You Need To Eat This: Chocolate-Covered Pierogi
It seems food lovers are continuing to push boundaries with unexpected food combinations, such as a prosciutto-wrapped Twix bar or baking with bugs.
But recently I've discovered a very Pittsburgh-centric odd food combination: the chocolate-covered pierogi.
And to my surprise, I liked it.
I did not set out to eat this originally. My first intention was to introduce you to the chocolate-covered bacon at Sinful Sweets. It's the only place I've seen (although I'm sure there might be other places) where you can go and just buy a plain old strip of bacon drenched in thick coat of chocolate.
And I get the distinct impression that there are few things owner Chris Weck wouldn't dip in chocolate, hence the pierogi.
"I like doing the things you don't see anywhere else," he said.
It was a natural combination he says, loving chocolate and being in Pittsburgh.
What he offers is your typical potato and cheese-filled pierogi, just dipped in your choice of milk or dark chocolate and sprinkled with a little sea salt.
Based on my past pierogi eating experiences, I expected to be served a hot, buttered pierogi. However, these are chilled, which in hindsight makes sense, because the chocolate needs to cool.
For the most part, the chocolate complements the dough-y, less sweet exterior and is almost like eating a chocolate-dipped cannoli. I will be honest though, the thick part in the center that holds most of the potato and cheese is a little hard to get used to -- the contrast of cheese and chocolate is more noticeable.
But you can be sure it's tasty. Weck wouldn't offer it if he didn't want to eat it.
"I wouldn't put it for sale, unless I liked it," he said.
Watch out for Weck too, because he's an ambitious guy who's definitely not going to stop with his chocolate shop.
Not only do I anticipate more unexpected chocolate-dipped items (I first met him on National Hotdog Day and he lamented the fact that he didn't have any chocolate-dipped hotdogs), but in talking to him, he's definitely got more ideas for food ventures and restaurants.
He says he takes a lot of his inspiration from the creative and outlandish foods you often see on the many food competition shows filling up the TV time slots these days.
"I'm on that stuff all the time," he says.
For now though, you need to try the chocolate-covered pierogies. They only cost $1 and are worth the adventure. But if you find you don't like it, there are plenty of other treats to wash it down with, like handmade truffles, turtles, cake pops and ice cream sandwiches.
To try Sinful Sweets' chocolate-covered pierogies, the store is located at 901 Penn Avenue Downtown. It's open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. – but the pierogies are only available upon request weekdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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