The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

Last night I finished my week's run of holiday parties/steak-binge with a soiree at Jax. I wore a kicky ruffled tux shirt and drank Dewar's all night, because that's what Jax calls for.

The bartenders always put on a fine display of drinksmanship, not only do they remember your drink, but they have a freshie waiting as you plunk down your empy glass. With my second glass, the barman reminded me to try the pierogi on the appetizer buffet. (Perhaps he was watching out for my drink to food ratio?)

I love pierogi. Pierogi are a cocktailer's best friend. Simply put, pierogi (or perogi or pirogen or piroschke) are stuffed dumplings. With their strong ties to Slavic cultures, it's no surprise to find them on menus scattered throughout Nordeast Minneapolis.

Personally, I think they're best when they've been baked and the dumpling dough has a warm, flour-dusted crustiness to the outside. The initial bite should reveal a soft and steamy inside gently packed with a salty pork product, like Westphalian ham. It's a quick two-bite process: the second half should be popped into your mouth before you reach for your next pierogi. Or at least, that's how it happens at my Mom's house on Christmas Eve.

Sadly, the pierogi at Jax were not my dream pierogi, they were more like flat and soggy ravioli. I did eat a couple, in respectful deference to my barman, and they did function beautifully as a balance to more Scotch, so in the end we'll count it as a win. Truthfully, there are as many versions of pierogi as there are Babas in babushkas, and everyone knows that their favorite is the "right way".

Of course I ended up extolling the virtues of good pierogi long into the night, well past the first party and into the next at Nye's. It was too late for the kitchen by the time we arrived, but I'm quite sure I bored everyone with my detailed account of a great Nye's pierogi experience. I think I was goaded into singing Que Sera Sera just to shut me up. Ok, there was no goading.

And today I am in search of a recipe for my Oma's pierogi because that's all I can think about.