Our office treated us to paczki from Firecakes. I thought they were pretty perfect (I am no expert), although we only got two varieties, Raspberry, and Bavarian Cream with chocolate coating on top. They were slight smaller than most paczki I've seen elsewhere, I would say about 2.5" diameter. The pastry was light and fluffy, not dry, and fillings were tasty and authentic and did not taste like it had any thickeners, and in a good proportion to the pastry size.

As for Bridgeport Bakery, our boss has gotten us some from there in the past. I found them dry, and one did not have any filling at all although the hole where the piping bag was inserted had a dab of jelly as if to trick you into thinking there was something inside. Whether deliberate or accidental, it did not leave a good impression on me as to Bridgeport's goods. Just made me think people go there for the old school, nostalgia factor rather than an actual well-made pastry.

As usual, Delightful Pastries for me. Perfect as always - strawberries with whipped cream and also passion fruit. I normally go for more including the wonderful boozy fillings, but I was feeling slightly cheap this year.

The usual Shop & Save pączki for me. Solid, as always, with the amount of filling (not very much) I prefer, and the right kind of rich, challah/brioche-like dough. They must have had nearly a thousand of them on pan racks for you to help yourselves to. I just bought the usual: rosehip, plum, and plain.

Hi,

Last year, I hosted a luncheon at Old Warsaw for my mushroom club. They had one style of paczki available: plum with an orange peel glaze. It was very good.

I bought some paczki at Shop and Save, too. I thought I was buying plum, though I bought plain instead. I had some raspberry, blackberry and blueberry jam at home I smeared on. Next time I will be more careful about what I pick out.

Regards,
Cathy2

I didn't get to my beloved Cumberland Bakery this year for paczki.

Our work cafeteria had received a delivery of paczki from Poppie's Dough, whoa were they bad, not edible, tried two kinds. https://www.poppiesbakeshop.com
-

The day is quickly coming up.


Always been pleased with the product from...

Vesecky's Bakery
6634 Cermak Rd, Berwyn

Call to reserve.

Delightful Pastries to be sure is good. However if you are in the western suburbs, Busy Bee bakery in Downers Grove makes some good ones.

Polish Paczki Cafe
7210 W. Foster

These are the bakers from the late renowned Old Warsaw. I am immersed in the Chicago Polish scene out here in Dunning and Paczki Cafe are considered the gold standard by which all others are judged.

My neighbor, half Polish and half Slovenian is looking for them in the Portland Salem area here in Oregon. I found that Bowery Bagels has made them in the past, so tomorrow, I'll call them and see.

Anyone else know of a place for them here in Oregon?

Xexo wrote:My neighbor, half Polish and half Slovenian is looking for them in the Portland Salem area here in Oregon. I found that Bowery Bagels has made them in the past, so tomorrow, I'll call them and see.

Anyone else know of a place for them here in Oregon?

http://portlandpolonia.org/cafe-home/

Welcome to Grandpa's Cafe, a Polish style restaurant and deli where you can eat original Polish food. Our family operated Grandpa's Cafe offers delicious homemade cuisine. We have received a great deal of praises for the food and the atmosphere at Grandpa's Cafe. Many said it is a hidden treasure in Portland. Aside from our extended holiday hours, the Cafe will be open one weekend a month.

Fat Tuesday on Saturday! Join us Saturday, February 22nd at 6PM for a Polish style Mardi Gras. Enjoy dinner, a wide selection of Polish desserts, and music and dancing, all for $20

Grandpa's Cafe sells also meats, kielbasa, over 100 products from Poland, and about 15 different kinds of Polish beer. It is located inside the Polish Hall building at 3832 N. Interstate (entry from Failing Street)

http://www.ststanislausparish.com/
They sell pierogi and kielbasa.

https://www.polishfestivalpdx.org/
Something to look forward to in September.

I have a feeling one of these places may know where to obtain paczki.

Regards,
Cathy2

Thanks Cathy. I will check them out.

The best lead I had so far was a bagel shop that has made them in the past. They are not making them this year.

Xexo wrote:My neighbor, half Polish and half Slovenian is looking for them in the Portland Salem area here in Oregon. I found that Bowery Bagels has made them in the past, so tomorrow, I'll call them and see.

Anyone else know of a place for them here in Oregon?

The famous doughnut place, Voodoo, doesn't make them?

Octarine wrote:Polish Paczki Cafe
7210 W. Foster

These are the bakers from the late renowned Old Warsaw. I am immersed in the Chicago Polish scene out here in Dunning and Paczki Cafe are considered the gold standard by which all others are judged.

Seconded.

Probably my fav. Often you can get it warm, which really is gilding the lily.

Remember today (2/20) is the real paczki day.

Vital Information wrote:Probably my fav. Often you can get it warm, which really is gilding the lily.

Yeah, it is a wonderful gilding. Rosehip jam inside and glaze with orange zest ... simple and delicious.

Regards,
Cathy2

Just received this email from Graeter's ice cream:

Graeter's remains true to a delicious tradition of Paczki & King Cakes, made to share between friends, family & co-workers leading up to Fat Tuesday (2/25).

Don't miss a chance to enjoy these delicious treats. Be sure to pre-order your Paczki & King Cakes today!

I don't know if their Illinois locations offer this, but maybe.

I dig Pticek's, Phil Wingo's wife's family bakery.
---> Link to my Pticek's post.

