Celebrate National Pierogi Day at East Village Meat Market

Tomorrow (Saturday!), East Village Meat Market will celebrate National Pierogi Day... with all sales from the pierogi going to Ukrainian relief efforts. 

They'll serve six varieties from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the shop, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. 

And as we've seen, this event draws a crowd, so plan accordingly...

Scenes from National Pierogi Day at East Village Meat Market

Photos by Stacie Joy 

On Saturday, East Village Meat Market celebrated National Pierogi Day... with all sales from the pierogi going to Ukrainian relief efforts. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the longtime shop, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street, toward the end of a very busy business day... where there were just a few customers left before closing up... 

... she was greeted by longtime manager Andrew Ilnicki ...

Weekend's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

A shot from a very busy Saturday at East Village Meat Market... one of the neighborhood's longtime Ukrainian-owned businesses... find them at 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

RIP Julian Baczynsky

Julian Baczynsky, who opened the East Village Meat Market in 1970 at 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, died on Wednesday. He was 98. 

The shop's Instagram account posted this tribute:

It is with great sadness that we write to inform you of the passing of our beloved founder/owner, Julian Baczynsky. His work and dedication to the Ukrainian community and the East Village will always be remembered.

According to Village Preservation, Baczynsky emigrated here from Ukraine in 1949.

In 1955 he opened his first store on Avenue B and 10th Street, and later he and a partner opened a store on First Avenue. In 1970 he and his partner parted ways and he started his own store at 139 Second Avenue with the goal to have a store that would preserve Eastern European culture.

Per the East Village Meat Market website: "It was his life-long dream to own a business and have a slice of the American Dream."

We asked Tom Birchard, the longtime owner of Veselka on Second Avenue at Ninth Street, for his thoughts about the passing of his friend and neighbor.

Mr. Baczynsky opened his shop on Second Avenue shortly after I came to Veselka in 1966 and we’ve been friends and neighbors ever since. He has supplied us with his excellent home-smoked kielbasa for over 50 years. We have at times struggled to survive and at times flourished together. We couldn't have asked for a better neighbor and collaborator. We are very thankful for his long and very productive life. He will be sorely missed.

Although Baczynsky lived outside the city of late, he was a resident of this neighborhood for many years. The shop will continue under the leadership of manager Andrew Ilnicki.

Image via @eastvillagemeatmarket

Live look-in at the 3rd annual Pierogi Tasting Day

At East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

And there is a line outside as of noon...



Photos by Steven

Previously

The 3rd annual Pierogi Tasting Day is tomorrow (Saturday!) at the East Village Meat Market

This is happening tomorrow at the East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

Details via the EVG inbox...

We will be giving out FREE samples of some of the best Pierogies that the Ukrainian community has to offer. This Pierogi Party' will include 14 different kinds of Pierogies. The usual suspects like Potato, Cheese, and Sauerkraut will be making appearances, along side newcomers like Short rib and Pumpkin. Pierogies will be available for purchase as well!

We are all very excited about partnering with Veselka, a great East Village institution, but most important we can't wait to spread the "Pierogi Love" to our customers and East Village neighbors. Last year's event was a huge hit with lines wrapping half way down the block, so make sure to get here early before we sell out.

The event will take place all day (9am-6pm) ... Hope to see you all there!

You can find some photos from the first Tasting Day here.

The Easter rush at East Village Meat Market

The ham rush is on... Second Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street this afternoon... photo by Steven

At East Village Meat Market's 2nd Annual Pierogi Tasting Day

Photos and text by EVG contributor Stacie Joy

The 2nd annual Pierogi Tasting Day event took place today at East Village Meat Market at 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.



The lines were long (stretching all the way down the block to St. Mark’s Place), and there had been more than 800 visitors when I arrived around 1 p.m. People patiently waited for free samples of pierogi and blintzes from Veselka, Rosa-Ly Pierogi, Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen, Ukrainian National Home in Jersey City, and a handful of other vendors.

Up for grabs were traditional pierogi flavors like potato, cheese, mushroom-barley, and buckwheat but also newer flavors like short rib, buffalo chicken, arugula-goat cheese, and taco.






[Store manager Andrew Ilnicki]


[Ilnicki family and friends]

Roman Ilnicki, the store’s social media director (and son of manager Andrew), said that he and his family were delighted at the massive turnout and happy to see so many friends, neighbors and visitors at the shop.

East Village Meat Market hosting the 2nd Annual Pierogi Tasting Day on Saturday

Via the EVG inbox...

We will be giving out FREE samples of some of the best pierogies that the Ukrainian community has to offer. We will be serving Potato, Cheese, Buckwheat, Sauerkraut, Short ribs, Pumpkin and many other varieties. Pierogies will be available for purchase as well!

