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How New York's Most Popular Ukrainian Diner Feeds Hundreds of People per Day - The Experts
Рет қаралды 352,204
Жыл бұрынVeselka has been a staple of NYC’s East Village since the 1950s and is now run by third-generation owner Jason Birchard. The restaurant specializes in what they call “Ukrainian soul food,” which includes pierogies, borscht, potato pancakes, and more.
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Credits:
Producer: Connor Reid
Directors: Connor Reid, Murilo Ferreira
Camera: Murilo Ferreira, Nick Mazzocchi
Editor: Charlotte Carpenter
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Supervising Producer: Stefania Orrù
Audience Development: Terri Ciccone, Frances Dumlao, Avery Dalal
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@1957DLT Жыл бұрын
I grew up making perogies with my Mom and Baba: my small hands were stellar pinchers. Decades later when my Mom was sinking further from us in Alzheimers, we did a family afternoon of perogie making. It was heartbreaking watching her trying to figure out the stuffing/pinching steps after so many decades of knowing. But, and it's a big one, I got her on dough duty for the second batch by asking her if the mix 'felt' right: *ding* muscle memory kicked in and she was mixing, rolling, cutting just as competently as she ever did. A most treasured day and memory. Next time I make it to New York, I'm coming for you Veselka!
@stevenaitcheson6938 10 ай бұрын
Amazing.
@Kahless314 Жыл бұрын
Watching my Grandma making 200 of these in a space of 20 minutes was hypnotic.Last time I did 45 it took me a hour
@antonwilkens9694 Жыл бұрын
Took me 4 hours to make 10 dozen 😅😅😅😅😅😅
@eater Жыл бұрын
Wow so impressive!
@ChrisPoterala Жыл бұрын
My family gathers every Christmas to make pierogi. We can crank out about 50 dozen in an afternoon. We all take some home but the first meal with them is always our meatless Christmas Eve dinner.
@Zipfei_Kloatscher Жыл бұрын
Haha, that's quite ambitious. That's "Babushka 1000" kinda stuff... 🇺🇦🥟😂👍🏼
@sergios.2276 Жыл бұрын
I would probably take an hour for 1! 45 is still awesome
@thefancyunicorn Жыл бұрын
I've been going to Veselka since I was in my 20s. I am now in my 50s. Every time I swing through NYC I try to stop in for a meal. Many good memories here.
@mjk0117 Жыл бұрын
I miss my grandma so much. She made the absolute best pierogis and cabbage rolls. Always made with love.
@untitleduniverse1828 Жыл бұрын
Cabbage rolls are the best. They call them pidgens here in PA. Coal region small tows of every ethnicity
@RudieObias Жыл бұрын
I’m a Filipino guy, but my favorite food is the wonderful potato and cheese pierogi!! 🇵🇭🇺🇸🇺🇦🇵🇱
@beblut Жыл бұрын
So they are from Poland and for some reason we call them " ruskie" which means Russian pierogi. Name comes from plating originally they were served with cranberry and sourcream(and they were named Polish pierogi beocouse white and red is our flag ). But when Lviv was taken from Poland after ww2 and given to Soviet union cranberry was almost impossible to get so they only served them with sourcream. Thus new name pierogi ruskie
@evilcleaver 10 ай бұрын
As God intended
@xXxSkyViperxXx 10 ай бұрын
is it like dumplings? asking as another filipino who is more familiar with chinese dumplings
@RudieObias 10 ай бұрын
@@xXxSkyViperxXx It's a dumpling. It's usually filled with potato and cheese, while it's boiled, pan fried, or deep fried. And then you dip in sour cream or apple sauce for extra goodness!
