN YOUR AREA? [13]


I saw plenty of baskets in in the Polish areas of Chicago today. We take the basket to the church, but the blessing is done in the school gym. It's been that way for at least 40 years.

Dyngus Day is still big in a few areas. South Bend, Indiana and Buffalo, New York in particular. In the South Bend area, there are bus trips that go to several pubs in the area.

Genealogy / AMERICANS' DEGREE OF POLISHNESS (OR ANY OTHER ETHNICITY) [10]

I'm probably a forty.
I can speak a little Polish, but I can't hold a meaningful conversation yet.
I can understand some Polish, but I can't follow the news yet.
My wife is from Gdansk, as a result we get Polish TV. So I hear the language daily.
I try and speak Polish to my wife and her friends and family.
We buy the magazine Angora, which has great pictures.
We listen to Polish music on occassion, especially stuff like Czrwone Gitary.
We eat Polish food, and if you count potatoes, quite often.
Our dogs have Polish names (Ares y Borys)
My family has a fun Wigilia, which does not follow Polish tradition.

Genealogy / Hrys Galicia? Anyone know where this is? (Possible incorrect spelling). [4]

The document is an American Naturalization form. It was completed in the state of Pennsylvania in 1919. The person in question is my grandfather's sister (Mildred). It's her husband's document, but it gives her birthplace as Hrys, Poland. My grandfather was born in Pennsylvania. The document is of interest to me because we don't know where her father (my great-grandfather) came from. He and his wife (Domicella) spoke Polish, and his wife was from Zelona Gora. I don't know if she was born there, or if that was her last residence in Poland. He was murdred in 1917 or 1918, and took his origins to the grave. I have other leads. He had younger brothers that emmigrated later, and I think they came from Szypliszki, in the Suwalki region. The spelling on their immigration forms strongly suggests they were from there. One document indicates Szypiski, and the other Schipliski. That would seem to close the case. However, Mildred, my grandfather's sister, indicates on her 1920 US census form, that both her parents were from Galicia. So now, the circumstantial evidence covers modern day Poland from pillar to post----Suwalki to Galicia to Zelona Gora. Mildred married a man from Sanok, which is in Galicia, and it's probable she married a man from the old country from her parents home area. I also have a WICZ last name, and have been told it either Ukranian or Belorussian.

Anyway, I find it ironic that we fret over something that my ancestors probably didn't believe was all that important. They came to the US to become Americans.

I appreciate any help, and I will diligently follow up any leads.

Food / Chicken Pierogi HELP??? [29]

Chicken pierogies are fantastic if prepared and served correctly. Use chicken thighs, as opposed too breast meat. The thigh meat absorbs flavors better and doesn't dry out as quickly as breast meat. Here's a basic starter recipe.

Blanche a few peppers, using any varieties you want to. These peppers will provide the basic heat to the meat, so choose carefully. Don't use a bunch of jalapenos if you don't like your food spicy. Brown the chicken, and add it to the pot of peppers, which should be in a pickling bag. Add spices to taste, using cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, cayene pepper, and cilantro. Add liquid which should include tomato sauce, to simmer for a couple of hours. Simmer until you can easily shred the chicken. You now have a spicy chicken filling that is moist, not dry, as your filling.

I like my chicken pierogies served with salsa on them.

Genealogy / Anybody familiar with Szypliszki [8]

Email me please. I would appreiate it a great deal.

Food / Beer and syrup - tastes better! [48]

I had beer with syrup for the first time a few weeks ago in a Polish bar in Chicago. It was surprisingly good. Bitter on the front end, sweet on the finish.

Genealogy / Anybody familiar with Szypliszki [8]

Everything is appreciated. Based on a Nasza Klasza search, as well as other web searches, no one in Poland has my last name. My great grandmother was almost certainly a native of Zielona Gora. Her maiden name was Prugar, and she spoke German as well as Polish, but she listed her nationality as Polish. I suspect that my great grandfather traveled to Zielona Gora from Szypliszki. Unfortunately he was murdered in 1918 or 1919, and his history was lost. My grandfather didn't talk of his dad much, and his mother remarried and with seven children and was grateful to find a second husband and moved on with her life.

Genealogy / Anybody familiar with Szypliszki [8]

I'm interested in the Gmina as well as the village. At least one of my great grandfather's brothers was from there. He (the brother) was a younger brother. My great grandfather listed Zielona Gora as his home, but I suspect he was originally from Szypliszki. My last name is a WICZ ending name, which is common for Belaurussians. I have also heard a story that my last name was originally Lithuanian, and changed to the WICZ ending. My great grandfather's mother had a Lithuanian surname. The location of Szypliszki makes both a possibility. I'm not sure what I can learn. Are there old cemetaries in the area? Des anyone have family from the area that's lived there for a long, long time? My great grandparents emmigrated to the US in 1903. Any information is appreciated.

USA, Canada / Good Polish/American Restaurants in Chicago area [90]

The website offers certain menu features in Polish, as well as Ukranian.

USA, Canada / Good Polish/American Restaurants in Chicago area [90]

Is anybody familiar with Zhivago's in Skokie? Its website indicates a Russian/Ukranian/Polish place. My wife and I will be celebrating a friend's birthday there in a couple of weeks.

Thank you.

Food / Favorite Pierogi? [56]

Spicy chicken cooked in butter and then topped with salsa.

USA, Canada / Finding flights to States (from Wroclaw) [6]

If you're up to taking a short bus ride, here's a suggestion. Fly LOT Warsaw to Chicago. You'll arive at O'hare airport in Chicago. You could easily connect from Denver from there. However, it's a short bus ride (less than one hour) to Midway Airport in Chicago. You could probably find a much cheaper flight to Denver from Midway. Check out Southwest Airlines for flights from Midway to Denver.

USA, Canada / Finding flights to States (from Wroclaw) [6]

Where in the in the USA?

Genealogy / Matti - Krupa Family Members - Matti Castle Kracow [23]

There were Krupa's in East Chicago, Indiana. The local American Legion Hall, Post 369, is named after John Krupa. If I'm not mistaken John Krupa was big in local politics in the 1950's until his death in the late 1970's or early 1980's. Years ago, right around the corner from me, was a tavern owned by a Henry Krupa. Henry has since passed on. I had a friend named Sandy Krupa, who was related to Gene Krupa. Sandy passed away several years ago at a relatively young age. I'm sure she still has relatives. I also recall that one of my relatives with the last name of Teles, had a sister who married a Krupa. She may have married the aforementioned John Krupa. I'm not sure.

USA, Canada / Marriage Laws - me and my Polish woman want to live in the States [5]

I strongly suggest you get a job if you don't already have one. There are income requirements that must be met.

Genealogy / opatkiewicz, opat, or ptak [4]


In East Chicago, Indiana, there's a family with the surname of Opat. The name used to be Opatkiewicz, but was changed.

USA, Canada / Please help me find new places to buy Polish food in the Chicago area [37]

I've hit Joe and Frank's a couple of times over the past month. Everything is good. They're located on Harlem and Archer, in Oak Lawn. The service is outstanding.

Bobak's on Archer has remodeled. The old large buffett is gone. They still offer hot food, but not as many choices and with very limited seating. The store doesn't seem as busy anymore. I think Gilmart has picked up a lot of their customers.