“Fat Tuesday” Al’s day in the kitchen!

You have all heard me expound on the great pastries and baked goods at Delightful Pastries in Jefferson Park. Over the years I have had the delight to attend special events where pastry chef Dobra shows us the kitchen and allows us to partake of the goodies! During the era of covid ( as I put it, when all was kind of “shut down”) no visit- but now, as things become normal again, with Fat Tuesday ( Mardi Gras as well)  almost here, it was time to make a trip to Jefferson Park, 5927 West Lawrence Avenue ( just east of Austin ) in Chicago, the home of Delightful Pastries, a happy place in Chicago for decades and decades.

From the outside it appears a very small place, but once you get past the front/store area, into the kitchen , one sees the depth of this place making it easy to understand how thye can produce all that they do. They are not juts a pastry shop! No sir! They do fresh soups and home made meals! They can cater a party! They can do dinners! You name it, they can make it!

Pastry chef Dobra is a whiz and does classes for those who want to try their hand at what she does so perfectly. Today, I donned my Delightful Pastries apron and ventured back into the vast kitchen, which on a Friday was abuzz with activity. In addition to the amazing Paczi’s ( they offer them all years, not just “Fat Tuesday”), they were making Crescent rolls, breads, cakes and Quiche Lorraine’s ( they looked pretty yummy).

I went to the back area with Dobra where we dipped the dough into the oil and then one by one turned them until they reached the proper consistency. They were put on the side to drain and cool, and then dipped into the icing. This must be done quickly and then once cool, they are taken to another area where they are filled with the whipped cream and other flavorings. The fruit and all the other fillings are what makes Delightful’s paczki ( also known as a Polish Donut) as delightful as they are ( I enjoyed two while there and took home a few for later).

Again, while it is called a bakery and pastry shop, and has been under Dobra’s leadership sine last century ( in actuality 1998) they also do sandwiches, soups, ethnic foods, amazing breads, and even party trays and catering. Take a look at their website www.delightfulpastries.com. They are easy to get to at 5927 West Lawrence Avenue, with plenty of parking ( the city has not added meters yet) and they do have some delivery service as well- check the site.

Here are some of the items you will see:

They are open as follows:

Monday-Fridays  6 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Saturday  6 a.m.- 4 p.m.

SUNDAY  CLOSED

They are open on the Sunday before “Fat Tuesday”- February 19th from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Phone number- 773-545-7215