Crystal Wise
These are both good and unusual times for Taste of Europe, a family-run restaurant in Arlington whose focus, as the name of the restaurant implies, is on European cuisine.
On one hand, as we witnessed during a recent visit on a Thursday evening, business for the small, quaint restaurant on Pioneer Parkway is booming. Every table was taken, and customers who drifted in, fingers crossed they’ll snag a table or even a spot on a waitlist, were turned away.
With the good comes a bit of ugly. Taste of Europe was recently the target of some misplaced anger and hatred. Weeks ago, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Taste of Europe took some heat for its outdoor sign, which read, “Restaurant & Grocery” on one line, “Russian Gifts” on another.
Crystal Wise
As originally reported by WFAA, as soon as the Russia/Ukraine conflict started, the restaurant began to receive emails, phone calls, and social media messages condemning it, according to owner Val Tsalko. The restaurant zeroes in on dishes from Eastern Europe, but Tsalko’s family has been using the word “Russian,” according to WFAA, because it was a general geographic region that people could easily recognize.
To help clarify the restaurant’s political stance, Tsalko duct-taped over the word “Russian” on the restaurant’s outdoor sign and hung a Ukrainian flag in a window.
“We are on the side of Ukraine. We’re fully supporting them, and we hope the war stops really soon,” he told WFAA.
Taste of Europe is an homage to and extension of Tsalko’s family recipes, specifically the food his parents and grandparents made: red beet soup (commonly known as borscht); beef stroganoff; meatloaf stuffed with mushrooms and herbs; German sausages; and sweet and savory crepes.
Originally opened by Tsalko’s grandfather in Dallas, the restaurant moved to its current digs in Arlington in 2002. Taste of Europe saw a major uptick in business when it was featured on a 2012 episode of the Food Network’s popular show, “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”
In the episode, host Guy Fieri was schooled on how the restaurant makes its Belarussian kolduny, thick, small pancakes stuffed with a mix of beef and chicken. They’re served three to a plate, with a side of sour cream. They’re now one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, and Tsalko, who took over the restaurant last year, warns they take a while to make — along with everything else.
Crystal Wise
This plate of Jagerschnitzel, served with sauerkraut and home fries, looks absolutely righteous.
“One thing we pride ourselves on is that everything is made to order when you order it,” he said in a recent interview at the restaurant. As such, the restaurant makes somewhat of an unusual request of its guests: They must arrive at least an hour before they close to give the kitchen staff enough time to prepare food.
The restaurant also has a small grocery section that sells European chocolate bars, lemonade, and other imported candies and snacks.
At the cash register, guests can scan a QR code that will allow them to make donations to aid in the humanitarian crisis, according to WFAA.
“We’re doing what we can here in Texas to help them out,” he told WFAA. “I mean it might not be a whole lot, but we’re trying our best.”
Taste of Europe, 1901 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington, tasteofeuropetx.com