We are all very excited about partnering with Veselka, but most important we can't wait to spread the "Pierogi Love" to our customers and East Village neighbors.

The event will take place all day (9 am-6 pm) at our store on 139 Second Ave.

Find more details here. And check out photos from last year's event here.


[2015 photo via Stacie Joy]

At East Village Meat Market's Pierogi Tasting Day

Photos and text by EVG contributor Stacie Joy

I stopped by Pierogi Tasting Day on Saturday at East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street.



I sampled the wares from Veselka’s, Rosa-Ly Pierogi, Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen, among others, and met the folks behind the event, Roman Ilnicki and his father, store manager Andrew Ilnicki.


[Roman, left, and Andrew Ilnicki]

Roman took a few minutes out of his busy day to chat with me about the shop, his family, and the traditions behind the store and its place in the neighborhood. Roman’s family used to live above the shop until a few years ago when they moved a couple blocks south. The store is still owned by Julian Baczynsky, who is in his 90s now. Andrew Ilnicki, who worked his way up from bagboy to store manager, is now running the market.



Roman was enthusiastic about the store’s responsibility to the community, where it has been serving the Ukrainian, Polish, and Eastern European customers as well as the rest of the East Village since 1970. With Pierogi Tasting Day, which offered plentiful samples, Roman wanted to do something nice for the neighborhood.

He believes that good food brings people together. He thought that celebrating the foods of the Ukrainian community — the meats, cheeses, blintzes and pierogis as well as the store’s best-sellers, its bone-in ham (a Christmas staple) and house-smoked kielbasa (they smoke the kielbasa on site every morning) — would be a great way to showcase the traditional values of the store: customer service, and old-school fine Eastern European tastes, products and experiences.



When I asked him what has changed since the store first opened, he said not much, with the exception of refrigeration, and some newer safety regulations, but that the foods and their prep are still the same today as they were 45 years ago.







While there were lines, I did manage to nab a delicious pumpkin and farmer’s cheese pierogi from Veselka, and Rosa-Ly’s delicious traditional potato pierogi with sautéed onions.

About the first Pierogi Tasting Day in the East Village

Via the EVG inbox…

The East Village Meat Market is joining forces with Veselka on Oct. 31 to host the first-ever Pierogi Tasting Day.

Time: 9 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Location: East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street.

• We will be serving pierogies from Veselka, Rosa-Ly Pierogi, Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen and Hunter Cultural Center
• We will be giving out free pierogies ranging from the usual potato-cheese to pumpkin and short ribs.
• All pierogies will also be available for sale

Meat and greet

[EVG photo from December probably obviously]

The Voice pays tribute to the great East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street.

The piece offers some history of the space and a rundown on the well-stocked meat counter.

Opened in 1970 by Julian Baczynsky, the store boasts a dated red and blue sign out front and an un-remodeled interior. Store-length deli cases run the length of the shop to the left of the entrance, and numerous Ukrainian and Polish goods line the shelves to the right. The place contains none of the Greek-fraternal vibe now often found in the East Village.

And!

You'll often spy long-time customers. "Do you remember us? We come all the way from Astoria," an elderly couple pushing a cart said to one of the many employees helping customers at the market. Quickly thereafter, Andrew Ilmicki, the longtime store manager, appeared to say hi to the hunched over couple, smiling and welcoming them back.

"The most important part of our business is the people," he told me later. "If you don't welcome them in, they maybe never come back."

Read the whole article here.

That pre-Easter rush

[Photo by William Klayman]

Wow. Here's the line early this afternoon for East Village Meat Market on Second Avenue... where everyone is stocking up for Easter...

The Times featured the shop in the City Room yesterday...

The weeks before Easter are now the market’s busiest time of year, as this vestige of the old community continues to draw customers, many who once lived nearby, or who worshiped at St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church. Long departed from the neighborhood, they, or their families, now travel hours to shop for holiday fare they say is difficult to find elsewhere.

Nothing better than the pre-holiday rush in the neighborhood...

...except maybe sitting at a bar watching it unfold over drinks...

Still. A few favorites.

At J. Baczynsky's East Village Meat Market...



Outside DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe on First Avenue...



Looking at the Thanksgiving pies at Something Sweet on First Avenue at 11th Street...

Two good bags: At J. Baczynsky's East Village Meat Market

I love everything about J. Baczynsky's East Village Meat Market at 139 Second Ave. near Ninth Street...seen here in this shot taken by EssG (via Flickr).



...including their shopping bags. I treat the bags like a piece of art. While I could recycle them whenever I go visit to the shop, I greedily get another one...




...which is one reason they may have run out of the bags the other day...they were left to use the common "I heart NY" variety...



I was told the bag shortage was only temporary. Still, these things can't be cheap to make.

For further reading:
Bye-bye Burritoville (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)