111 Year Adventure of A Cracow Clan
The Lodzinski family, an entrepreneurial clan who own a smattering of the most popular restaurants in Cracow, held a special celebration this month to mark 111 years of the family firm. Dziennik Polski reported that 'all of Cracow and a little of Warsaw too' attended the banquet at Pod Aniolami Restaurant (Under the Angels), a homely establishment that has won many fans with its excellent Zurek Soup.
The rise and rise of the Lodzinskis began in 1893 with the foundation of a shop in the Cloth Hall, the splendid edifice that sweeps across Cracow's Market Square. Whilst the Lodzinski business came through the The Great War relatively unshaken, no Polish family was left untouched by the tremors of the Second War. By 1939, the Lodzinskis had built up a considerable empire, including a panoply of top notch real estate in Cracow's Old Town. All was lost with the Socialist Reforms of the Post-war Communist Republic.
In 1990, the Lodzinskis were amongst the first to successfully reclaim their property. Displaying great flair and a business acumen which Old Man Lodzinski would have been proud, Jacek Lodzinski set about creating a range of shops, cafes and restaurants, many of which went on to win great acclaim. One leading American newspaper even described Cafe Camelot as 'the best cafe in the world'. Meanwhile, Pod Aniolami's Pierogi (Poland's best loved dish) won several prizes in the recent Cracow Pierogi Festival, although wry observers noted that the event had been organized by Lodzinski himself.
Mr Lodzinski has also been active in promoting the arts, fostering a number of distinguished Polish singers and artists. The cabaret at Loch Camelot has become a much-loved addition to Cracow's cultural scene, echoing a hundred year old tradition in the former Royal Capital.