Bites Nearby: Forgotten Taste Famous Pierogies

Overview: claims to have the "Best Pierogies in Southern Pennsylvania," and we won't dispute that -- except maybe to note that this is Western Pennsylvania.  The "Best Pierogies" part? They got that right.

A family-owned restaurant with three locations -- Wexford, Cranberry and Moon -- Forgotten Taste Famous Pierogies serves Eastern European cuisine. Food is made in advance and dished out when ordered. It makes for a quick meal, and prices are very reasonable.

Takeout is a popular option. Pierogies come cold or frozen (to prepare at home) or hot and ready-to-eat. Butter, onions and tomato sauce can be purchased on the side for cold/frozen products. Prices are $3.80 to $8.95 for cold/frozen and $4.45 to $10.25 for hot, ready-to-eat.

Most meals cost $6 to $7, but on Mondays and Wednesdays all meals are $4.99. We went on a Monday at lunchtime, and the restaurant was very busy with eat-in and takeout business.

Décor: The Wexford location, which is the one we visited, was clean, spare and bright. Walls were painted bright gold, and most of the décor consisted of photos of the menu items. It was a very pleasant atmosphere overall.

Drinks: Coffee ($1.49), bottled water and Coca-Cola products, also in bottles ($1.59).

Appetizers: Forgotten Taste Pierogies does not have an appetizer menu. We want to take advantage of this otherwise blank section to say this: Try the hot sausage goulash. It is so good it will make you want to move to wherever it was invented. Savory meat, spicy without being hot, big chunks of red, yellow, green and orange peppers, slices of mushroom, what a nice dish on a cool day. You could live on it in the winter.

The goulash is not a menu item, but its presence is advertised with a small sign on the counter. My goulash-loving friend happened to spy the sign, and we thought, "Why not?"

It was the best thing on the menu. As we were leaving we mentioned to the nice young man at the counter how good it was, and he launched into a passionate ode to the dish, all the while expressing surprise that more people didn't try it. I think it's because clueless people like me don't notice little signs on counters. Make the sign bigger, put the goulash on the menu and encourage people to take samples. Get that dish some recognition!

It's served as a side dish in a cup ($3.99), over pierogie ($7.49) or over haluski ($7.29). We did the side dish; next time I'm having it over pierogie.

Entrees: Everyone who came in while we were there ordered some variation of the meals. There are 14 combinations of pierogie, haluski, stuffed peppers or cabbage, kielbasa, sauerkraut, green beans, meatballs and mashed potatoes. Between us, we had haluski, potato and cheese pierogies (the only kind that come with the meals), stuffed pepper, stuffed cabbage and mashed potatoes and gravy. Everything was good.

The haluski seemed a bit chewy, almost as if it was underdone, but what do I know? I overcook . The pierogies were our favorite, aside from the goulash. The restaurant may rightfully claim to have the best pierogies in whatever geographical location it might be in.

A la carte items are available, including 13 varieties of pierogies. All items on the meals menu can be purchased as a side dish, and sour cream and extra butter, onions and tomato sauce are available. Soups are advertised as frozen, ($5.99 to $6.99/quart), but I believe they had hot, ready-to-eat soup the day we were there.

Desserts: Cheesecake ($2.29), Amaretto Torte ($2.99), Carrot Cake ($2.99), Tiramisu ($3.49), Chrusciki ($7.99).

Service: Counter service only but very fast. Food is ready in large catering-style bins behind the counter, and they dish it out when you order it. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

Signature Dish: They say pierogies? I say Hot Sausage Goulash. Trust me, you've got to try it.

Cost: $

Address:

Wexford: 11978 Route 19, Village at Pine. 724-940-2277.

Cranberry: 20325 Route 19, Cranberry Gardens Plaza. 724-778-9470

Moon: 910 Beaver Grade Rd. 412-269-9800 - Takeout only.

Website:  http://forgottentaste.com/