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Honoring the Past with Chili

Following a legend

It’s not easy following a legend. Casey McLenon took on the challenge when he bought the Porubsky’s Deli and Tavern building, a landmark in Topeka’s Little Russia neighborhood since 1947. He then joined forces with friend and cook John Tacha to open The Little Russia Chili Parlor in November 2022 with hopes of respecting the past while offering great food to Topeka.

“That’s the whole trick,” McLenon points out. “To be in the restaurant business for more than 70 years is incredible. Let’s take what they’ve done and amplify it in a positive way that’s cool. That’s fun.”

First on the agenda was an update to the interior. What was once the grocery area is now seating for 30 diners. The 1940s deli case is still where customers place their orders, which are ready on average in two minutes, and the antique butcher block is now a condiment station. The bright, open space is decorated with a railroad theme.

Not many changes were made to the parlor’s bar area, with its dark wood paneling and long wooden bar top. Simpsons figurines line a shelf behind the bar, and vintage beer lighting and signs complete the look.

McLenon has a photo from the 1950s featuring businessmen in suits and blue-collar workers enjoying lunch at the bar. “I know there’s an incredible history here with the political people who sat down to talk shop. We hope to get that here again,” he says.

The menu still contains items such as a cold plate, hot pickles, pimento cheese, ham salad, and, of course, chili. McLenon hopes customers understand while the taste may be different than they remember, it’s excellent in its own right. He explains, “We didn’t buy the recipes. The name Porubsky wasn’t something they wanted to sell either, and I totally get it. Our whole thought process was, let’s honor what they’ve done and make it go on.”

The chili recipe starts with one that the Lawrence Boy Scouts used for decades for their annual chili feed. Tacha then partnered with Al Struttman at Moburts spice shop downtown to create a proprietary chili-seasoning blend. He also added fire-roasted tomatoes to the mix.

Cinnamon rolls are also on the menu. The gooey, delicious pastries are a Kansas Amish- made product that allows customers to enjoy the traditional pairing they remember from school lunches. Tacha says, “We’ve got a fella that brings his own bowl so he can perfectly fit his cinnamon roll in it and then dump the chili on top.”

It is important to Tacha the bowl of chili you get today tastes the same as the one you order tomorrow, next week, or next month.  It can be ordered by the bowl, quart, or gallon. Last December, the local fire department ordered four gallons of chili and thirty-six cinnamon rolls because they didn’t want their crew to have to cook on Christmas day.

The pimento cheese, ham salad, and bread and butter pickles come from Tacha’s grandmother’s recipes. He also came up with a horseradish-based hot pickle similar to the ones beloved by long-time customers, but with a little less heat. However, he does have a wicked- hot variety for those looking to clear out their sinuses.

Menu items can be ordered ahead on the restaurant’s website, 508pickles.com. Plus, the bar area can be reserved for meetings and parties.

McLenon says just about everyone who comes in has a memory to share. He enjoys hearing them and hopes new ones are made and shared.

“It isn’t the same as before, but I hope the spirit is similar,” he says. “A lot of people have some connection to this place. We want to carry it on, making sure there’s something here to support this little neighborhood of 42 houses, the North Topeka and Oakland neighborhoods, and then all of Topeka. I want this place to continue to generate good stories.”

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