As someone who grew up in Brazil, this whole kolache obsession feels very familiar.. we’ve had savory bakery breakfasts forever on the streets. Sausage rolls, pão de queijo, stuffed pastries and so on.
The idea that breakfast pastry must be sweet always seemed like a strange limitation. Now I really want to make a Texas-Czech bakery pilgrimage!
This is my current neck of the woods in Central Texas! It's downright traditional to stop in West (which locals call "West Comma" to distinguish from the region) when you're road-tripping from Austin or San Antonio to the Dallas area. Most people have an opinion about which kolache place is better right off I-35, but lots of folks will tell you going a little further into town gets better results.
Around here, I also eat lots of the kolaches that aren't the dough-wrapped sausages but are rather more like pastries with fruit filling.
I'm so relieved I am not hungry as I've read this! I did look to see whether I could find anything locally (briefly) (Madison WI) but I did not. Great read though!
I'm of part Czech background, and the ones that settled in the Chicago area only make the sweet pastry dough variant with the fruit dimple, or sometimes wrap them into little rolled up tacos (called kolacky or sometimes roski). I've never had the klobasniki down in Texas, but that sounds amazing. Let me know if you ever whip up a batch and I'd happily trade you for a plate of my dessert version.
Eddie, being from the petty State of Texas and living part time in Evanston, you hit a chord with me on the Kolache debate that even occurs within the State of Texas.
If you search enough you will find dozens of hand made kolache shops between Houston and San Antonio and Austin. This is the heart of Kolache country. North of there, you will still find kolache shops but they will be different from their cousins south of them.
There used to be more of them, but the breakfast taco now reigns supreme due to the influx of ppl from below our southern border. I love those too!
Shipley’s is from Houston. Kolache Factory is from Houston too. My favorite kolache shop is Praseks near Hillje and another is Hruskas in La Grange. There are many many more. Hell , even Buc-EEs has a pretty good one.
I’ll be your first customer if you do one up here! Heck, I can even be your test kitchen partner.
If you like brisket, there is a good number of super quality BBQ places in the Austin, San Antonio and Houston triangle that don’t make the news every month, but as good as you have ever had.
Again, thanks to the Czech and Black influences. They had to smoke their meats because of limited ice and cool root cellars. It’s just too hot in the summers to store without smoking.
As someone who grew up in Brazil, this whole kolache obsession feels very familiar.. we’ve had savory bakery breakfasts forever on the streets. Sausage rolls, pão de queijo, stuffed pastries and so on.
The idea that breakfast pastry must be sweet always seemed like a strange limitation. Now I really want to make a Texas-Czech bakery pilgrimage!
Totally worth it. And as a spouse to a Brazilian, the food I ate on a recent visit to Brazil was absolutely ridiculous. So delicious.
Happy to hear that!!
This is my current neck of the woods in Central Texas! It's downright traditional to stop in West (which locals call "West Comma" to distinguish from the region) when you're road-tripping from Austin or San Antonio to the Dallas area. Most people have an opinion about which kolache place is better right off I-35, but lots of folks will tell you going a little further into town gets better results.
Around here, I also eat lots of the kolaches that aren't the dough-wrapped sausages but are rather more like pastries with fruit filling.
Great post!
I'm so relieved I am not hungry as I've read this! I did look to see whether I could find anything locally (briefly) (Madison WI) but I did not. Great read though!
Thank you Eddie.
I'm of part Czech background, and the ones that settled in the Chicago area only make the sweet pastry dough variant with the fruit dimple, or sometimes wrap them into little rolled up tacos (called kolacky or sometimes roski). I've never had the klobasniki down in Texas, but that sounds amazing. Let me know if you ever whip up a batch and I'd happily trade you for a plate of my dessert version.
it’s a deal!
Eddie, being from the petty State of Texas and living part time in Evanston, you hit a chord with me on the Kolache debate that even occurs within the State of Texas.
If you search enough you will find dozens of hand made kolache shops between Houston and San Antonio and Austin. This is the heart of Kolache country. North of there, you will still find kolache shops but they will be different from their cousins south of them.
There used to be more of them, but the breakfast taco now reigns supreme due to the influx of ppl from below our southern border. I love those too!
Shipley’s is from Houston. Kolache Factory is from Houston too. My favorite kolache shop is Praseks near Hillje and another is Hruskas in La Grange. There are many many more. Hell , even Buc-EEs has a pretty good one.
I’ll be your first customer if you do one up here! Heck, I can even be your test kitchen partner.
David McGuire
Still missing Edzo’s
I had to try a “brisket on the board!” at Buc-ee’s. There’s a post about them in the hopper as well.
If you like brisket, there is a good number of super quality BBQ places in the Austin, San Antonio and Houston triangle that don’t make the news every month, but as good as you have ever had.
Again, thanks to the Czech and Black influences. They had to smoke their meats because of limited ice and cool root cellars. It’s just too hot in the summers to store without smoking.