29 replies to this topic

[KAPDADDY]

Kolache.

Something about that word makes every tastebud on my tongue spring to life as if it were a 13 yr old boy viewing a nudie flick for the very first time. The combination of light and airy, slightly sweet bread with gooey cheese, fluffy eggs, and smoky meats is surely one of the greatest foods ever created. And then we have the fruit-filled version, almost dessert-like in nature, but perhaps even more loved than the former. Add cream cheese to a fruit kolache and you have unbridled nirvana in the palm of your hand.

I have made it my goal to become the leading authority, The Kingpin of Kolaches if you will, in the state of Texas. I want to find the biggest, the tastiest, the most unique kolaches this state has to offer. Who has the best bread? Who has the best fillings? Variety matters too. But quality is my main concern.

Let me hear your thoughts. Post websites, addresses, reviews, or any information that you may have. I will keep you all updated about my findings. Kolaches or bust - that's my new motto.

[hannahcooks]

Living in kolache-deprived Southern California, I sometimes lie awake at night thinking of the Czech Stop.

[Huevos del Toro]

Caldwell, TX has the reputation for being the Kolache capital of Texas, although you’ll probably get some arguments from other locales. This site has a few recipes. There are plenty of other Kolache sites. A Google will bring up quite a few. All Recipes has 7. Most of what I find are sweet fillings but the savory appeals much more to me. I'm anxious to see what is contributed here.

[fifi]

Up until a few months ago, I worked downtown for many years. The high point was when a Kolache Shop opened in the tunnel level of my building. I know it is a chain but those hot polish sausages were my downfall. That shop did them just right. I would walk up to the counter and my "spiritual momma" would say... "Hot polish?" AAAHHH... Another breakfast succesfully captured.

[ronnie_suburban]

My best friend's wife is Czech (they live here in Chicago--an excellent town for Czech & Polish cuisine, btw) and when they bring us our Christmas basket full of baked goods, it's usually war between the wife and I over its contents. A generous (but never generous enough ) sampling of kolaches is always included...

=R=

[claire797]

We Gotcha Kolache!

Boy. Sure felt good to get that out of my system.

My vote would go to Weikel's in La Grange. If you've never been, it's on highway 71 near the edge of town. Pretty good for a bakery/gas station.

[Huevos del Toro]

My vote would go to Weikel's in La Grange.

Gee, Kolache's isn't what I remember La Grange for!

[claire797]

My vote would go to Weikel's in La Grange.

Gee, Kolache's isn't what I remember La Grange for!

A haw, haw, haw.

[Lyle]

My vote would go to Weikel's in La Grange.

Gee, Kolache's isn't what I remember La Grange for!

A haw, haw, haw.

Wow. Along those same lines, you'll never guess who I ate my first kolache at Weikel's with: Marvin Zindler, about five years ago, right after his wife died. Since then my in-laws moved right outside of La Grange; therefore I get the Weikel's kolache treat far too often . I believe they also do a raging mail-order business as well. I highly enjoy them.

Edit: Oddly, to me, sweet kolaches go well with bbq.

Edited by Lyle, 19 August 2003 - 06:05 PM.

[mcdowell]

My vote would go to Weikel's in La Grange.

Gee, Kolache's isn't what I remember La Grange for!

A haw, haw, haw.

Wow. Along those same lines, you'll never guess who I ate my first kolache at Weikel's with: Marvin Zindler, about five years ago, right after his wife died.

Wow, is Marvin Zindler still alive?

Is he still doing his slime-in-the-ice-machines reports?

One of those things that stay with you forever.

[Lyle]

Last I heard he was alive and periodically broadcasting and remarried. That's year-old info, though. I didn't really have a close relationship with him, only with one of his granddaughters who I haven't talked to in awhile. But if he's still with us be sure he's currently bettin' him some horsies .

And yes, if he's still broadcasting, its slime slime all the time.

[claire797]

Marvin Zindler appears to be very much alive. That is, according to my Google search.


http://abclocal.go.c...in_zindler.html

[Richard Kilgore]

I always stop at the Czech Stop when driving between Dallas and Austin.

[KAPDADDY]

Where is the Czech Stop located? I've never heard of it.


BTW, for you Houston Kolache lovers, Morning's Kolaches are at the top of my list right now. Old Towne Kolaches are a distant second.

[fifi]

Where is Morning's Kolaches? In your opinion, what makes them so good? I need to find a kolache fix.

[Jaymes]

There are at least four or five Czech bakeries in West, Texas. I can't remember the name of the one I like best - because they're all good.

But I think I've had best luck with the one where you exit I35 and head east, go over the railroad tracks and turn left, then about a half-block on the right. Next to the Czech butchershop.

They're good.

[KAPDADDY]

Fifi,

Morning's has three locations. Not exactly sure where you live, but the closest to you would probably be the one over near Johnson Space Center and UH-Clear Lake on Bay Area Blvd(2402). The other two are located in La Porte and Deer Park.

I've only had the chance to sample their kolaches once because they're all so far away from me, but they were easily the best kolaches I've had so far, especially the cream cheese. I'll admit, I'm a bigger fan of the meat filled kolaches than I am the fruit or cheese variety, but those cheese kolaches were darn good. The bread was probably my favorite part of the kolaches. Light, sweet, fresh, and most important to me, not overly greasy. I hate kolaches that are so greasy the bread turns to mush.

They don't skimp on the fillings either. Good bread to filling ratio, was able to get a good taste of both in every bite. Good size. Not big, but not small either.

If you need a good kolache and are in the area, Morning's is the place to go.