@xXxSkyViperxXx 10 ай бұрын
@@RudieObias oh so its kinda like a cheesy dessert dumpling
@Pheminon1 Жыл бұрын
It's so fun how each culture has their own version of these. Ravioli, Pierogi, dumplings, Bao, etc. This is reminding me of our holiday dinners. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving. Always dozens of pierogi at a Polish holiday dinner haha
@ElePranaityte Жыл бұрын
Koldūnai in Lithuania
@drewh3224 Жыл бұрын
Interesting, everyone have their versions. I have them all. They are all delicious..
@mikaelmoss1233 10 ай бұрын
@@ElePranaityte also Kołduny in Polish, just the northeastern region;) Hello neighbours:)
@yo2trader539 8 ай бұрын
Manti, Mantu, Buuz, Jiaozi, Khinkali...whatever you may call it, it's a common cuisine in regions where Tatar-Turkic-Mongolic nomads used to roam. I find it most interesting that regardless of region and religion, it's often eaten on special occasions like new years, wedding, etc.
@UserNameNiemand Жыл бұрын
As a Ukrainian myself, I'm tearing up, watching this video! Пані Слава (pani Slava), she is a true master! Thanks Eater for sharing this!
@scottybutts Жыл бұрын
Do you know what the gravy was that they put on the cabbage rolls? I have only ever had them with a tomato based sauce and I cant find any recipes that look similar to the sauce they used. Would love to try making them this traditional way, thanks!
@Prof.Pwnalot Жыл бұрын
Fake account, Eater hearted this. lold. Good quality assurance. NOT. Also Polish. So you know it's a bot. "She is a true master" Fake.
@maigepresents5840 Жыл бұрын
Shouldn't you be busy fighting the Russians or did your family run away from the fight?
@UserNameNiemand Жыл бұрын
@@Prof.Pwnalot well, I'm not a bot for sure. That's my actual account. So keep your hateful assumptions by yourself please.
@UserNameNiemand Жыл бұрын
@@maigepresents5840 be sure that I'm doing everything within my power for us and our country to defeat that russian plague and make my country free and prosper. You have absolutely no clue how this war is happening. Absolutely everyone is involved in it and united, but not everyone is in the battlefield.
@YouFightLikeACow Жыл бұрын
A classic here. Been a few times, their pierogies are legendary
@peterpaidnyc Жыл бұрын
I'm so happy Veselka is still around. I used to go there in the early 90's. I definitely need to swing back over there soon.
@ihorkuzmenko9419 Жыл бұрын
As a Ukrainian and longtime subscriber of your channel, ty for showing the world a small but very important part of our culture. For Ukrainians food are not only "time meals", it's a type of welcoming gesture when great guest and friend come to your house. And we're very thankfull for your support. Ukrainian food are extremely deep cultural phenomenon. For example, each region of Ukraine have own "native" recipe of borsch: green, with or without beans, meat or vegan, etc. And even from house to house our mothers have their own recipes. For people in comments, Im also can recomend to discover some food from Bessarabiya (Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson Regions) - clams, fish, seafood, Crimean-Tatar like cheburecks, yantiks, soups or homemade wine, Zakarpatya banosh, knedli, black puding, etc. And many many more!
@vaziralramin4565 10 ай бұрын
Bessarabia have no connection to Odessa, Mikolaiv and Kherson region. Only small parts of Bessarabia were included in Odessa region by the Soviets.
@GulkinKluvik 4 ай бұрын
😂🤦🏻♂️
@chiaradamore-klaiman8692 Жыл бұрын
Been eating here for over 30 years and it always hits the spot
@FatalHour Жыл бұрын
This channel has consistently put out incredible videos. Thank you for showing not just high end restaurants, and giving the limelight to everyone. Next time I visit New York, I’ll be stopping here.
@eater Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@kjteitel Жыл бұрын
This warms my heart, my family makes veranikas, but with slightly different filling. And we pan sear with onions as the last step. Love the traditions! Keep it up.
@bizhanbazhirov2404 Жыл бұрын
Greetings from Kazakhstan🇰🇿 Happy to see Ukranian cuisine being loved worldwide💛💙 Slava Ukraine!
