Popular Polish Restaurant is closing; CURSES!

**warsaw7** · March-24-11, 11:40 AM

Science damn you............

http://www.clickondetroit.com/commun...11/detail.html

DetroitPole · March-24-11, 12:52 PM

Under the Eagle was quite good, though they didn't have booze. I went there about 2 years ago for dinner. The place was empty except for us, quiet, no atmosphere. Sad to see it go, but not entirely surpised.

I think it also speaks to the changing demographics. While there are still Poles in Hamtramck, and many still go to church and do shopping and things there, the Polish population in Hamtramck is a fraction of what it was 20 - 30 years ago. Now that some of the ethnic stores and restaurants have popped up in the suburbs, many suburbanites don't go to Hamtramck anymore. Sad, really. I had a woman at work talking about how she bought Polish food in Livonia [[of all places), and asked me if they had good Polish food in Hamtramck

Polish Village [[my favorite) will be there until kingdom come and I imagine Polonia will be okay too. Polish Village is excellent and people go there for the novelty of the whole house-basement-bar thing. Gigantic frosty draft Okocim too.

**rjk** · March-24-11, 01:21 PM

That article mentions that they closed earlier in the week. I think they closed down about three weeks ago.

When I saw the title of this thread I thought another one in addition to UTE closed up.
Krakus will be the next one to go. We ate there last night and that place has always been empty when I've been there.

lincoln8740 · March-24-11, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

Polish Village [[my favorite) will be there until kingdom come and I imagine Polonia will be okay too. Polish Village is excellent and people go there for the novelty of the whole house-basement-bar thing. Gigantic frosty draft Okocim too.

Never understood why people think that the Polish Village is better than Polonia. IMHO Polinia is definitely better.

Vox · March-24-11, 02:07 PM

DetroitPole, they had booze if you knew Dominic.

**DetroitPlanner** · March-24-11, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

I had a woman at work talking about how she bought Polish food in Livonia [[of all places), and asked me if they had good Polish food in Hamtramck

There are probably more Poles in Livonia than there are in Hamtramck. The West Side Poles moved from Michigan and Livernois to Warrendale, then out to Livonia.

**sirrealone** · March-24-11, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by lincoln8740

Never understood why people think that the Polish Village is better than Polonia. IMHO Polinia is definitely better.

My grandparents and my great-aunt loved taking me to Polish Village as a kid, and as I grew up, it became me taking them. They're all gone now but everything about Polish Village reminds me of them and brings them back to life, even for a little while. They preferred Polish Village and therefore, so do I. Even if you ran a taste test and 100 people out of 100 said that Polonia was better, guess what? I'm still heading down those stairs and into that dark paneled room for my Polish grub.

Understand now?

**Lombaowski** · March-24-11, 02:36 PM

I really thought this was going to be the Polish Yacht Club, but thankfully it wasn't.

**canuck** · March-24-11, 02:49 PM

There's a tall polish fella in Livonia they call Long Pole Livonia who keeps shouting Long Live Polonia!
couldnt help myself...

**Det_ard** · March-24-11, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

There are probably more Poles in Livonia than there are in Hamtramck. The West Side Poles moved from Michigan and Livernois to Warrendale, then out to Livonia.

The Polish Cultural Center was built at Maple/Dequindre around 10 years ago. I've heard they do a good Polish meal. Any others in that area [[which has also seen an influx of Poles from Hamtown)?

That's actually an interesting little area [[Maple/Deq). Across from the Polish center was a predominately Korean strip center that's now quite Polish. Across the street is a great Korean/Japanese restaurant [[Seoul Garden) and a Thai restaurant. And a middle-eastern bakery. Also an Indian grocery and an Indian restaurant. And a halal meat market. And an old traditional pizzeria.

Not bad for what gets stereotyped by too many Detroitists as the "bland, sterile suburbs". Having once lived in that area I know the residents reflect the culinary diversity in that area.

**Downtown Lady** · March-24-11, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

I had a woman at work talking about how she bought Polish food in Livonia [[of all places)

OK, I'm guessing Steve's Family Dining [[Middlebelt north of 5 Mile) and Lila's Pierogi [[5 Mile east of Middlebelt).

**rjk** · March-24-11, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by lincoln8740

Never understood why people think that the Polish Village is better than Polonia. IMHO Polinia is definitely better.

Everytime I've been to Polonia [[5 times) the service has been terrible. The last I was there [[About 2 yrs. ago) I had to walk over to my waitress [[Who was sitting down) and ask her to get us another round of drinks.

I'm surprised the owner of Polonia doesn't make some changes. All he has to do is walk out to the parking lot and he should be able to tell that PVC is kicking his ass.

DetroitPole · March-24-11, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

Not bad for what gets stereotyped by too many Detroitists as the "bland, sterile suburbs". Having once lived in that area I know the residents reflect the culinary diversity in that area.

I don't think the cuisine is the complaint. If you ask me the architecture in that area leaves something to be desired, along with the walkability. Maybe I'm just a "Detroitist" -whatever that is - but I still find Hamtramck infinitely more charming than Dequindre and Maple.

No doubt you can find virtually any kind of food in Metro Detroit, though. Guess we have that going for us.

**RickBeall** · March-24-11, 05:05 PM

Don't feel for for "Under the Eagle" closing. They are opening a coney there called "Under the Beagle". [A joke. I think a coney is going to open there though.]

**Warrenite84** · March-24-11, 11:25 PM

It's too bad she didn't sell the business and receipes to an investor/restaunteur. They had great food and atmosphere.

