New York Odds & Ends 2

fig. a: what a dozen Peter Pan doughnuts look like

Peter Pan Bakery

Tucked inside a former soda fountain in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood, Peter Pan is something of a conundrum. It has a perfectly preserved arborite counter and a lovely turquoise interior, giving it an old-time Americana feel, but, like many of the businesses in Greenpoint, it’s Polish-owned and operated. That being the case, you might expect Peter Pan to a) have a name that's a little less Anglo-American and b) specialize in Polish-style plum, apricot, and cream-filled paczki, but instead their doughnut style is classically, unmistakably American, with at least two dozen flavors to choose from. None of this would matter in the least if Peter Pan’s doughnuts weren’t at the very least respectable. As it turns out, they’re much more than just respectable. They’re true works of art. Deep-fried works of art, but works of art nonetheless.

fig. b: what the take-out menu from Lomzynianka looks like

Lomzynianka

Not sure what that stag you see in the picture above has to do with anything, seeing as Lomzynianka translates as "girl from Lomza," but we took the fact that we actually know someone who has that exact same image tattooed on his arm as some kind of good omen--and it was. We're both big fans of Polish cuisine—yes, cuisine—and together we've sampled the goods at Polish restaurants and diners from the Plateau Mont-Royal to the East Village, from Chicago to Krakow, and Lomzynianka ranks at the very top of our ongoing survey of the world's Polish restaurants. So good, in fact, that Michelle devoted two trips to Lomzynianka, in spite of the fact that we were only in New York for slightly more than 48 hours and her lists of "New York musts" is nothing if not extensive. Fantastically good perogies. Amazingly festive interior, too.

Peter Pan Bakery, 727 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (718) 389-3676

Lomzynianka, 646 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (718) 389-9439

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