Edited by KAPDADDY, 02 September 2003 - 01:57 PM.

[soyamiso]

There are at least four or five Czech bakeries in West, Texas.  I can't remember the name of the one I like best - because they're all good.

But I think I've had best luck with the one where you exit I35 and head east, go over the railroad tracks and turn left, then about a half-block on the right.  Next to the Czech butchershop.

They're good.

I'll second that, although the shops right off the freeway (the ones next to the gas stations) seemed to have lost something. Not bad, but not as good as a few years ago.

Ron Stone did a segment on a little homey place in West. I'd like to say Annie's, but I'm only 2% certain. The elderly lady still used her grandma's wooden spoon to mix the dough.

Now to get the yellow pages and look up Morning's. Hope they have hot chubbies.

[Kent Wang]

Czech Stop in West.







My favorite thing about this place is just how fresh the bread is. The fillings and sausages are OK, though a bit commercial, about you would expect.

[Morgan_Weber]

Just a quick update on Marvin Zindler. He passed away July 29, 2007. In Houston, he is very much missed.

[Morgan_Weber]

I'm with Kent, I want to see some really great Kolache fillings. My grandmother was Czech and made wonderful kolaches, but they were made with the typical fillings. A couple of months ago, a buddy of mine and I experimented with three different fillings for Kolaches. We made a Valrhona chocolate & cream cheese, apricot rehydrated with Shiner Bock, and sour cherry rehydrated w/ sauvignon blanc w/ eppoisse cheese.

Sometimes ideas sound better on paper than when you bite into them. The sour cherry/eppoisse was one of those ideas. We thought that since eppoisse goes so well with pinot noir, and since cherry is such a predominant flavor in pinot, that it made complete since to put them in a kolache... ...I don't think I'll ever smell eppoisse in the same way again. Take a relatively smelly cheese to begin with and then cook it inside a kolache...makes the kitchen smell wonderful for days!

Maybe with some tweaking it could work, but I haven't been brave enough to try it again.

I'd love to know some other people's ideas about kolache fillings--minus those canned fillings that most folks use.

Edited by Morgan_Weber, 24 August 2007 - 06:21 AM.

[Blanche Davidian]

Weikels' is awesome, but I am partial to Hruska's, just down the road on 71. I also like them better than the Czech Stop.

[brokentelephone]

Have you guys ever been to West, TX? Its a little Czech town with many great kolache places. I'll post pics eventually when i return home from my Texas BBQ adventure!

[Morgan_Weber]

Have you guys ever been to West, TX? Its a little Czech town with many great kolache places.  I'll post pics eventually when i return home from my Texas BBQ adventure!

West is what these folks are talking about

[JetLag]

There is a great kolache shop on FM518 in League City just a little east of Highway 3. It is on the left heading east and easy to miss. They sell out earlly and often.

[Kent Wang]

There is a great kolache shop on FM518 in League City just a little east of Highway 3. It is on the left heading east and easy to miss. They sell out earlly and often.

My parents live in League City. Can you tell me more about this place? What's it called? What's so special about their kolaches?

[mcdowell]

There is a great kolache shop on FM518 in League City just a little east of Highway 3. It is on the left heading east and easy to miss. They sell out earlly and often.

My parents live in League City. Can you tell me more about this place? What's it called? What's so special about their kolaches?

You have to be talking about 'kolache bakery' there on 518 -- it's very good (my parents live just west of League City).

Edited by mcdowell, 06 September 2007 - 11:38 AM.

[joiei]

earlier this summer I was driving down to Ada, OK and when passing through Prague and there was a couple of koloache bakeries. This is off I-10 kind of close to OKC.

[jsmeeker]

There are at least four or five Czech bakeries in West, Texas. I can't remember the name of the one I like best - because they're all good.

But I think I've had best luck with the one where you exit I35 and head east, go over the railroad tracks and turn left, then about a half-block on the right. Next to the Czech butchershop.

They're good.

You are probably thinking about Gerik's Ole Czech Smokehouse and Bakery. I stopped there last Saturday on my way down to Lockhart and Luling for some BBQ. Here is a pic of the cherry kolache I bought



I thought this was better than the cherry kolache I got at Czech Stop on the way back home on Sunday. Most notably, the filling was better.

[Jaymes]

There are at least four or five Czech bakeries in West, Texas. I can't remember the name of the one I like best - because they're all good.

But I think I've had best luck with the one where you exit I35 and head east, go over the railroad tracks and turn left, then about a half-block on the right. Next to the Czech butchershop.

They're good.

You are probably thinking about Gerik's Ole Czech Smokehouse and Bakery. I stopped there last Saturday on my way down to Lockhart and Luling for some BBQ. Here is a pic of the cherry kolache I bought



I thought this was better than the cherry kolache I got at Czech Stop on the way back home on Sunday. Most notably, the filling was better.

Doing a search for kolaches, and came up with this old thread.

And no, I wasn't thinking of Gerik's. I was thinking of a place actually in town, north on Main Street, next to the Czech butcher shop. But just came through there a week or so ago, and the place I liked has closed. The typical story - bought out by new owners, quality went down, had to close.

I do go to Gerik's now. Or Village Bakery, also in town on Main, but you turn right, about a block south.

Czech Stop is okay, but really pretty mediocre compared with other bakeries in town. Of course, in their defense, they don't have to be as good because they've got the best location and that's where all the "rubber tire tourists" stop.

So, whatever works...

Right?



________________

Edited by Jaymes, 11 June 2010 - 08:56 AM.