Julek’s Polish Kitchen

On September 29 Julek’s Polish Kitchen celebrated their five-year anniversary at 160 North Pacific Hwy, Suite #4 here in Talent. We recently had the chance to ask owner Bogusia a few questions

How long you’ve lived in Talent and what brought you here?
I moved from Poland to Ashland in 1989. Our family lived in Ashland until 2010, when we decided to move to the lovely small town of Talent. Since then, Talent has been home, and it’s wonderful! It has been exciting to watch this town grow year after year, and to be part of the local, inviting community. Because of this, Talent seemed like the perfect place to open Julek’s.

What’s your background in this type of business, and what motivated you to open the business or follow this career?
I have had a trickle of inspiring people flow through my life who have influenced me in various ways at different times, and who I owe this great accomplishment to. My father, Julek, would always chat about how wonderful it would be to have a place where new and old friends, neighbors, and strangers alike could gather to enjoy a hearty, healthy meal. At home, we would always host an array of friends and family on holidays, and prepare each course from scratch. I remember cooking together in our tiny kitchen, my mother assigning tasks for my sister and I to complete. My father would watch us in awe at how fluidly we would prepare each course, and I believe this is what contributed to his larger “restaurant” vision, beyond the confines of our small vintage stove and oven. He saw the passion for food I did not know I had back then.

Along the country side, outside my hometown of Darłowo, lived my great-aunt (from my mother’s side). Her name was Aniela. She had a beautiful farmstead with numerous rows of vegetables, fruit-filled trees and bushes, flowers scattered about and of course chickens and goats, all living happily with her as their caretaker. Her passion for farming, harvesting, pickling, and preserving was inspiring, and I spent most of my summers biking to her farm for the day, helping her and spending time with her, dreading the day I had to return to school. This is primarily where I learned how much time and passion it takes to grow REAL food from scratch. There is actually a painting of her farmstead in our restaurant!

I have always had a drive to be self-employed. I worked from home as a clothing designer while my children were growing, and cooked homemade meals for family and friends, keeping my passion for food as part of our daily life. As the kids grew, I continued sewing, but had an idea brewing in the back of my mind. When my father suddenly passed away in January of 2010, I knew it was time to make a change. I remember thinking over what he had always encouraged me to do, but I had always been hesitant, or too scared. At that moment, I realized that I couldn’t take life for granted because you never know what tomorrow may bring. With the immense help of my children, Sebastian, Przemek, and Aniela and friends and family, we began the journey to open Julek’s.

Describe your business:
Julek’s is not a typical restaurant, my goal was to make it a place similar to what my father had envisioned: a kitchen where everyone is welcome to come enjoy a fresh, homemade meal created with passion and love.
Julek’s is strictly NON-GMO. We use organic ingredients; meats that are grass fed, free range, and never treated with hormones or antibiotics. Basically, I only use ingredients that I would use at home to feed my family. Because I prepare each menu item to order, it does take time. So please relax and enjoy yourself while you are here. Have a drink, an appetizer, appreciate your company, and dinner will be out before you know it.

What can customers expect?
An atmosphere that seats both special occasions and casual after-work attire. Julek’s is like our home-our dining room. We want our customers to leave with a happy belly, and a smile on their faces! We offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options as well; just give us a call to inquire what we are offering that week!

What other services or products do you offer your customers?
Christmas Eve—Wigilia—is a very important celebration in our family, and we have begun sharing this experience with our customers as well! Please visit our website, julekspolishkitchen.com to learn more about our fifth annual Christmas Eve Celebration. It is a reservation only event, including 12 special courses, accompanied by live music and Polish traditions.
We offer a variety of Polish imported beers, and specialty and local wines!

Thank you to everyone who has supported Julek’s over the last five years, we appreciate you more than you know, and couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you!