Piroshky Piroshky @ Pike Place, Seattle

Okay, so it's another Bourdain recommendation, (I mean, really....In N' Out is your go-to Burger Joint in LA?) but in this case, I love Bakeries, so I took a leap of faith and went to Piroshky Piroshky- a small Bakery on Pike Street by Pike Place Market that sells the famous Russian savory and sweet baked goods.

It was an absolutely beautiful day; the sun was out, it was moderate warm and everyone was in good spirits as they traversed the street like a slow moving herd of cows.....(moo I say, moo)......

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Always busy, never a chance for a clear shot!!

A vast array of artery clogging goodness!

It's a really tiny place, and at any given time of day the line is out the door, (did they have to emulate the Russian bread line too?) but that's part of the experience.  They have quite a large selection so choosing can be a bit difficult, (sweet? savory?) but in the end it's just bread, so you can order a lot and just work it off  by walking afterwards, (that's what I keep telling myself anyways).... A lot of people said to get there early so they don't run out, but I think they've timed it really well so there wasn't anything that was sold out around lunch time......

The pre-baked pastry assembly line

The line moves pretty quick, so you don't have much time to decide on what combination of Piroshkies you're gonna get, we decided to get based on some recommendations: the Beef & Cheese, the Smoked Salmon Pate, the Chicken, Mushroom & Rice and the Bavarian Sausage.  We then proceeded to go out into the back courtyard to unwrap our feast and devour the flaky crusts of yummy treats!!!

Oh...the carnage that is about to ensue!

We started with the Chicken Mushroom & Rice, this was the biggest pastry of all.  In general the pastry is  buttery and flakey without overpowering the filling. The filling had a creamy and smooth texture rather than pieces of individual chicken and mushroom morsels, which was rather unusual.  But the flavor was pretty good.

Next, we move onto the Smoked Salmon Pate.  This was by far, the best Piroshky of them all;  this had a creamy, Salmon taste that was exquisite, and the outside pastry was less flakey with a bread-like consistency that worked well with the Salmon.  Thoroughly enjoyable, we could have ordered several of these!!

This UFO-like Bun is the Beef & Cheese, which was the closer to the typical traditional Piroshky that you get, (the real traditional is Beef & Onion).  If you envision a meat stuffed pie, this is what you get-a savory beef and subtle cheese filled pie with a buttery but not flaky bun.  Honestly it's not the best that I've ever had, (frankly, I've had better Piroshky at a Japanese Bakery) but it wasn't horrible, just not something I'd get again.......

The final and last one was the Bavarian Sausage Piroshky, which was like a giant Pigs in a Blanket.  The Sausage was pretty tasty, it had a snap when you bit into it, almost a crunch when your teeth pierces the skin.  The meat was flavorful if not a bit salty.  The outside was buttery and flaky which worked perfectly with the Sausage, and add a little Mustard to it all, and it's a satisfying snack!





So all in all, it was a tasty experience, definitely some we would go back and have again, others we would pass and try something new!!!

Ratings (Out of Five Stars)

Food:           2.75
Ambience:   3
Service:       2.5