PlanetEye

Eating out can become unappealing after many days of vacationing. Sometimes, all you want is a simple meal that doesn't taste like typical restaurant food. If this becomes the case, head to Stash Café, a family-run Polish restaurant in the Old Port, for a quality meal that tastes like something that came out of Grandma's kitchen.

Stash Café is a warm, welcoming place where you can enjoy a meal for hours on end. There are long wooden tables with benches, perfect for a group of friends or smaller tables, ideal for cozying up to your loved one. With the lamps hanging low over each table, the lighting creates a nice mood -- dim, yet not dark. Something that marks Stash Café from other restaurants is the pianist who tirelessly plays the evening away (think Beatles, not Brahms) as you sip your vodka contently.  

The Golbaki (cabbage rolls) is wonderfully prepared, served steaming hot with a side of potatoes and red cabbage. Also a good choice is the Pierogi, with the option of a mixture of meat, cheese and cabbage. Not sure what to try?  How about The Primer, the main course being a selection of the most popular Polish fare so you can sample a few specialties at once. Finish your meal with a heavenly fruit square with a dollop of sweet cream on top, fresh and made in-house.

Although lovely any time of year, this restaurant is especially nice to visit on a cold, winter evening. With the windows framing the picturesque sight of falling snow, music trailing in the air and a hot meal in front of you, true comfort can be found here, no matter how cold or how many miles away from home.