This week’s Eats feature takes us to a relatively new restaurant in Carmel Valley. But that’s not where Staff Writer Agata Popęda starts us off. Instead she recalls Christmas Eve dinners in Poland.
“The fish, the cabbage, wild mushrooms, pierogi and beet roots—these are the foods and flavors very dear to the hearts of Matt and Heather Zimny, owners of Gromada,” she writes.
Dave Faries here, sharing that Chef Matt Zimny draws on his Polish heritage in crafting the restaurant’s menu—Gromada is a Polish word that translates as “gathering.” He also brings in touches from Heather Zimny’s Japanese background. So it is an interesting place and couple to learn about, which you can do here.
Popęda grew up in Poland and describes the traditional 12-dish Christmas Eve meal briefly in the story, telling us that it somehow manages to “include several types of herring.” I asked her just how many styles of herring existed in Poland and she grimaced while ticking them off: Herring, pickled herring, herring in sour cream, herring in oil…
She doesn’t appreciate herring (in fact, she doesn’t hesitate to call it “disgusting”). I once wrote that the pickled herring, onions and other such treats on offer at a pub in Prague were the sort of thing that puts hair on a man’s ears. Carp is a favorite in Eastern and Central Europe on Christmas itself, and some families keep live carp in their filled bathtubs until the celebration.
Popęda frowns at this memory, as well. But she does appreciate pierogies (she’s been known to make them for the office—big hint, Aga) and notes Gromada’s deft upscale presentation of the favorite.
It’s an engaging story. And Popęda indicates that the Zimnys are planning a 12-dish Polish Christmas Eve dinner at the restaurant. It sounds tempting. After all, the Old World herring presentations are actually pretty good. Imagine what this chef can do.
I hope you enjoy the read.