A Piroshky Pilgrimage

Piroshky Piroshky is a nationally-renowned Russian bakery located in Seattle's Pike Place Market, two doors down from the first Starbucks. It was started in 1992 by a Russian emigre named Olga Sagan. Since then, it's become famous for bringing a Russian staple to the West Coast, and modernizing a few things along the way. She is staying true to Russian roots, while playing with new tastes to keep things fresh.

So, when plotting out a Memorial Day road trip that passed through downtown Seattle, I had one stop on my itinerary I wanted to make sure we hit.

The location is great, and very Pike Place. It's tucked into a larger building, little more than a large stall in a line of souvenir, gelato, and jewelry stores (and that first Starbucks). It's a vibrant part of the city, just above the aquarium and cruise terminal. Touristy, sure, but well-kept and safe.

The line curled out the door and into the brick pedestrian street. But it moved fast, and was notably shorter than the one at Starbucks. Inside was cozy, if a little claustrophobic: a large bakery display case, a small pay counter, and a wall of merch. Definitely in the vein of "grab your food and get out" establishments.

And, oh man, that display case:

For three of us, we split three piroshky — one chicken curry with rice, one chocolate hazelnut, one sausage and pepperoni pizza (a limited-time flavor) — plus a jalapeno sausage roll (a classic). After ordering these I was told that if I got one more thing, I could get a tote bag free, which was a no-brainer, so I filled out my order with a more authentic potato-and-mushroom piroshky.

If I'm being honest, the less-traditional flavors shone the brightest, perhaps unsurprisingly for a national cuisine that gifted us herring under a fur coat. The chicken curry piroshky was fantastic; the sausage and pepperoni pizza was savory and imbued with mozzarella. The chocolate hazelnut was decadent and rich. Admittedly, you would never find these in Russia (or it would be difficult); I'm pretty sure sweet piroshky like orange cream, rhubarb, and cinnamon cardamom are solely a product of American hybridization. Yet even the somewhat boring authentic flavors incorporating beef, mushrooms, and potatoes are wrapped in a delicious crust and served warm. It's comfort food of the best kind.

We snacked and people-watched on a nearby bench, enjoying rare Pacific Northwest sunshine and gazing over busy Puget Sound at the snow-capped Olympics. My two traveling companions hadn't had piroshky before, and were impressed. I have had piroshky before, most memorably served unwarmed out of a Novgorod street stall in late November, and this experience far surpassed that, not least the view of snowy peaks over the sea, which was a better setting than a muddy, slushy Russian roundabout.

Oh, and here's that tote I got:

Piroshky Piroshky isn't isolated to Seattle. It holds popups throughout the country, where interested patrons can order ahead of time and pick up goodies (piroshky, plus bags of frozen pelmeni and borscht, or merch like t-shirts, salmon piroshky plushies, and sticker sheets). This is how I first heard of the bakery a few years ago, and, after spending way too much money on a variety of pies I forced on my family (plus a t-shirt, and some pelmeni for a rainy day), I would consider myself a fan.

This visit (which was not expensed, though I was tempted to try) has only sealed my loyalty to Piroshky Piroshky.

Be sure to check out the calendar and sign up for email alerts to see if they are coming your way soon. Or, if you're in Seattle, definitely visit one of their locations and see what's cooking.