J. Betski's in Raleigh

Last night, I met a couple of friends for dinner at J. Betski's (http://www.jbetskis.com/) located in Seaboard Station just off of Peace street in downtown Raleigh.  J. Betski's is consistently ranked as one of the best restaurants in the Triangle and features German and Polish food on their menu. 

Before the meal started, I tried an authentic German wheat beer, Schneider Weisse, which was delicious.  I am not a big beer person, but this was light, flavorful, and without any bitter after taste.  It's comparable to a few other wheat beers I've tried (Hoegaarden being another of my favorites) and I'd highly recommend it.

NC BBQ Pierogies

For appetizers, J. Betski's offers a mix of salads, sausages, and pierogies.  My friends both had the bratwurst, which looked and smelled delicious.  I have had their sausage on my past trips (both their fresh and smoked kielbasas as well as their bratwurst) and would consider them all the finest I've had anywhere, including during my family holiday celebrations, where Polish food is the main feature!  For my appetizer, I tried their NC BBQ pierogies, which were magnificent.  The dough for the pierogies was extremely light, which is the way I prefer them prepared, and the BBQ filling was tremendous.  I've tried their traditional potato and cheese pierogies as well, and they are the best I've ever had.  If you go to J. Betski's, I would highly recommend you find a way to try both their sausages and pierogies for appetizer as they truly are special.



Duck Confit

 For my main course, I had the duck confit with Polish sausage and cheese spaetzle.  The dish was served with sauerkraut in a tomato "stew" that added great flavor but did not overpower the dish.  The duck was slightly different than most confits I'm used to; it was a bit more firm in texture and did not shred apart with little effort.  Whether or not this is intentional, I don't really know, but it was cooked perfectly with great flavor and the fatty skin waiting for the final bite.  The duck flavor matched well with the sauerkraut and tomato sauce making each bite wonderful.  The cheese spaetzle was equally delicious; it reminds me of a more-doughy version of mac and cheese although it remains lighter than most Southern versions.  The sausage in the dish was a nice compliment as well, and matched really well with the sauce and sauerkraut.

I really cannot recommend J. Betski's enough... they serve authentic (as confirmed by my German friend) German and Polish food but still are able to meet expectations for those not used to eating foreign fare.  I have not yet been disappointed by any of my three trips here, and would suggest that everyone try the sausages, pierogies, and spaetzle for the proper experience!

Pictures soon to follow, still figuring that out on this blog...