The One Unique Restaurant In Illinois Where You Can Eat Both Colombian and Polish Food
By Trent Jonas|Published January 05, 2023
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Trent Jonas
Author
Trent Jonas came to Minnesota to attend college - and never left. He's a Twin Cities-based writer with a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the proud father of two adult children. With more than a decade of freelance writing experience under his belt, Trent is often out exploring his favorite topics: Minnesota's woods, lakes, and trails. Rhubarb pie is his weakness, so discovering new diners is also a passion.
When you think about cuisines that are just screaming to be combined, Polish and Colombian may not come immediately to mind, but for the founders of this Illinois fusion restaurant, it was a no-brainer. After a visit to Polombia, in Chicago, we think you’ll agree.
Polombia is located within the bustling 50,000-square-foot Time Out Market.
Time Out Market is an upscale food court in Chicago's hip Fulton Market District. There, you can sample all manner of chef-created cuisine, while enjoying cocktails and a rooftop dining experience.
As you probably guessed, the name "Polombia" is a portmanteau of "Poland" and "Colombia."
Although it may not have been readily apparent when considering the combination, after one look at Polombia's menu, you'll understand exactly why Polish and Colombian cuisines fuse together so perfectly.
As the name suggests, an emparogi is a stuffed dumpling that combines the best of a Colombian empanada with a Polish pierogi - and Polombia pulls it off deliciously well. You can get a vegetarian version with potato, caramelized onions, and sofrito or the version that adds slow-cooked beef short rib to the stuffing. Either way, you win.
The arepa-ski adds a polish twist (pickled beets and carrots) to a classic Colombian dish, the arepa pelua - an arepa with braised beef and cheese.
You can also order arepa-skis with chicken or lentils instead of the beef.
Then there's the kielbasa perro, a riff on a classic, Colombian-style hot dog - with pickles and crushed kettle chips. But instead of an ordinary frankfurter, it's made with a snappy, pineapple-glazed, Polish sausage.
