Central and East European bread supplier

It is a bit of a hole in the wall, but Kazik Bakery at 5806 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL‎ has many different and authentic German, Czech, Russian and Ukrainian breads. My favorite is a fantastic Landbrot that can be bought as a half loaf or a full loaf. It is more like the bread that in the Czech Republic than anything that we have found since my wife moved here more than15 years ago. We go to the Czech Republic every summer and our appreciation of this bread is not diminished.

To get the freshest bread, the bakery is open from 8am to 1pm Tuesday through Friday and 7am to 2pm on Saturday. If those hours or location don't work, they have several distributors around the Chicago area including Gene's and Happy Foods, but for a full selection of their breads, you have to go there yourself.

Is the bread that's typically used to make Czech klebicke available at this bakery? If so, what is its name?

Thanks,

=R=

Kazik makes the "Czech Bread" sold at the Czech store (Vltava, 7416 W. Belmont). It is a medium-light rye which is quite good (although I, personally, like the Landbrot better). I have never seen this "Czech Bread" at Kazik, so I assume it is custom made for Vltava.

What the Czechs normally use for Chlebicky is something else. It is called "veka" (pronounced "vekka"). We have never seen it at Kazik and we have never asked if they carry it at Vltava, but Kazik may custom produce that too. They do sell Chlebicky there, so they must get their veka somewhere. The owner of Vltava is very nice. I suggest calling there to ask if the can get veka.

Mr Svickova wrote:Kazik makes the "Czech Bread" sold at the Czech store (Vltava, 7416 W. Belmont). It is a medium-light rye which is quite good (although I, personally, like the Landbrot better). I have never seen this "Czech Bread" at Kazik, so I assume it is custom made for Vltava.

What the Czechs normally use for Chlebicky is something else. It is called "veka" (pronounced "vekka"). We have never seen it at Kazik and we have never asked if they carry it at Vltava, but Kazik may custom produce that too. They do sell Chlebicky there, so they must get their veka somewhere. The owner of Vltava is very nice. I suggest calling there to ask if the can get veka.

Thanks, for the information and the correct spellings.

How are the chlebicky at Vitava . . . decent, good variety? I really want to make some of my own, which is why I asked about the bread, but a few already-made units would be nice, too.

=R=

Slow at work this week, so Mr. Svickova and I did a little touring on the Northwest side.

First stop was Kazik Bakery on N. Milwaukee Avenue . . .


Kazik Bakery
The awning-sign is leftover from the previous ownership and while it clearly conveys bakery, 'Kazik' doesn't seem to appear anywhere on it.



Today's breads
Here, the higher-end European breads that you'll find in many retail and foodservice outlets throughout the city are baked daily. Whatever they're baking that day is available for retail purchase.

Next, was a stop at Vltava on W. Belmont . . .


Vltava, 7416 W. Belmont
Who knew?



Dry-good shelves at Vltava
A decent assortment of Czech and other Central and Eastern European products are offered.



Refrigerated cases at Vltava
Some Polish, some German and some Czech products.



Assorted Czech-style salads
These salads are made in-house. The one on the far right is a salad that Vltava uses as a base in their Chlebicky. The far left is a North Atlantic Salt Cod salad. Also available (and not pictured) are 'Russian Eggs' and some Czech-style aspic items.



Chlebicky and Czech rolls at Vltava
It's been about 10 years since I was last in Czech Republic but one of my fondest memories is of these ornate and delicious little sandwiches, which are sold throughout the country. I still long for them and it was great getting a memory-evoking taste today. Vltava uses a fairly unique salad as the base, which was less potatoey than I remembered, so while they were very tasty, they didn't quite scratch the food-memory itch for me. The rolls, otoh, are spectacular and they really brought me back.

As Mr. Svickova mentioned above, the bread for these sandwiches, veka, is available fresh at Vltava by special order (they also stock it frozen). I think it (and the rolls pictured above) comes from Kazik but we didn't see it there. That might just mean that they weren't baking it today. The counterperson at Kazik told us that they do produce it, even though it wasn't available for purchase today. A minor language barrier prevented us from entirely understanding her.

I plan to make some chlebicky in the near future, so today was a bit of a scouting mission in that direction.

=R=

Kazik Bakery
5806 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL
773 631-6897

Vltava
7416 W Belmont
Chicago, IL 60634
773 622-5490