DetroitDad · March-24-11, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

There are probably more Poles in Livonia than there are in Hamtramck. The West Side Poles moved from Michigan and Livernois to Warrendale, then out to Livonia.

There are several Polish restaurants off Plymouth Road, between Merriman and Farmington roads, in Livonia. Many small pizza places sell Polish dishes in that area of Livonia, as well.

**Detronic** · March-24-11, 11:57 PM

My aunt/ godmother owns under the eagle... i pretty much grew up in there... before i was born my mother as an illegal lived in a room on the second floor above the restaurant

**Detronic** · March-25-11, 12:05 AM

its too bad she's closing it down she's been at it for a while and its really worn her down over the years, her kids [[my cousins) never really took any interest in taking over. I personally would love to buy it out and modernize the interior but im currently not in the financial condition to own a restaurant nor have the time as im about to start up graduate school soon. The food is already good but the atmosphere wasn't quite there if you ask me. I didn't like how the place looked exactly the same since i was born and the same CD has been playing on repeat since she got a CD player in there haha God bless my Ciocia [[aunt in polish) Teresa.... Some of my best memories in there were all the big parties that took place in there when i was a child in the early 90s when the place was poppin'

**Detronic** · March-25-11, 12:20 AM

Alot of the original recipes in the restaurant came from my Aunts first husband Daniel who died i beleive somewhere in the early to mid 90s, although they were divorced [[because Daniel was gay) they remained close friends till the end. Before Under the Eagle Daniel owned a moderately upscale polish restaurant right near Indian Village, which i dont kno too many details about. After handing the Under the Eagle to Teresa, shortly before his unexpected death he planned on building a new upscale Polish restaurant on property he owned in downtown royal oak at the time. Unfortunately due to politics, no one inherited this plot of land nor did anyone pull through with his restaurant idea, and thats when fine Polish dining in the Detroit area died for good. Till this date Polish food remains more humble and never reached the same level of sophistication as Italian or even Middle Eastern cuisine. Not that theres anything wrong with being humble, but as a Pole i wouldnt mind seeing moderately upscale Polish restaurants and Polish-fusion restaurants like the ones u'd find in downtown Warsaw or Krakow.

**Redford Kid** · March-27-11, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by Detronic

Alot of the original recipes in the restaurant came from my Aunts first husband Daniel who died i beleive somewhere in the early to mid 90s, although they were divorced [[because Daniel was gay) they remained close friends till the end. Before Under the Eagle Daniel owned a moderately upscale polish restaurant right near Indian Village, which i dont kno too many details about. After handing the Under the Eagle to Teresa, shortly before his unexpected death he planned on building a new upscale Polish restaurant on property he owned in downtown royal oak at the time. Unfortunately due to politics, no one inherited this plot of land nor did anyone pull through with his restaurant idea, and thats when fine Polish dining in the Detroit area died for good. Till this date Polish food remains more humble and never reached the same level of sophistication as Italian or even Middle Eastern cuisine. Not that theres anything wrong with being humble, but as a Pole i wouldnt mind seeing moderately upscale Polish restaurants and Polish-fusion restaurants like the ones u'd find in downtown Warsaw or Krakow.

The food you find in these places is what???? a little dated. People in Poland don't even know what that shit is!!

**EMG** · March-27-11, 03:14 PM

Having grown up in a Polish family, I've NEVER found a Polish restaurant - not even Under the Eagle OR Polonia's - at which the food quality was anything close to what my grandmother made at home. However, one that was pretty good - and that even my grandmother liked - was one we ate at in Gaylord on vacation. Even though it's been almost 30 years since I've been there, I see it's apparently still around - Busia's Kitchen.

http://www.dineoutlist.com/michigan/gaylord/busia`s_polish_kitchen/

**Detronic** · March-27-11, 08:04 PM

EMG amen to the babcia [[grandma) comparison....these Polish restaurants are mainly for 4rth generation Poles or people who don't have a Polish grandma to try as an example of what our cuisine tastes like after generations of dilution.

And in response to RedfordKid people in Poland they definately dont eat half this shit anymore...theyre eating mcdonalds, turkish street kebabs, sushi, and polish-asian fusion along with traditional dishes similar to the ones served in american Polish restaurants we eat that you can get over there at gas stations, dive bars, or served in bulk on holidays haha

**windsor_shane** · March-27-11, 08:14 PM

the article mentioned it was being replaced with a coney island... ok im sure im going to be hit in the head for asking this but what is with detroit and coney island places?? i've never seen so many coney islands in one city.. i mean coney hot dogs are OK... but they really aren't that great..

GUSHI · March-27-11, 08:24 PM

Well, they aren't that great and alot of them are owned/ran by immigrants. In Detroit usually Albanians, in the suburbs it depends on the coneys.Kind of like Chaldeans with the party stores and Albanians with the coneys, they both figured it out a long time ago, that the people of Detroit need to eat. They go in were alot of other business will not.

Originally Posted by windsor_shane

the article mentioned it was being replaced with a coney island... ok im sure im going to be hit in the head for asking this but what is with detroit and coney island places?? i've never seen so many coney islands in one city.. i mean coney hot dogs are OK... but they really aren't that great..

**jackie5275** · March-27-11, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

There are probably more Poles in Livonia than there are in Hamtramck. The West Side Poles moved from Michigan and Livernois to Warrendale, then out to Livonia.

My kid is in a Polish dance group where a number of the members are recent, say 10-15 yrs, immigrants. A fair amount of them do live in Livonia, but even more live in the Troy area.