Hearty Fare

In my mind, much of the food from Eastern Europe is very similar. It's hearty and filling. Growing up with Hungarian and Slovak family, I ate my share of stuffed cabbages and peppers and sausages baked in the oven. The old apartment buildings where my friends and I live in Queens often have the same smells as my childhood lingering in the hallways. I find them comforting, especially since many of the people who made these dishes for me have passed away or are too old to stand over a hot oven.


I was out to dinner a few nights ago in Sunnyside to see a college friend visiting S and SG. We decided to have Romanian food that night at Acasa and it was like being at grandma's house (except for the keyboardist in the corner who entertained us). One of the appetizers we ordered was the caviar spread. It was more like a fishy, salty mousse that whet our appetites. Which was good, because the food was filling. We also ordered little sausages, called mici. I ordered a pork stew with polenta. S also had polenta, but hers came with lamb "pastrami." Both were great, but I especially liked hers. Even though we were stuffed to the gills, we still ordered dessert. We had cheese doughnuts (papanasi cu smantana), smothered in a tart vanilla sauce (creme fraiche?) and topped with a dollop of jam.

Acasa
48-06 Skillman Avenue
Sunnyside, Queens
(718) 651-1364