Bellingham's Best Late-Night-Food Battle: Man vs. 'Meni

The Contenders...


Man Pies:

Man Pies opened its doors at the beginning of the summer on Railroad Ave. and gave the the impression of being a late-night comfort food establishment that could rival its long, unchallenged neighbor-- Pel'meni.

These pies are sure to fill up even the hungriest of men and are entirely capable of soaking up copious amounts of alcohol. The best thing about Man Pies is the price-- a fixed $5.99 per pie across the menu; The worst? The pies.

I have had these pies before; I've made them; with Bisquick and canned meat; a recipe probably not too far off from what's actually used. The pies serve their purpose--to fill you up in a hurry--but if you have a choice, just stop by Haggen and buy one from Marie Callender. 

Pel'meni:

Pel'meni--a tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurant on N. State Street that serves not-your-everyday Russian dumplings. Instead of using the traditional unleavened dough, the restaurant makes the dumplings with eggnoodle and serves them up piping hot with curry, cilantro, hot sauces, various spices, sour cream and a fat slice of homemade bread.

With only two options on the menu (potato or beef dumplings, either is the standard $6) it's easy to be skeptical; however the long lines and packed tables at 2 a.m. prove the point that quality always triumphs over quantity.

Pel'meni currently operates out of Juneau, Alaska and Bellingham--the restaurant has also been a vendor at Sasquatch, Bumbershoot and Bite of Seattle and is currently in the works to open up another restaurant in Seattle. *Fingers crossed!*

The winner?



Pel'meni.

Sorry Man Pies; You can't beat a classic.