Every Fat Tuesday, Clevelanders gather around various bakeries in hopes of getting their hands on some delicious paczkis. The deep-fried pastries are filled with a variety of ingredients — from fresh fruit and jelly to cream — and are typically served ahead of Lent as a longstanding Polish tradition. Here are five local bakeries to stock up on some mouth-watering paczkis.
Goldie’s Donuts & Bakery
Looking to grab a donut alongside your paczki for an extra sugar rush? Check out Lyndhurst’s own Goldie’s Donuts & Bakery which makes delicious paczkis in-house every day just as they have done for the past 50 years. Delicious flavors include blackberry, raspberry, and owner Dustin Goldberg’s favorite, apricot. “Everything in our bakery is handmade from scratch,” says Goldberg. “Our bakers have been doing them for over 20 years. So, we think they're the best in town.” 5211 Mayfield Road, Lyndhurst, 440-683-4746, goldiesdonuts.com
Kiedrowski’s Bakery
This bakery’s enticing food and family atmosphere make for an enjoyable experience, even amidst the pandemic. “Our slogan has always been during paczki time, ‘Taste a memory in every bite,’” says owner Tim Kiedrowski, who opened the bakery in 1984. While he tends to stick to traditional recipes, he sells two unique flavors: Polish Rose, which utilizes his mother’s rose paczki recipe, and Edelweiss, a cream mixture from Switzerland. While the bakery typically throws a Paczki Ball on Fat Tuesday, they will utilize a tent in front of the bakery this year to comply with COVID-19 safety recommendations. 2267 Cooper Foster Park Road, Amherst, 440-282-2700, kiedrowskibakery.com
Michael Angelo’s Bakery
Located in Broadview Heights, Michael Angelo’s Bakery offers 12 flavors of paczki, including apricot, custard and their increasingly popular, Bavarian maple. The bakery also has an extensive customer base with orders shipping locally and as far as Hawaii. “We started shipping a lot of different things online, and I can't believe it has such a great response,” says co-owner Michael Ciocca. “It's nice to see. It's a good feeling.” 8035 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights, 440-526-0499, michaelangelosbakery.com
Rudy’s Strudel and Bakery
If Clevelanders are in need of a wide variety of sweet and savory paczki flavors, then look no further than Rudy’s Strudel. The bakery, which opened in 1948, serves more than 31 varieties including their newest flavor, the Parma Cristo, a unique take on the classic Monte Cristo sandwich with a paczki twist. Rudy’s will also host and record a safe, socially distanced paczki party to continue their tradition. Owner Lidia Trempe says she wants to make sure people are still able to celebrate Fat Tuesday amidst the pandemic, whether at home or at their bakery. “Nobody puts paczki in the corner, not even COVID,” she says. 5580 Ridge Road, Parma, 440-886 4430, facebook.com/rudystrudel
Stan’s Northfield Bakery
As Stan’s Northfield Bakery celebrates their 60th anniversary serving Clevelanders, head baker Leslie Srodek-Johnson continues to prepare for their Fat Tuesday crowd. The bakery serves delicious paczkis year-round with special flavors offered on the weekends, including their most popular flavor, the fluffy marshmallow merengue. But act fast: although paczkis will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, Stan’s will only accept full orders until Feb. 6 to comply with regulations. “In years past, there's just a line down the block of people” explains Srodek-Johnson. “So, were trying to orchestrate a way to kind of space everybody out a little bit so everyone can still participate in the fun and get their paczkis, but not have to be nervous about being too close to other people.” 9395 Olde Eight Road, Northfield, 330-467-8655, stansbakery.com
