Eastern European flavors dance with Latin touches in Bold Food & Drink’s cheddar pierogies with spicy espelette shrimp corn cruda ($23).
Chef and owner Demetrios Atheneos recently launched this luxurious entree as a way to add some punch to his house-made pierogies. Similar to a salsa, the cruda lends a tango of spicy flavors thanks to corn, espelette pepper, sauteed shrimp, tomatoes, roasted chiles and onions.
As the more mild-mannered component on the dish, the pierogies come filled with potato, cheddar cheese, chives, cream and butter. Sauteed in butter and shallots, they help soften all the bright, bold flavors, including a creamy lime crema drizzle. One bite and you might never look at a classic pierogi the same way again.
“It’s almost like a Latin interpretation of an American classic,” says Atheneos. “Pierogies are kind of boring in plate presentation. This is adding more dimensions to the flavor profiles of the dish.”
Click to read our Cleveland Pierogi Guide, a taste of 25 of Cleveland's best pierogies.
