The pierogi taco, a Pol-Mex fusion snack, has landed

Two Polish food businesses in Metro Detroit have started serving a fun Polish twist on the street taco this summer.

After seeing an example on social media, both Polish Village Cafe in Hamtramck and Pietrzyk Pierogi (a pop-up that also sells out of Detroit's Gratiot Central Market) have offered pierogi tacos recently.

They're made with a pierogi as the shell and stuffed with slices of kielbasa, sauerkraut, grilled onions and more. They're shaped like a taco but taste like Polish food. 

The inspiration came from internet chef Josh Elkin, who is known for inventive concoctions like rigatoni tacos with a fried chicken shell and a hand-held beef Wellington. 

Polish Village Cafe, which is such an old-school favorite that they only recently started taking credit cards, offered the pierogi taco last month as a special and were sold out at lunchtime. We're told the restaurant's Polish-speaking kitchen masters use a dumpling that is larger than their standard pierogi, and it's not filled with anything. They stuff slices of Polish sausage inside with a mix of kraut, bacon, onion and some secret ingredients.

This isn't the first dance outside traditional Polish food for the Hamtramck restaurant. They also offer a kielbasa done up in the style of a Chicago hot dog, and serve crave-able pepperoni pizza- and cheeseburger-stuffed pierogi. 

The pierogi taco is not on their regular menu, though. Expect it to return as a special item at Polish Village Tuesday, Aug. 4. Dine in, order to-go or get curbside carryout at 2990 Yemans. Call (313) 874-5726.

Pietrzyk Pierogi took the fusion a bit farther. Chef Erica Pietrzyk makes hers with sauerkraut, smoked kielbasa and sour cream, and also cilantro and sliced jalapeno. The pierogi "shell" is like her "becky" pierogi, which has jalapeno peppers, cream cheese and cheddar cheese. 

"I usually don't follow trends like this," Pietrzyk said. "But after being tagged in 28 posts about it, I decided to give the people what they want, but also put my own bit of Pierogi Queen spice to it."

She also serves a kielbasa in the style of a Chicago hot dog and has gourmet fillings like spinach and artichoke. 

Pietrzyk slung the pierogi tacos last week at a pop-up event at Brew Detroit (1401 Abbott) in Corktown, and she'll have them this week at the store and at Urbanrest Brewing Company in Ferndale Thursday evening. They are back back at Brew Detroit Friday.

Pietrzyk Pierogi's storefront is inside Gratiot Central Market at 1429 Gratiot in Detroit 11 a.m-3 p.m. Wed.-Thurs. and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Visit pietrzykpierogi.com to learn more. 

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens