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Paczkis steal the show on Fat Tuesday in Chicago
The line was long and the wait was worth it Tuesday at Delightful Pastries in Jefferson Park.
CHICAGO - Fat Tuesday used to mean Paczki Day only in Polish neighborhoods, but now it is citywide and a license to ditch your diet whether you are Polish or not.
The line was long and the wait was worth it at Delightful Pastries in Jefferson Park.
They've taken the old tradition and turned it on its head with crazy new flavors of paczkis.
They may look like the same old paczkis: powdered, frosted, and filled.
But with flavors like salted caramel, passion fruit and Jameson whiskey chocolate custard, they are not your parents paczkis.
"It's part of making paczkis part of the American food experience, you know, like lasagna, tacos, salsa, enchiladas. We think of it as American food and Polish food is going to become American food. That's my big plan," said Dobra Bielinski, the bakery owner.
Bielinski said she will make about 10,000 paczkis today and customers were buying them by the box.
One person left with 150.
They are just more fun to eat in a group.
"I'm bringing them to clients and bringing them to my office and some home tonight for the kids too," said one woman in line.
"We're trying the strawberry ones today. We never tried those. I'm looking forward to it," said another.
While the bakery also has delicious-looking cookies and croissants there was only one star of the show today.
The only pastry that has its own day: Paczki Day.