Delightful Pastries -- freshest babkas in town?

We were really happy today to see that Delightful Pastries polish bakery on Lawrence seems to be thriving. The Good Friday crowd was quite big today when we were there. Babkas light as air and soft poppyseed cakes were just being pumped out at high volume. And Dobra Bielinski was there behind the counter in her white chef’s coat looking just like her picture in [url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-0704020246apr04,1,2477548.story?ctrack=2&cset=true]the article in Wednesday’s Chicago Tribune Good Eating section.
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In the article, she says that a babka is like a panettone. Well, maybe, kind of. But when you get a babka right out of the oven rather than a panettone that came from Verona on a boat (or even a plane, I mean come on) there is NO comparison. Here is what she says about babka:

"Every grandmother in Poland makes a babka, but it's really universal," Bielinski said. "In France they call it savarin, in Italy panettone, in Germany kugelhopf. Each is essentially the same cake with variations. For example, the Italians use more raisins and often add citron. But once they bake it, put on the glaze or the powdered sugar, it's done. In the Polish version we add a little extra step. We soak it."

Delightful Pastries
5927 W. Lawrence Ave.
(773) 545-7215

I stopped in to Delightful Pastries this morning. Cute little place. The atmosphere took me back about 30 years when my polish grandmother used to drag me up and down milwaukee avenue. I wish I had brought the camera. The thing about Polish "sweets" is that they aren't very sweet. That takes some getting used to. Everything is made from scratch...the pastry cream was fantastic in a filled paczki. They had some great looking fruitcake which I hope to try. The "croissants" were good but need butter and jam. More like a buttery soft roll. The lady behind the counter said they were going to be "on channel 11 this week."

Delightful Pastries is well...delightful. It's one of my favorite bakeries in town. The owner, Dobra, posts here as Cookie Monster. She was very accommodating to me with a special baking request I had a couple of weeks ago. Thanks Cookie Monster!

I stop in from time to time and have Dobra put together a cookie or pastry box for my office on the way out to Rosemont in the mornings. The offerings she has there are all just "delightful." My co-workers just rave over the selection and the cookies and/or pastries are always gone well before (sometime in lieu of) lunch.

It's a delightful little bakery. I love the special attention that she give to my office orders when I stop in.

Has Delightful ever been considered for a GNR?

YourPalWill wrote:Has Delightful ever been considered for a GNR?

So far, it's never been nominated. I think it would be a good choice for someone next time around.

Hi,

Dobra and her bakery will be featured in the Chicago Food program on WTTW sometime this month.

Regards,

We had a fantastic birthday cake this weekend from Delightful Pastries. The vanilla cake layers were very light, and the passion fruit flavored mousse filling was fluffy, not too sweet, with just the right balance of sweet and tart. It was decorated beautifully and simply with white chocolate shavings and chocolate leaves. As always Dobra the owner was very gracious in accommodating this special request. This is the second time I have ordered this combination and each time it has been very tasty and very well received by my guests.

In addition to the bakery, you can find Delightful Pastries at both the Green City Market and the Daley Plaza market, which is held every Thursday. I had not been to the Daley Center since I started working next door to the Federal Plaza market, until yesterday. I was thrilled to see the booth and immediately purchased a poppy seed strudel. While it was difficult to restrain myself from diving into it and possibly eating the entire strudel myself, I got it home intact. This morning I just finished a slice for breakfast. It is possibly the best poppy seed strudel I've ever had. I'll now be shopping regularly at both markets during the week.

Suzy

I picked up a dozen Paczki from Delightful Pastries for the office yesterday, and they were fantastic. My favorite was the boozy custard - vanilla flecked custard with a nice boozy hit to offset the richness. The dough was light and fluffy inside with a crisp outside. Also good were the raspberry jelly and strawberry and custard versions. Really they were the best Paczki I have ever had.

The pecan bar which I bought to bring home for the wife, and which never made it, was obviously another winner for me. Plenty of nuts on a buttery shortbready base. Not too sweet, but slightly carmalized glaze.

I look forward to more treats from this place!

Since the previous post before this latest one, Delightful Pastries has opened two more locations: in Old Town at 1710 N. Wells, and in the new French Market in the commuter train station in the West Loop.

Don't miss their rainbow cookies!

I highly recommend the rose preserve anything. Such a fresh and light taste.

Mary

We had a bit of a heart-stopping moment Saturday while driving down Lawrence Ave. looking for Delightful Pastries. Their big sign, the one that is over their front window and door, was missing and for one mo, we thought that location had closed or moved. They are still there! Their sign "fell down" but will be back in a couple of weeks.

We asked for babka and were shown some smallish ones, lemon poppyseed, marble and plain. We were on the verge of buying the plain when I spotted big babkas on a shelf behind the counter. These were more like it! These were the rum-soaked babkas.

So support this wonderful place and don't let the run-down look of that crummy block deter you. --Joy