Haluski Comes in Many Comforting Variations

Every family has its own holiday food traditions, blending recipes passed down through generations with those adopted over time. In my Polish family, Christmas Eve featured kielbasa, sauerkraut, and pierogi. It wasn't until I celebrated with my husband John's family that I encountered haluski, a dish that was new to me but soon became a Christmas favorite. The version I discovered was straightforward and delightful: gnocchi tossed with cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and plenty of butter.

My mother-in-law, Mary Ann Porvaznik, who introduced me to this dish, was also unfamiliar with haluski until she took over the family holiday cooking from her husband’s father, an immigrant from Slovakia. “I had to pry the recipe out of [him]; he was not one to easily share his methods,” she recalls. Porvaznik usually serves haluski on Christmas Eve, but she occasionally prepares it for other celebrations (I even asked for it at Thanksgiving this year) or as a regular dinner. “I’ve come to truly enjoy it,” she shares. “There are dishes I made for John that I wouldn't eat again, but haluski is different.”

This sentiment isn’t uncommon. Haluski is a dish that's easy to love, even without a cultural background. It fits perfectly into the realm of winter comfort food, alongside hearty stews and soups perfect for colder days. While none of the ingredients might initially seem thrilling (perhaps the butter is an exception), when combined, they create a simple yet satisfying meal that surpasses its individual components.

What exactly is haluski?

Haluski (also known as “halluski,” “halusky,” or “halushki”—the latter being the pronunciation I often hear) appears to originate from similar dumpling-style dishes across various European nations, particularly the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Typically served as a side dish but sometimes enjoyed as a main course, haluski commonly includes sautéed cabbage (and occasionally sauerkraut), onions, butter, and noodles (or gnocchi in John's family). It may also feature bacon or kielbasa. Each ingredient is generally cooked in butter separately before being combined with the prepared pasta or noodles.

You can find haluski in regions of the U.S. with Eastern European communities. After some research, I’ve noticed it listed on menus at places like the Pierogie Kitchen in Philadelphia, Dough Company in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Pierogi Mountain in German Village, Columbus, Ohio; sources in suburban Chicago and Detroit have reported its occasional availability there as well.

Initially, I assumed Poland was among the countries where this dish originated, as it frequently appears on Polish restaurant menus, particularly in Pittsburgh and the surrounding rural areas of Pennsylvania. Restaurants like S&D Polish Deli in Pittsburgh, Cop Out Pierogies in Etna, and Bubba’s in Greensburg and Irwin serve it.

However, Maria Staszkiewicz from the Pittsburgh Polish Cultural Council clarified this for me via email. “Some Polish Americans might be surprised, but haluski isn’t truly a Polish dish,” she explained. “It was embraced by many Central/Eastern European immigrants in the USA (including some of Polish descent), but it doesn’t have its roots in Poland.”

Where can you find haluski?

Although haluski isn’t commonly found in Pittsburgh restaurants, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette food writer Hal B. Klein notes that this is more of an exception than the norm. He rarely encounters it in restaurants, yet he views it as integral to the city’s culinary identity, especially given the popularity of meatless versions at fish fries during Lent and local heritage festivals.

While haluski isn’t a ubiquitous menu item, there is one spot in Pittsburgh that has turned into a must-visit for it: Kelly O’s Diner. Initially, the dish was introduced as a special; owner and chef Kelly O’Connor, who enjoyed haluski growing up without any cultural background, found it became popular after Guy Fieri featured the diner in 2009 on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and again when he returned in 2020 to sample the Polish combo platter with haluski, kielbasa, and pierogi.

Lois recalls that the restaurant decided to serve haluski to Fieri almost out of necessity. He has specific dietary restrictions (no eggs, for instance), so her husband suggested that haluski might work for him. 'It wasn’t exactly a gourmet dish,' she explains. 'Yet it turned out to be a crowd-pleaser. I remember Fieri exclaiming, ‘I can’t believe how easy this was; why haven’t I been making this before?’'

Fieri continued to make haluski, even featuring it in one of his cookbooks while giving a nod to the diner. The 'Fieri effect' was so impactful that Kelly O’s had to extend its hours and later opened three locations. Even though that first visit was nearly 15 years ago, the restaurant continues to attract customers who saw it on TV, particularly during reruns. Interest surged again when Fieri mentioned the dish on The Today Show. Kelly O’s now has a menu section dedicated to Triple-D favorites, serving between 40 and 70 orders of haluski each month.

'With prices being as high as they are, this dish is quite filling, whether as a side or a main course. A little goes a long way, and cabbage is quite affordable,' says Lois.

'It’s one of those things where people walk in and say, ‘What on earth is that?’” kitchen manager Bob Tirk notes. “Then they fall in love with it because it’s genuinely delicious.' This sounds like an experience I can definitely relate to.

Where to enjoy it

Kelly O’s Diner

While Tirk keeps the precise recipe a secret, the Kelly O’s rendition features broad egg noodles combined with cabbage and garlic salt. The family’s preferred meat is bacon, just as they enjoyed it growing up. Multiple locations; the Strip District location is at 100 24th Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222

Emil’s Lounge

Pittsburgh media personality Rick Sebak particularly links haluski to one restaurant: Emil’s Lounge in Rankin, Pennsylvania, roughly 15 minutes from Pittsburgh, which he considers his favorite spot for the dish. 'It’s a traditional steelworker’s bar, really a classic establishment known for its fried fish sandwiches,' he shares. Emil’s prepares the dish with bowtie pasta instead of noodles; Sebak has also encountered versions that use gnocchi, similar to what my mother-in-law makes. 414 Hawkins Avenue, Rankin, PA, 15104

S&D Polish Deli

S&D offers both traditional and meatless haluski made with egg noodles. You can order it as a meal, by the quart, or even in a full-sized catering pan for larger gatherings, perfect for your next fish fry. 2204 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222