The New York Times today listed Apteka in Bloomfield as one of this year's honorees on "The Restaurant List 2022: 50 Places in America We're Most Excited About Right Now."
It's the only restaurant in Pittsburgh to make the cut, and one of just three in Pennsylvania. Gabriella's Vietnam in Philadelphia and Andiario in West Chester were also mentioned.
Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski opened Apteka in 2016 and, over the past six years, have developed an enthusiastic following for dynamic dishes that draw from the cuisines of Eastern and Central Europe as well as Western Pennsylvania.
"We try to do a good job and be sincere about what we do at Apteka. And we live in a bit of a bubble in Pittsburgh. So it's an honor when people pull your project out and highlight it on a national scale," Lasky says in a phone interview.
In his blurb, the New York Times’ Brett Anderson notes, "It is not shocking to find an excellent Eastern European restaurant in a city where pierogi listicles count as clickbait. The twist at Apteka is that the food is vegan; the thrill is that you won't notice anything missing."
Although the news that the duo makes thrilling food isn't new to eaters in Pittsburgh, it's nevertheless exciting to see the couple, which also was named James Beard Award Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic semifinalists earlier this year, recognized.
"We're always working to improve and get better at what we're doing. And, we're a part of that bigger community of people who are excited about seeing more of this happening in a city that we care about," Lasky says.
It should also be noted that, although Anderson is correct when he writes,"Their produce-driven food is shaped in part by Mr. Skowronski; a son of Polish immigrants, he grew up visiting relatives with abundant gardens in and around Warsaw," Lasky, a sixth-generation Pittsburgher, and Skowronski play equal roles in building the restaurant's menus and ethos.
Apteka: 4606 Penn Ave., Bloomfield; aptekapgh.com
Hal B. Klein: hklein@post-gazette.com, Twitter @halbklein and IG @halbklein.
First Published: September 19, 2022, 3:04 p.m.
Updated: September 19, 2022, 3:14 p.m.
