Pass the Pierogis

Preserving Polish traditions are what this couple is all about. Beth and Michael Skarbinski are the duo behind Patty’s Pantry, a new Polish meal service company dishing out the classics such as pierogis, golbaki, babka, Polish pickles, desserts and more. Soon, they’ll have kielbasa available too. The couple wasn’t sure how the traditional foods would be received in the area, but they felt called to share their family recipes. 

“In our first week we had so many orders we didn’t know what to do with ourselves,” says Michael. That was a month ago. Now to keep up with demand, and avoid getting too, heh, wrapped up in it, orders are cut off mid-week for Friday pickups. Turns out, pierogis take a ton of time to prepare. Everything from Patty’s Pantry is made fresh out of a commissary kitchen at the Southern Pines Elks Lodge, then frozen for you to cook yourself at home. They use as many local ingredients as they can find.

Both of Beth’s parents were from Poland, as well as Michael’s dad. Beth and Michael have taken these recipes from both the north and south of Poland and mixed them with some New England flair, where Beth and Michael grew up.

They named the business Patty’s Pantry after Michael’s mother, who wasn’t Polish but always wanted her own restaurant. “When you’re older you start to appreciate more of your own culture. Now we’re pulling all those pieces together and not wanting those traditions to die,” says Beth. 

They’re just getting started but they have a good filling about this. Eventually they hope to open their own grab-n-go storefront with other Polish goods. A website and online ordering is still in the works, so for now you can text orders to 910-528-8774 and pay with cash or check. See what’s cooking each week via Facebook.