@GulkinKluvik 4 ай бұрын
😂🤦🏻♂️
@davidsider6548 Жыл бұрын
I agree with all the praise for the food and its authentic preparation (and it's good; I've eaten here several times), but was depressed that someone who was trained to be a doctor now has to work in a kitchen rather than what she should be doing, namely healing others. Let's hope these two women get a chance to do so soon. (And many thanks to the owner for bringing them over.)
@eulalawrence9018 Жыл бұрын
Well cooking might be her passion.
@davidsider6548 Жыл бұрын
@@eulalawrence9018 Indeed it might, but I detected a bit of sadness in her that was lacking in the other cooks.
@shanut8139 10 ай бұрын
She could be a doctor. In Ukraine 😅
@MM-xi9td 9 ай бұрын
They can't go to medical field in USA... it is prohibited... unless they started medical education again in USA...
@expo1706 9 ай бұрын
He didn't say they were doctors. He said they worked in the medical field. Ukraine is at war. This is how immigrants start out. My family was the same. For several years they worked blue collar jobs instead of as professionals that they worked back home.
@rigger314 Жыл бұрын
My wife was from Belerus and her stuffed cabbage rolls were excellent. I wish she was still alive to make them for me now.
@GregCurtin45 Жыл бұрын
Just outstanding. How do you watch this without tearing up? We really need to get the word out about people who stand up and do the right thing. Thank you #Eater for sharing this story. 💛💙
@user-kv2tj4du8p Ай бұрын
Veselka is one of the great nyc treasures. I started going to veselka back in the 1980's, and it is still a favorite to this day. it has only gotten better as a restaurant. I have a wonderful memory of being at veselka the night of the blackout in 2003. we were sitting outside when it happened. and it turned into a big party, as veselka started just giving away food. they didn't want it to go to waste. and they had no refrigeration without power, so they just started bringing out perogis, desserts, soups, it was amazing. the sun was going down, and the only lights were from the buses and cars going down 2nd avenue. the folks who run veselka were so generous on a night that must have been incredibly stressful and troubling for them. I have had many good times and good memories at veselka, but how they handled the night of the blackout really epitomized the essence of who they are as a restaurant. they are right when they say it is like going to grandma's house. they treat you like family. love this! thanks for posting.
@seanculligan8592 Жыл бұрын
Some good New York accents in this video! The food looks amazing. I hope the staff at the restaurant are well looked after, seeing as they work so hard.
@Belioyt Жыл бұрын
The restaurant owners must be doing a lot of things right for the last three generations of owners
@drew5794 Жыл бұрын
If she made an average of 350 pancakes a day for 200 days a year for 15 years, that’s 1,050,000 pancakes 🤯
@johnr797 Жыл бұрын
I don't get it though, she says she cooks six pans a day, then says 300-400 a day. The pans have 6 in them...
@omnvnts 10 ай бұрын
@@johnr797she meant that she is using six pans while cooking, you can see that on video, it's just a mistake in subtitles
@johnr797 10 ай бұрын
@@omnvnts is it? Because why would she be specific and say 6 pans?
@omnvnts 10 ай бұрын
@@johnr797 and she said specific 6 pans because she is using 6 pans on the stove at the same time while cooking, that what I meant
@johnr797 10 ай бұрын
@@omnvnts alright so she cooks 10 batches
@sophiaisabelle0227 Жыл бұрын
We will always support this channel. They’re the best at what you do.
@rickloginname Жыл бұрын
As an American of Irish ancestry - I always laugh at the idea that the Irish are THE potato culture. The potato is just way to wonderful and important to be limited to one culture.
@t4squared Жыл бұрын
Potatoes don’t even come from Europe. Peru is the the true king of the potato. They have varieties that most of the world won’t even get to see
@tooniemama6959 3 ай бұрын
I am Irish-American and part Lithuanian (eastern European). Yes, potatoes are such a big part of so many cultures....Irish, Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Russian, Spanish, etc...
