Friday night perogy dinner: Cyril and Methodius never had it this good.
Perogy Factory
One of the long-held New Westminster traditions that I had never personally participated in is the perogy dinners offered by the Holy Eucharist Cathedral of the Ukrainian Catholic church (separate archbishop system, same Pope, not Orthodox). Last Friday night we decided to change all that so we loaded up the minivan and took our hungry selves over to 5th Street and 4th Ave for an Apostolic good meal. Perogy night is always a Friday, once a month. The next dinner is October 30.
Mmmnn. Perogy FTW
The set up is classic church basement. Folding tables and stack-able chairs are laid across the hall, enough to seat one hundred perogy-loving residents easily. The laughter and cheery clatter of grandmothers, families and neighbours fills the room and the atmosphere is welcoming,warm and, well, religious. It is a church basement after all. The potions are generous and there are a variety of good Ukrainian staples to choose from. We had the classic perogy dinner with a side of borscht. As the sign near the kitchen says, the food is all 100% homemade and it tastes like it.
Friendly Perogy Accountants
The taste of cabbage rolls can easily fall flat when stored. The cabbage can get bitter and the stuffing tasteless. Not here though. The cabbage was full of crisp grandmotherly love and the rice filling springy and fresh. The borscht was accompanied with a generous side of sour cream and was fresh and tasty. Briana, who does not usually go for the sweet red beet soup, loved it and gobbled it up. Perogies can be accompanied by fish cakes, sausage or ‘meat’. We did not find out what the meat was but the sausage was classic and the fish cakes good too. I leave the perogies for last, dear friends. Large, plump fresh perogies with no hint of over-boiled pasty starch are filled with an onion cheese potato filling that has just the right balance. I could go in for more fried onions but a few came with the plate so I was kept happy. Help yourself to coffee, tea and conversations with your tablemates. It is good value, a good time and a worthy tradition. An image of the menu is included below.
At $11.00 per plate, this is no church soup kitchen, and it shouldn’t be. It is a wholesome meal, faster and cheaper than a restaurant and a great place to take a family. Kid-friendly, simple, delicious and quick. Sign me up. I am sure it is a great fundraiser for the diocese and a place for citizens to come together. Buy a package of perogies to go and you have a meal plan for later in the week. It’s an accessible, bloggable, good time for all.
I am sure there is a Cyrillic copy somewhere
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Sounds like a great time. I didn't realize it was so kid friendly – great to hear. I love perogies, am a fan of borscht (I presume they don't serve the traditional shot of vodka alongside it) but have never had a cabbage roll I liked. I would definitely give these ones a try, they sound delicious. Sounds like I need to keep my calendar clear for October 30th.
We have done the perogy supper many times since moving to new west, and it’s now a real favorite since we have a 13 month old. We bring our friends (even those who don’t live in New West) and have a good time! BYO highchair/booster seat. And we have even taken my in-laws who are Ukrainian and from the Prairie (orthodox though) and they say the food is fantastic – it’s def. on par with my mother-in-law’s cooking! And I used to wash dishes for weddings at the Ukrainian Hall of Ivan Franko in Richmond, so let’s just say I am a bit of a perogy connoisseur. Oh, and j’aime le fish cakes! They rule!
Looks like a yummy lishious good time!
I'm there! The food of my childhood…I just hope my kids will eat it, too.
I'm a kitchen volunteer at the perogy dinner so I'm a bit biased about the food quality but I can assure everyone that it is all freshly homemade and some of the most delicious food you'll ever eat. And if you don't want to try the meat that means there is more for me! I would also suggest either getting a meal with a dessert, or splurging on any one of the homemade goodies that they offer. They are all amazing, but the carrot cake is particularly moist and delicious and if you're lucky enough to get a slice of pumpkin cheesecake with pecan bourbon sauce (it's seasonal and special treat) you'll dream about it.
Adele: I had the carrot cake – one of the best I've had! Soooo good! The pumpkin cheesecake sounds amazing. We hope to be there on the 30th for the next perogy night!
My Dad, Wally, is responsible for those signature desserts and I'm with Adele – you'll dream about them! He always says that in absolutely anything he cooks the most important ingredient is love. So mark your calendars for October 30 – and go feel the love! You'll be happy you did!
Is this the last friday of each month? Or possibly the first friday?
[...] Friday night perogy dinner: Cyril and Methodius never had it this good – In which Will writes about our first visit to the monthly repast at the Holy Eucharist Cathedral, featuring authentic Ukrainian perogies, borscht, sausages and the best carrot cake in the universe. Perogy dinner is usually the last Friday of the month, but it does vary sometimes. Watch for signs at the church or give them a call if you’re looking to go. [...]
[...] ourselves with some toddler free time this past weekend, and after mistakenly planning to hit up Perogy Night (it’s this coming Friday, people!) we ended up at The Orange Room. This simple place has been [...]
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@brianleroux Also perogy night in #newwest: [link to post] – Posted using Chat Catcher
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