Gostilna at Knezak

Gostilna at Knezek

I love stuffed cabbage so much that last year I had my first “Great Stuffed Cabbage Roll Off” party. Many friends came to my house with their favorite recipes already prepared and we ate them all! So, when I heard that Gostilna at Knezak at 768 E. 200th Street had good cabbage rolls, I hurried there to try them out.

My brother accompanied me on my visit. When I asked to try the cabbage rolls, they said they were sorry but the cabbage rolls were not ready, as they had just been put into the oven. So, I gave their lunch special of the day, a barbeque chicken sandwich, a try. My brother tried the meatloaf with French fries and coleslaw. The Kaiser roll was overflowing with a fabulous chicken. Stu, my brother, is still raving about his meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

But I still wanted the stuffed cabbage, so I went back with a friend for lunch. Again, they were sorry but the cabbage rolls were still in the oven. I accused the chef of telling a lie and that he never really had stuffed cabbage – ever! I said that he was just leading me on! Chef Bob opened the oven and showed me the little darlings, but insisted that they were not ready. He said that he made them fresh everyday and that there were seldom any left over for the next day. So, I settled for a cheeseburger. Holy smokes! What a cheeseburger; it was two half pound burgers with my choice of cheese. It came with crisp fries and creamy coleslaw that I could tell was freshly made. It also took ten minutes to get to the table, as Bob prepared it to order. There was too much; I could not finish this delicious lunch.

I finally got my stuffed cabbage on my third trip, when I took my family out to dinner one Friday night. The plate had three large cabbage rolls and real mashed potatoes, all covered with a savory tomato sauce. If Chef Bob had served these at my party, they would have won best rolls. My husband and son had the Lake Erie perch dinner with home fries.  The perch, served with those yummy French fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce, was cooked with a very light breading so you can taste the delicate perch. The Friday night special price is only $7.99. I saw a serving of Bob’s Belly Buster fish dinner that was a big as a platter, but I’ll have to take my son back another time to try that. I know I couldn’t finish it.

Bob Edwardson, Gostilna’s chef, and his partner, Frank Zigman, wanted to start a family-oriented neighborhood restaurant. Family is so important to Frank, he named his place Gostilna at Knezak, after the village in Slovenia where his parents were born.

Bob has been cooking and managing restaurants for over 40 years. He has learned what the public likes and tries to please. He prepares everything to order and enjoys trying new things on the menu. Gostilna has daily specials every day of the week, except for Sunday when they are closed. Bob is also available for catering, so give him a call. 

If you eat out once in a while, support a local establishment and try Gostilna at Knezak. I am sure that once you have gone once, you will go back again. I did.

Gostilna at Knezak is open Monday through Friday from noon to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. Closed on Sunday (until the football season starts).

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Volume 1, Issue 3, Posted 1:37 PM, 06.24.2010