@EarlWallaceNYC Жыл бұрын
I love Veselka . I once spent 18 hours in their back room café. Slava Ukraini
@michellenaron827 9 ай бұрын
This restaurant is so well timed, that it hums. I would love to spend any amount of time there...sometimes, and very rarely, that the restaurants atmosphere enhances the cuisine. Bravo
@sergiucovalciuc1574 Жыл бұрын
Had brunch there, their take on eggs Benedict is amazing. Instead of biscuit they use potato pancake. It melts! So good!
@yuriydee 10 ай бұрын
Im Ukrainian and have taken most of my family to try Veselka. Its honestly just alright. The food is good but my mom's and grandma's recipes will always be better. That said, I really like how the owner described it as "Ukrainian soul food". I think thats a very good way to explain the dishes they are serving as they are staple dishes for us Ukrainians.
@nottheoneyourelookingfor0504 21 күн бұрын
Babas cooking will always be the best. Doesn’t matter who she is, hers is always best. Mine could make even vegan holubsti delicious. And her varenyky, so plump and tender. Absolutely one of my favorite snacks was to grab a couple cold from the fridge before breakfast. Firm, thick dough but oh so tender.
@nonamenoname3323 Жыл бұрын
Big thanks what you do. Greetings from Kyiv. Thank you!
@saralynfosnight5139 Жыл бұрын
Wonderful place, wonderful food. Miss it now that I'm not in New York anymore.
@James-jl3bc Жыл бұрын
Been eating here for well over a decade. These guys are the real deal. So happy to see them featured here!
@ArvisPavilons Жыл бұрын
The honey cake, the potatoe panckakes and the soup - 10/10
@user-zr2um9du6p 10 ай бұрын
It's so wonderful to hear pany Olesia speaking ukrainian! What a great comforting video)
@freddyvelasquez4168 Жыл бұрын
Thank You for being a sponsor. You’re a Saint. Continued success.
@MarcusAurelius7777 Жыл бұрын
2:38 "The women don't break down [unlike machines]." Lol great comment about business... 💯
@megapangolin1093 9 ай бұрын
Fantastic to see so many friendly, hardworking people do great things with food and spread a lot of happiness. Slava Ukraine!
@alexkoronec4326 Жыл бұрын
Remember that this was always a pleasure to taste and eat home cooking like my mother used to make
@politicsuncensored5617 Жыл бұрын
I had my first perogies way back when when I met my wife back in the 80's. They are little bites of heavenly bliss. I am willing to bet these from this diner are off the charts great. Shalom
@jake-qn3tl 10 ай бұрын
They just taste like dough lol
@davilasalle Жыл бұрын
Went here back in October of 22 and it was fantastic
@michaelmorgan6674 Жыл бұрын
Respect to the pancake lady that was awesome!
@jimmyyu2184 Жыл бұрын
OMG, that stuffed cabbage looks so good!! Perogi looks like a Chinese dumpling, and the potato pancake looks to be delicious!!
@Ivehadenuff 9 ай бұрын
This was a blast from my past. I lived half a block away in the 1980’s and ate here frequently.
@tooniemama6959 3 ай бұрын
I am part eastern European(Lithuanian), and these are the foods I grew up on. Beautiful Ukrainian comfort food. Good memories.
@kidneybeans8937 Жыл бұрын
everyone in every culture who makes outstanding food ALWAYS cooks 'from the heart'. I think that goes without saying
@anirzeetpramanik1156 6 ай бұрын
I love this channel not only because of them showing great food and great restaurants but also because they show great people, different culture and most important they help drive home the message that in our world we might have 100 different countries, 1000 different cultures but the Love, the respect, the humanity remains constant.