Pticek & Son Bakery
5523 S Narragansett Ave
Chicago, IL 60638
773-585-5500

Paczki Day 2020 In South Suburbs: Your Fat Tuesday Guide, Map

OUR BAKER'S DOZEN PICKS - 13 PLACES TO GET A PACZKI IN THE SOUTH SUBURBS

Velvet Cake Bakery, 5168 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn
Talerico Martin Bakery, 7334 W. 63rd St. in Summit
Fleckenstein's Bakery, 19225 S. La Grange Road in Mokena
Pearson's Bakery, 1 W. 16th St. in Chicago Heights
Iversen's Bakery, 12948 S. Western Ave. in Blue Island
Doughs Guys Bakery, 12248 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights
Witek's Bakery, 8807 W. 95th St. in Palos Hills
Calumet Bakery, 18349 Torrence Ave. in Lansing
Fleckenstein's Bakery, 352 W. Maple St. in New Lenox
Doughs Guys Bakery, 13545 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood
Orland Park Bakery, 14850 S. La Grange Road in Orland Park
Zettlmeier's Bakery, 17016 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park
Wolf's Bakery, 3241 W. 95th St. in Evergreen Park

I second Dough Guys their facebook page has an order form hopefully I can figure out how to post.

I'd also give a nod to Orland Bakery thought of trying this year but i'm going to stick with Dough Guys.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Central Continental Bakery in Mount Prospect had a ridiculous variety (Chocolate Lovers, Unicorn) and range in prices from $2.20 to $4.40. That's a little outrageous, and yet we have some on order.

Anyone had the Firecake paczki? Their current flavors are meyer lemon curd, blood orange raspberry, chocolate malt custard, and drunken plum.

I love their donuts the most but haven't had their paczki before, and I'm curious to hear any feedback on the interesting flavors they offer.

I do hope people will be posting pictures of their packi. And their happy faces while eating their packi. I guess I'll just have to get a bismark and pretend it is a packi.

What we bought from Central Continental
I can't tell what all of them are (and SueF took most of them to the office), but I think it's as follows:
1st row: Cannoli, two Chocolate Lovers, ???
2nd row: Key lime, Apple Pie, Turtle
3rd row: ???, Chocolate Mousse, Lemon Meringue
4th row: Almond Joy, Lady Godiva, Chocolate Chip Cookie

I've had the King cake at Bennison's in Evanston, and it is always good and so are their paczki. They are on Davis and Maple in downtown Evanston.

Since the recommendation from this forum for the Polish Paczki Café was seconded by my Polish hairstylist, we headed to Harlem and Foster on Friday.

The previous day, true Polish Paczki Day on Thursday, they had been open 24-hours, midnight to midnight, and they only sold paczki, not serving items from their food menu.

But Friday the kitchen was open. While we joined the line out the door for the paczkis, we snaked past tables where folks were eating golubkis, pierogis, potato pancakes, bigos and all sorts of other heavenly items! We resolved to come back when the hubbub had died down a bit.

The restaurant is just a tiny café with plain tables in a storefront and the women waiting the tables and working the paczki line seemed quite beleaguered. They only had one flavor of paczki on Friday, a "mixed fruit" of plum and rosehip. As expected, the paczkis came out quite hot and we were warned about carrying them carefully for that reason. They made it to the car before somehow disappearing -- in three bites! Thumbs up from us! and we will report back on the rest of the menu at some point.

JoelF, thanks for the photo. Those look fantastic. I'm sure you enjoyed them all.

Joy, three bites? Must have been very good.

NFriday, I've never had King Cake. A grocery store here is suppose to have it tomorrow. Maybe I'll get one to try. Oh, funny thing, I worked with a woman named Nancy Friday, so whenever I see your nym, I think of you as Nancy. For all I know, you are Ned, or Natasha.

Coworker brought in a couple boxes of paczki from Bennison's today. I've never tried their version but am now a convert. Simply spectacular.

spinynorman99 wrote:Coworker brought in a couple boxes of paczki from Bennison's today. I've never tried their version but am now a convert. Simply spectacular.

Pics or it didn't happen!

Stopped by Polish Paczki Cafe today at 9a and found a line from the counter back to the front entrance of the store (but not out the door). Total wait time was an hour, with paczkis being made non-stop, and every single one coming out warm. I was advised they'd be open all day today, and were open since 2 am slinging baked goods.

Definitely worth the wait and unlike any paczki I've had before. Timing was perfect as we ordered 14 to go, and 2 came out first by themselves. The wife and I each enjoyed ours hot out of the oven while we waited for the remaining dozen, which went to my office. Incredibly light and pillow-y, and the rose scented filling was a new experience for me.

There is virtually no organization to the shop, no signs, no menu, no one available to really answer any questions at all until you get up to the register. But everyone there seemed to know the drill and were happy to wait. Just join the line, go with the flow, and bring a cup of coffee for the hour long wait.

Xexo wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:Coworker brought in a couple boxes of paczki from Bennison's today. I've never tried their version but am now a convert. Simply spectacular.

Pics or it didn't happen!

Pretty much pics of powdered sugar at this time.

I went to Kolatek's this morning. There was a modest line, and a WTTW news crew there filming b-roll. They were paczkis coming out of the kitchen by the two dozen, really beautiful, really impressive. Checking out I scanned the five words I know in Polish and told the cashier "good morning," and she smiled and said she didn't know Polish.

Anyway, I bought a half-dozen, but the only one I've eaten so far (I'll probably freeze the rest) was the black currant, which was among the best donut-y things I think I've ever eaten.