Thousands of books including antique Polish tomes, gluten-free pierogi, gelato, Belgian drinking chocolate and a wall of teas from around the world are just a few of the eclectic offerings at Caesar Pierogi & Cafe in Portage Park.
Owner Caesar Ferrari, who is half Italian and half Polish, opened the restaurant at 5749 W. Irving Park Road in the spring of 2022. He believed there were no good pierogi to be found in Chicago restaurants, even though the city has a of the largest Polish communities outside Poland.
The restaurant features his recipe for the staple Polish pancake, along with gluten-free pierogi made with rice and buckwheat flour. In addition to traditional fillings such as potatoes, onions and meat, there are also blueberries, chocolate, spinach and feta.
“It’s fun and challenging to make new flavors,” said Cristian Ferrari, 23, who runs the business with his father. “You have to be special in some way or people won’t come back.”
Caesar Ferrari lists books at the yet-to-be-named bookstore adjacent to Caesar Pierogi & Cafe, 5749 W. Irving Park Rd.
Last year, they opened an as-yet-unnamed bookstore in a space connected to the restaurant. Cezar Ferrari’s stepdaughter previously ran Globe International Antiquarian Books at that location before she died a few years ago.
Most of the books in the reopened space are from Poland, including some that were banned during the country’s communist era. But Caesar Ferrari also has books in Italian, Spanish, French and English—a reflection of the store’s and his family’s multicultural influences and leanings.
About 2,000 books line the wooden shelves and there are about 30,000 books still in storage. Books include genres such as fiction, history, art, religion, history, romance, fantasy, and cooking.
Cesar Ferrari’s favorite book in the shop is a 16th century Bible, kept in an undisclosed location. There is also a tapestry dating from the 17th century, he said.
The bookstore has received more attention in recent months as restaurant patrons notice the store next door.
A book once banned from the bookstore near Caesar Pierogi & Cafe.
Cristian Ferrari said the goal is to preserve the history and antiques, and for the restaurant to become a local destination.
“We would like this place to be a staple in the community. Not just because of the food, but because it makes people happy and they like the space. We have done a lot to make it unique and comfortable,” said Cristian Ferrari.
There’s a couch in the bookstore, paintings on the brick walls of the cafe, and lots of beautiful things on display or for sale, like colorful glassware and teacups from around the world. A pianist also comes to the restaurant to play the piano.
“As we grew up, people left gifts like statues and plants. We just keep them here, and they become part of the store. They come back and see that they are part of it,” said Cristian Ferrari.
The restaurant’s menu has also grown to include offerings such as pizza pot pies, empanadas, soup and, in recent weeks, 200 varieties of tea from around the world such as Japan, China, Nigeria, Brazil and South Africa.
“At first we were only going to have Polish food, but we expanded to more international options and unique flavors,” said Cristian Ferrari.
Caesar Ferrari, owner of Caesar Pierogi & Cafe.
Cezar Ferrari came to Chicago in 1995 from Krakow, Poland, where he was a physician. He also lived in Milan and was born in Germany. In Chicago, he was an editor for the Polish Yellow Pages and host of a Polish radio station.
Cristian Ferrari grew up near North Beach and is a self-described “mutt” whose mother is of Spanish and French descent. “It does all of the above to me,” he said.
Cristian Ferrari learned recipes from his grandmother when he visited her in Poland. Later, he took culinary classes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Business at Caesar Pierogi & Cafe was slow at first, but now it serves about 500 pierogi every day. It is especially popular among gluten-free customers who were previously limited to enjoying traditional flour-based pierogi. The dumplings are handmade by a group of Polish women in an industrial kitchen facility in Bensenville.
“Soon we hope to make thousands of pierogi,” said Cristian Ferrari. “At the rate we’re going, I can only see it growing.”
Cristian Ferrari, who runs Caesar Pierogi & Cafe with his father, Caesar, outside the cafe.
Lunch time at Caesar Pierogi & Cafe at 5749 W Irving Park Rd.
#Caesar #Pierogi #Cafe #mixes #chocolatefilled #pierogi #antique #Polish #book #empanadas
Image Source : chicago.suntimes.com