@barikareese 10 ай бұрын
The fact that she's made, give or take, 2 million potato pancakes is insane 😮
@derickb8713 Жыл бұрын
I'm glad he feels that way about his employees. A machine would be more efficient for sure. It breaks down way less than it needs days off or gets sick or whatever.
@bleumarin1968 Жыл бұрын
i hope one day i can try the cake ! I've been seeing a lot of recipes around but i have never tried to make it, i just want to eat it !
@WolfyBoO Жыл бұрын
Great show. This is mostly Slavic cuisine, not unique only to Ukraine. (: But everything seems so great and I love how much love they put into everything!
@lemmegetyournumber4554 Жыл бұрын
YEAHHHHH! "THE WOMEN DON'T BREAK DOWN" HELL YEAH BROTHA
@msthea1145 Жыл бұрын
Always loved this place. I took my Jamaican dad here and he cleaned his plate bone dry.
@yourdetunedradio 9 ай бұрын
The food from my childhood. My grandma did pirogi and vareniki with sour cherry. I miss her so much. Slava Ukraini!
@DaddyBLUE90S 9 ай бұрын
Pretty interesting to hear their accents. Probably mostly 2nd and third generation Ukrainians.
@danielcooley6304 9 ай бұрын
I go here every time I visit New York. The food is fantastic! So happy to see them get this recognition.
@Boogie3D Жыл бұрын
Pierogi is already a plural form of (one) pieróg. It is like adding a second S to dumplings and turning them into dumplingss.
@roysmith5902 6 ай бұрын
I lived in the neighborhood in the early 1980's. Had lots of meals in Veselka (and Kiev, and The Ukranian East Village)
@davisluong2060 Жыл бұрын
Awesome owner going that far to help his employees
@nunchisoul5924 Жыл бұрын
excellent audio and music on this one, food looks amazing.
@manassrinivasaiah1411 Жыл бұрын
I ate here last year. The best introduction I could have hoped to have to Ukrainian cuisine. I wish I could go back!
@flytothemoon50 Жыл бұрын
I am faaking mad if this kind of the way people do got trash talk by some random activist say "woman not suppose to be treat like machine!" Shut up lady! they do it because they love it, don't tell someone who work from girl to grandma something like that, they will long gone if they not enjoying what are they doing. Stop being busy body and just enjoy your damn life.
@Hateweek1984 Жыл бұрын
Perogi is LIFE!
@dabearcub Жыл бұрын
FREAKING LOVE THIS PLACE!
@jeannehall6546 10 ай бұрын
I am of Ukrainian descent on my dad’s side- and if I ever get to New York City I have to come to Veselka!
@cookeeee1962 10 ай бұрын
This makes me cry for the determination of the owners fighting for authentic Ukraine foods. Corporations sniffing around no doubt .
@barbararey-constantin5679 10 ай бұрын
Wonderful family tradition kept alive, human beings being valued in the kitchen rather than machines - yes!! God bless them and Ukraine.
@masaharumorimoto4761 Жыл бұрын
Wow that was fantastic!!! Eater, keep rockin my world :D
@avgperson25 Жыл бұрын
I enjoy these a lot! Especially when there is no host to take the spotlight for no reason
@alifetomake Жыл бұрын
Give me that Medovyk cake right now, please!
@kvai-gon7488 Жыл бұрын
Cooking pancakes is delicious, it's cool.
@KiaAlvin Жыл бұрын
This Jason guy looks like an older version of tuning folk from the mighty car mods channel 😮
@djmcnerney 10 ай бұрын
I’ve been to Veselka. In addition to the foods in the video, they used to make a very good veal goulash. Hard work!
@pearlfeather9326 Жыл бұрын
I love Veselka!
@celwise Жыл бұрын
fantastic episode! Love it...
@kingbball66 Жыл бұрын
All of that looks amazing
@yvetterobertson2770 Жыл бұрын
I really need to remember to eat before I watch these!
@anabarbosa2443 Жыл бұрын
She'd made more than a million of those!
