Comfortable new shoes

There is a never-ending quest among restaurant reviewers to find someplace new, someplace cool, someplace before the crowd arrives. Revisiting old places is kind of dull. But sometimes it seems like we arrive at a restaurant or bistro or cafe a little too soon. Maybe before they're ready. Maybe that's the case with Bahia, a restaurant open for less than one month on ulica Zgoda in what used to be a clothing store. The first impression was, are they done decorating? Actually, the minimalist feel was kind of refreshing. There are lots of warm tones - off-white walls, hardwood floors, austere wooden tables and some candles. Nothing hangs on the walls. Nothing on the tables. No alcohol served from the bar yet (and no credit cards, yet, either). Mellow music, largely 1960s-era French tunes from artsy film soundtracks (visions of Anouk Aimee?), is quietly piped in. And, appropriately, we heard a few Brazilian tunes - the restaurant does, after all, share a name with an Atlantic coast state in South America's biggest country. (The music was occasionally drowned out by people with annoyingly loud cell phones. As an aside to fellow diners: Turn down the ringers on your damn phones, would you! It's rude to intrude upon another's meal/social occasion with stupid electronic ditties. And yes, I probably mean you.) But this is not a French or a Brazilian restaurant. Despite the austere decor, it's kind of a homey place with some homestyle cooking - breakfasts, naleśniki, iceberg lettuce salads, soups, pastas, simply prepared meats, poultry and fish, and some typical side dishes. It's hard to exactly classify the style of food - Polish but not just Polish. Maybe young urban Polish or something. And all at incredibly reasonable prices. On a recent visit, my two dining companions and I sampled widely from the menu (Polish-language only for now, though our waitress said an English version is in the works) and were generally satisfied. For starters Ewa went with the naleśniki na słodko, sweet crepes, with apple, pineapple, a little orange and supposedly some cinnamon. The crepe was fried crispy and the overall flavor was simple and good. Iza started with beef carpaccio, sliced very thin and liberally sprinkled with salty capers. Another good, straightforward start. And I tried the Mediterranean eggplant, sliced thin, rolled around mozzarella cheese, fried and then smothered with tomato sauce. The eggplant and cheese were wonderful, though the sauce seemed pre-packaged. For a main course, Ewa tried farfalle with pesto. The little bow-tie shaped pasta was covered, but not drowned, in a fresh-tasting oil, garlic and basil sauce, creating a warm and earthy plate of pasta. Iza opted for penne with gorgonzola sauce, a big heap of creamy, rich comfort food. It had the original addition of walnuts in the sauce. Iza cautioned that the whole portion was rich and qualified her thumbs-up with the following comment: "I'm a cheesy pasta fan." I rolled the dice on pałeczki drobiowe w rozmarynie. Before ordering, my colleagues and I thought that an order of breaded chicken sticks would arrive. But, instead, I got three chicken drumsticks. I can't say I was disappointed. They were well cooked, simply prepared and tasty with a very, very light touch of rosemary. Two side dishes came with the chicken, one of those Polish cabbagy things and a rice or potato choice. They were also pleasant surprises, with the cabbage salad fairly light and the Dijon potatoes a tasty little bit of casserole. After feeling like we just ate at mom's, the desserts were a letdown. Chocolate chip cookies would have been perfect. Instead, the cheesecake was yucky and the coffee cake was a liquid lump. Overall, though, the dining experience was decent. Bahia is nothing too special, but that blandness is kind of comforting. An extensive lunch for three came to zł. 110 ($27.50).

From the menu: Naleśniki na słodko zł. 10 Carpaccio z polźdwicy zł. 10 Bakłażan śródziemnomorski zł. 10 Penne z sosem gorgonzola zł. 15 Farfalle z sosem pesto zł. 15 Pałeczki drobiowe w rozmarynie zł. 15 Sernik z bakaliami i gorzką czekoladą zł. 5 Ciastko kawowe zł. 5 Tea zł. 5 Soda zł. 5