The hardest part of getting pączki in Chicago is either remembering to order it on time or waking up early enough to get in line on Fat Tuesday. While you’re getting your plans in place for this year’s haul of the Polish pastry, we’d like to offer you a Chicagoan’s guide to purchasing pączki — as determined by your desires, needs, and personality.
Where to buy pączki if you want…
A nip in your buns
Delightful Pastries: This spot boasts traditional products made with as many local ingredients as possible. But they also carry what they call Drunken Pączki, which feature fillings that are spiked with Jameson Irish whiskey, vodka, or moonshine. 5927 W. Lawrence Ave., Jefferson Park. delightfulpastries.com
Nothing fancy, pal
Andy’s Deli: This traditional Polish deli hardly mentions its baked goods on its website — which, instead, features an absolutely breathtaking spread of Polish meats. The pączki they do offer are all the traditional flavors at a completely reasonable price ($1.59 each). 5452 N. Milwaukee Ave., Gladstone Park. andysdeli.com
A deli tray, too
Montrose Food Mart and Deli: Man cannot survive on pączki alone (try as we might). If you’d like to make this your only errand of the day, might as well get your pączki and the rest of your groceries in one place. 6601 W. Irving Park Road, Dunning. montrosedeli.com
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Something for the ‘gram
Firecakes Donuts: New Orleans doesn’t get to have all the glitz and glamour on Fat Tuesday. Firecakes’ pączki are all about the drama. This year’s options include blood orange curd, blueberry jelly, chocolate-hazelnut mousse, and strawberry mascarpone cream. Multiple locations, firecakesdonuts.com
A multilingual experience
Kolatek Bakery: Pączki isn’t just for the Polish. Kolatek Bakery hypes its “personal shopper experience” in four languages: English, Polish, Ukrainian, and Spanish. 2445 N. Harlem Ave, Montclare. kolateksbakery.com
A vegan option
Liberation Donuts: Inclusion is important, so we’ve even got something for the vegan crowd. Liberation Donuts is offering six-packs of its vegan cherry-filled pączki for preorder. 2054 W. Grand Ave, West Town. uptonsnaturals.com/restaurants
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History (and variety)
Roeser’s Bakery: Head to Chicago’s oldest family-owned bakery (opened in 1911) to try one of 22 varieties of pączki, from chocolate custard with chocolate icing to strawberry with powdered sugar. 3216 W. North Ave., Humboldt Park. roeserscakes.com
Just a bite
Racine Bakery: A little pączki for the little Polish. Racine Bakery offers mini pączkis in addition to its full-size versions in all the traditional flavors. 6216 S Archer Ave., Garfield Ridge. racinebakery.com
Year-round pączki
Bridgeport Bakery: The bakery sells four flavors of pączki year-round, but for Fat Tuesday it’s adding 15 more varieties to its lineup. Never pass up a special when you can get the regular menu any other day. 2907 S. Archer Ave., Bridgeport. bridgeportbakery.blizzfull.com
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To drink your Fat Tuesday calories
Marz Community Brewing Co.: To celebrate the holiday and their Polish heritage, Marz releases its Pączki Stout each year. This double milk stout is brewed with cocoa nibs and lactose, meant to mimic the flavor profile of the chocolate pudding filling found inside some pączki. marz.beer
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