Essentials: Northwest Indiana Pierogi
Eastern Europe’s greatest contribution to Midwestern food culture
In late July, a quarter of a million people descend on the industrial hamlet of Whiting, Indiana, to celebrate Eastern Europe’s greatest contribution to Midwestern food culture. At the town’s annual Pierogi Fest, the humble dumpling is prepared to satisfy any preference: baked, boiled, or fried, sweet or savory, as a snack or a meal.
For a year-round pierogi experience, drive thirty minutes southeast to Merrillville on a Friday. At St. Michael's Byzantine Catholic Church on W 57th, the dumplings are made by hand and spelled pirohi. The Slovak Club gets its pierogi from a Chicago wholesaler, but the signature sweet cheese filling still justifies a stop. If you see Kim, congratulate her on her 1997 “Jeopardy!” win. —Samuel Love
Samuel Love is the editor of "The Gary Anthology."