@anna.rrrrrr 10 ай бұрын
Everything looks super delicious and they even do Medovyk now! Wow!
@aiai-j7i 9 ай бұрын
Loved going there in the 90's! Glad they are still thriving.
@dwaynekoblitz6032 Жыл бұрын
When the owner/s and managers get out of the way for the skill to show how it's done daily? That!!
@Alchemist009 10 ай бұрын
Most I can do in a session is 50 or 75. Watching you all work is amazing. Nothing like homemade.
@Morgan-ed2cb Жыл бұрын
Been there... their beef stroganoff is amazing!
@ekaterinaefimova2190 Жыл бұрын
No doubt, but this is not exactly a Ukrainian dish, it's Russian, many of their dishes are not only Ukranian but Slavic: Belarus, Russian, Polish, Hungarian...
@HFC786 Жыл бұрын
Fascinating
@zamfantastic Жыл бұрын
Every once in a while, I make some borscht. I’m sure mine is not as good as any of the divine food they are making!
@Demitry0013 Жыл бұрын
Ohhhhh i need to get to ny city...i need sandwiches pizza and to explore Ukrainian food. I've had perogies (frozen) but im more than ready to have more and FRESH
@arfriedman4577 10 ай бұрын
These vareneki look awesome. So does everything in this video. Thanks for documentary.
@donaldpicard7752 Жыл бұрын
love this place !!!!
@XenXenOfficial Жыл бұрын
5:00 If she really makes 3-400 a day, every day, for 15 years, then with 5 day work weeks she made at least 1 million minimum by now lol
@opwave79 Жыл бұрын
I will jump on a cross country flight for those.
@johnjacobjingleheimerschmi7268 Жыл бұрын
Is the secret ingredient diet from those pipes?
@wendystevenss Жыл бұрын
Amazing place!
@YonatanZunger 10 ай бұрын
OMG that looks so good. I want to eat everything on the menu. Why is it so far away??
@novom810 Жыл бұрын
In our country Veselka means "the wedding". :-D And Medovyk is Medovník.
@merylwork5721 11 ай бұрын
Love these! I ordered them from Goldbelly a few times. The last time they came in a bag instead of a container. Most of them were broken. I was given credit but, would prefer them not broken 🤷♀️ I will probably try to order again.
@FTrainProductions 10 ай бұрын
Been here twice! Love it!
@zymbotictoot Жыл бұрын
I'm Canadian but my FAVORITE cuisine is Ukrainian. Unfortunately there is no Ukrainian food where I live now.
@alicepopovski3643 10 ай бұрын
Try Polish , exactly the same .
@drerri 10 ай бұрын
@@alicepopovski3643MOSTLY the same, not exactly. But it's like that with most eastern european cuisines
@Ingenuity009 Жыл бұрын
Bought their pierogies off of Goldbelly before. Phenomenal.
@Zipfei_Kloatscher Жыл бұрын
Wareniki
@patrickgomez4572 Жыл бұрын
Most interesting 😊
@barbarahallowell2613 6 ай бұрын
That cake looks sooooo good!😊😊😊
@d3vildoll666 10 ай бұрын
Aren't potato pancakes from Belarus? Драники? Draniki? Pretty sure it is.
@t-squared1882 Жыл бұрын
I think it’s funny that just about everything is iconic
@carlbrittain1993 Жыл бұрын
She's made like 2 million potato pancakes. That's insane.
@jonasmathiesen2412 Жыл бұрын
free Ukraine - not just because of the food!
@antoniohernandezjr2258 Жыл бұрын
I swear bro humans are tied together no matter the color religion or whatever in Mexico we make tacos dorados de papá literally a fried taco with potatoes inside that are mashed fire bro straight fire with queso fresco n salsa crazy how those perogies made me think bout them tacos
@antoniohernandezjr2258 Жыл бұрын
Oh yeah dorado means hard or fried
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