Poland meets Eastern Market

For Erica Pietrzyk, knowing she’s about to open her brick-and-mortar is leaving her with mixed emotions. “It is the most exciting and terrifying feelings at the same time,” she said about the opening of Pietrzyk Pierogi, 1429 Gratiot Avenue, Detroit – a storefront inside Eastern Market. With plans for a mid-September opening – ideally the week of September 17-24 – the space will not only be a carryout restaurant, but retail space and production facility, giving her a permanent home after years of popular pop-ups. Pietrzyk said the takeout menu will constantly rotate – she does have over 90 different filling recipes – but there will always be three vegetarian options, three meat, and one vegan. The menu will not only have pierogi but salads, soups, and other traditional Polish dishes. When they open, Pietrzyk plans to offer the OG (her grandma’s recipe for potato and cheese), The Becky (jalapeño popper), The Spin Me Right (spinach and artichoke), Honey Trinity, Holy Gouda, and possibly the Goblin King, a shepherd’s pie filling with edible glitter in homage to David Bowie. She plans to hire domestic abuse survivors and those with developmental disabilities to help her with production. “Being able to give the opportunity to other women who are trying to put their lives back together is important to me,” she said.