The Rogi Shoppe: Small Batch Pierogies in Shelton

Steak and cheese perogi. I added onions for that Whiz Wit effect.

Some years ago, at a local food festival or a brewery, you may have come across a red truck by the name of “Pierogies On Wheels.” If I have to tell you what their signature dish is, you may want to reread that first sentence. Pierogies On Wheels in its truck form, though, is no more. But in 2020, it was resurrected under a new name and in a new storefront form in Downtown Shelton.

In case you’re wondering, it’s now known as The Rogi Shoppe.

At The Rogi Shoppe, it’s not only a continuation of the food truck, but also where the mother and son team of Mateusz and Ela Nogas are continuing their Polish heritage. “My mom, sister (Magda), and I came to the U.S. in 2002 from Poland,” Nogas says. “My mom didn’t know much English. She worked part-time jobs but started making pierogi for family and friends. She eventually had so many orders that people told her that she should open a business.”

In 2014, Magda, who has a business degree, helped get the truck venture off the ground running. There’s a chance you’ve tried the family’s pierogis at Two Roads, other Connecticut breweries, at the Hey Stamford! Food Festival, and at various fairs all over the state.

The Martin Rosol smoked kielbasa, Nodas told us, is one of two recipes the New Britain based meat company makes that alternates throughout the year. They get it delivered fresh once or twice per week. Also pictured are boiled potato-cheese perogi with onions, a selection of Polish beverages, and homemade chicken noodle soup.

Pierogies On Wheels was busy for years, according to Mateusz, then the pandemic hit, and events and festivals were cancelled, thus leaving their food truck business in limbo.

Bringing pierogis back, though, was just around the corner for the Nogas Family.

“We were sitting at home and our cook sent us the listing of a place in Shelton that was perfect for a little takeout location,” Nogas says. “My sister went on to do her own thing. I had gone to culinary school, then worked in a bunch of restaurants, then got out of the restaurant business altogether, but I thought to get back into it during the pandemic. My mom and I decided to open The Rogi Shoppe together.”

It's at their brick-and-mortar where they’re offering a secret family pierogi dough recipe that’s been passed down from Ela’s mother. All we could get out of Mateusz was a few hints. “The flour we use is imported from Poland,” he reveals. “It’s a cake flour making them really light. Some (of the pierogis) have sour cream in the dough, so they’re fluffier even after frying.”

What you can expect on The Rogi Shoppe’s menu is a mix of old school classics like potato and cheese, sauerkraut and mushroom, and new school pierogi stuffed with steak and cheese, and monthly specials like BBQ chicken and buffalo chicken. And you can customize the cook you want on your pierogi order to be pan fried, boiled, or served cold, as well as the topping choices like bacon, tzatziki, sautéed onion (that’s phenomenal on the cheesesteak pierogis), sour cream, and kraut that, like the flour, is also imported from Poland.

Mushroom - kraut ‘rogi with bacon

The rest of The Rogi Shoppe’s menu are a trio of salads—one being a classic Polish carrot horseradish salad—scratch made soups, and a smoked snappy casing Martin Rosol kielbasa that’s served crisped up alongside three pierogi and plenty of kraut.

Soon, Nogas teased some new recipes based on food that he personally enjoys that he’s excited to have debut on the menu like a falafel pierogi with a tahini drizzle and a cucumber-tomato salad on the side, and a sweet treat in the form of a yeast risen, fluffy Belgian liege waffle, sugar pearl crunch and all.

As far as if the truck will ever come back…maybe. But for the present, Nogas is focused on his still new spot on Bridge Street.

“People are still calling about it,” Nogas says. “If we establish a solid team, we’ll think about it. We’ve been consistently busy (at the storefront), and it’s surprising how far some people have driven to come here. Hours away from Springfield and Boston. We’ve even gotten inquiries about shipping! I’m still tinkering with that. But I’m excited about being here and the whole downtown area developing in Shelton.”

55 Bridge Street; Shelton
203.513.8838; therogishoppe.com