When summer strikes and its intense heat grips the city, many local restaurant owners temporarily closed their doors. Some take much-needed vacations and others take the time to renovate their dining rooms or make changes to their already impressive menus.
Earlier this summer, Polish Cottage, located at 4520 E. Broadway Blvd., had taken a break from its regular business hours to make multiple changes to the space.
On Tuesday, July 26, the family-owned restaurant reopened its doors and welcomed hungry eaters to check out the new alterations and dining specials.
“Since we have opened, everything has been going good. We do have a lot of new staff that are still in the learning process. Although, they have really improved over the weeks. They have been getting used to the new system and learning about what kind of experience we want to provide for our guests.”
Sometimes new changes can scare folks, though. For example, some have said or heard others say “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” However, that worrisome feeling isn’t something fans of the Polish Cottage have to worry about.
The food on the menu remains the same. Like many others who have eaten at the restaurant, the crew feels that their dishes are already unique enough and are what makes the restaurant special to Tucsonans and visitors from afar.
11 years and counting
To this day, Polish Cottage is still operated by the original owners that first opened it back in September 2011.
Robert Stawicki, his wife, and their two kids moved from Warsaw, Poland straight to Tucson in 2001. When they opened the restaurant, they had a vision of providing the recipes they grew up on and have passed on to their children.
After 11 years in business, they decided to give the restaurant a fresh new look — wanting to provide more efficiency and easement for guests.
“It is more spacious and brighter than before, but we ensured to keep our lovely decorations. We have new tables and seating including booths to provide more comfort in the dining experience.”
Extended hours & late-night specials
Stawicki and company have added some weekly specials that are available now for those dining in. This includes a Happy Hour, daily specials, and late-night deals.
“We have a full bar and have implemented new additions to our drink menu, and many of the specialty cocktails were created by using Polish liquors.”
Some of their favorites include the Orange Tang — an orange and whiskey blend — and the Polish Martini, which is a concoction mixed with Zubrowka vodka. Another spiked drink the family is excited for people to try is the Apple Refresher, which is a delicious blend between mint and apple.
“We have all new wines we hope guests are able to enjoy. We also have by the bottle red and white wines.”
Stawicki’s wife’s favorite is the Boneshaker Zinfandel — a bright and fruity wine with aromas of dark fruit. Other wines in Polish Cottage’s collection include Meiomi, Josh Cellars, and Kendall Jackson.
The family has a few suggestions for those dining in as well.
For instance, the best wines to pair with their popular potato and cheese pierogi include the St. George Chardonnay, La Cream Chardonnay, Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, and Josh Cellars Merlot.
New hours of operation
The Polish Cottage is closed on Monday but is open from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Tuesday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Polish Cottage Specials
They’ve got a Happy Hour from 3 – 6 p.m. on Tuesday – Friday. This includes $2 off appetizers and specialty drinks, $5.50 Polish beer pints, and $7 glasses of house wine. On Friday and Saturday, catch their late-night specials from 7 – 9 p.m., which include half off all bottles of wine.
There are also a few deals happening on specific days of the week. From 6 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, buy a bottle of wine and you’ll get 12 free pierogi. Then, all day on Wednesday, buy one order of pierogi and get the second order for half of the price.
Finally, everyone loves mimosas on the weekend, right? Well, on Sunday, they’ll be serving up $5 mimosas from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
“We hope that the new renovations give everyone a homey feeling as if they were coming into our home.”
Polish Cottage is located at 4520 E. Broadway Blvd. For more information, visit polishcottageaz.com or call (520) 777-5407.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
