Gaufres & Goods

Interesting name, great food! We were wandering historic St. Augustine recently and stumbled upon Gaufres & Goods, proclaiming that they serve Greek and Polish food. Since I'm of Polish ancestory and have visited there several times, we just had to eat here. We were not disappointed! It was great!

I started off with the barszcz--beet soup. I've had many, many varieties, and this one was top notch. A clear beet broth had tons of flavor. It also had some diced beets and, best of all, was served with uszki (literally "little ears)--miniature pierogi stuffed mushrooms. The soup was hot and tasty and had a nice hint of acid. The uszki were the perfect compliment and added balance. This was great.

For my main course I ordered the Taste of Poland. I am of polish heritage and know Polish food. I've even eaten Polish food in Poland. And this place serves Polish food. The Taste of Poland included four pierogi, fried with a bit of onion, each one better than the previous one. I had three different "flavors," the meat, potatoes and cheese, and sauerkraut and mushrooms. They were all excellent. My favorite, if i had to name one, would be the meat, simply because they are the hardest to make and flavor properly, but these were. Suspecting that they were hand made in house, I asked our waitress. Indeed, they make their own. It shows. My dinner also came with the "national dish" of Poland--bigos--often called "hunter stew." It was awesome. Cabbage and sauerkraut form the backbone of the dish, onions and mushrooms and a bit of tomato provide flavoring, and kielbasa and other meats provide the protein. In Poland, everyone has their own favorite (and highly guarded) recipe for bigos. This one was right up there. I loved the way it was served, almost like a salad on a whole grain bun--itself very delicious. This added a definite European and Polish note to the meal. 

My friend Tommy opted for soup and salad for his lunch. The soup was Beef Barley and I had a taste--it was delicious wiht a nice meaty broth and rich barley, seasoned with carrots and onions--wonderful.

His salad was a greek style salad and that makes perfect sense, since Gaufres & Goods bills itself as a Greek and Polish restaurant. The salad was very good too, with olives and feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers--nice and light and refreshing.

I am always excited to find a restaurant that serves Polish food. With Gaufres & Goods, I found one that serves excellent Polish food. I sure wish I lived closer to St. Augustine, I'd be a regular. Give it a try, I highly recommend it!