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Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
tseals
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: December 11, 2010 07:01PM
CLYDES Donuts was on Chicago somewhere between Leavitt & Campbell on the northwest corner. Not long ago ,I was still able to get fresh coffe & donuts in the front retail storefront. I remember in the late 80's and early 90's getting coffee & donuts in the early mornings.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
johncobb
(---.dps.state.ny.us)
Date: December 21, 2010 10:57AM
REYNEN'S BAKERY - Southport & Barry Avenue on Northside... Nut bars were excellent as well as a pastry that had a toasted coconut topping - awesome..
I left the area late 70's to come back in 1991 for a visit - the owners husband had passed away and the Mrs. was retired but sitting in the back of the bakery watching her TV. He daughter and other family members ran the place - I'm going to assume they got out of the biz after the Mrs. passed away...
The daughter I remember was rude when I was a kid - and when I visited in 91 - she was still rude go figure...
I left the area late 70's to come back in 1991 for a visit - the owners husband had passed away and the Mrs. was retired but sitting in the back of the bakery watching her TV. He daughter and other family members ran the place - I'm going to assume they got out of the biz after the Mrs. passed away...
The daughter I remember was rude when I was a kid - and when I visited in 91 - she was still rude go figure...
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
fleurblue
(---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: December 27, 2010 11:22PM
We were sorry to see Biel's Bakery close. I would go there on Saturday mornings and it was packed. The quality was tops. There was a huge variety of cakes and cookies. It was one of those places where about half of the customers had already phoned in their orders and came for pick-ups. Many of these were for Biel's fantastic fancy cakes.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
Kchi
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: December 31, 2010 11:49AM
Try going to Reuters on Grand and Harlem. The closest I remember to old fashioned neighborhood bakeries. A number of small bakeries that I have tried, recently have gone to freezing the cakes they sell. Not exactly what I go to a real bakery for.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
Chipast
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: December 31, 2010 04:20PM
fleurblue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We were sorry to see Biel's Bakery close. I would
> go there on Saturday mornings and it was packed.
> The quality was tops. There was a huge variety of
> cakes and cookies. It was one of those places
> where about half of the customers had already
> phoned in their orders and came for pick-ups.
> Many of these were for Biel's fantastic fancy
> cakes.
The same Beil's Bakery is now in Delevan, Wi.
-------------------------------------------------------
> We were sorry to see Biel's Bakery close. I would
> go there on Saturday mornings and it was packed.
> The quality was tops. There was a huge variety of
> cakes and cookies. It was one of those places
> where about half of the customers had already
> phoned in their orders and came for pick-ups.
> Many of these were for Biel's fantastic fancy
> cakes.
The same Beil's Bakery is now in Delevan, Wi.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
Kchi
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: January 03, 2011 01:49PM
Unfortunatley what happenned at Biel's is what did in most of the old family run bakeries. The older generations were slaves to the business working six days a week and closing for two weeks a year. Like most of us, the younger generations who inherited these businesses want to work "normal" hours and have too many other things to do, and who can blame them.
There was no more successful bakery than Gladstone on Milwaukee Ave. Years ago as the story I remember, the bakery was left to a daughter who rather than continue to run the bakery, decided to cash in and sell and open her own bakery somewhere else. After going through more than six other owners, the bakery sits empty.
I've seen this in other businesses that were around for decades, I never understood why people spend good money to buy an existing business and immediately change what is sold or baked or try and cut corners, completely ignoring the customers or what made the business a success in the first place.
I am a big fan of Cake Boss on TLC which is a family run business. I can't imagine how these old bakeries were able to turn out the variety of baked goods on a daily basis with the small bakery and old ovens. I would really like to hear first hand stories from people who may have worked as bakers at a bakery who could explain a typical baking day of how they were able to coordinate and schedule the baking process.
.
There was no more successful bakery than Gladstone on Milwaukee Ave. Years ago as the story I remember, the bakery was left to a daughter who rather than continue to run the bakery, decided to cash in and sell and open her own bakery somewhere else. After going through more than six other owners, the bakery sits empty.
I've seen this in other businesses that were around for decades, I never understood why people spend good money to buy an existing business and immediately change what is sold or baked or try and cut corners, completely ignoring the customers or what made the business a success in the first place.
I am a big fan of Cake Boss on TLC which is a family run business. I can't imagine how these old bakeries were able to turn out the variety of baked goods on a daily basis with the small bakery and old ovens. I would really like to hear first hand stories from people who may have worked as bakers at a bakery who could explain a typical baking day of how they were able to coordinate and schedule the baking process.
.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
fleurblue
(---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 03, 2011 06:49PM
The author Norbert Blei, in his book "Neighborhood" depicts his experiences as a young man growing up in the Pilsen area (now Little Village). He speaks of the many bakeries; Czech, Bohemian, Polish, etc. which filled the area. He tells of conversations with the owners of some of the bakeries.
He has memories of doing the bakery shopping every Saturday morning and coming home with delicious pastries; espeically the egg bread with sweet cheese on top.
Bakers my family knew were usually solitary men who preferred the night shift that the bakery demanded. They worked hard all night and slept all day. Some were very heavy drinkers in off hours. The father of a family friend was a baker and she seldom saw him and when she did he was pretty drunk.
Maybe the solitary work suited some of these guys' personalities.
Here is the reference to Blei, who also wrote a book on Door County. His books are very interesting.
http://www.ellispress.com/blei.htm
He has memories of doing the bakery shopping every Saturday morning and coming home with delicious pastries; espeically the egg bread with sweet cheese on top.
Bakers my family knew were usually solitary men who preferred the night shift that the bakery demanded. They worked hard all night and slept all day. Some were very heavy drinkers in off hours. The father of a family friend was a baker and she seldom saw him and when she did he was pretty drunk.
Maybe the solitary work suited some of these guys' personalities.
Here is the reference to Blei, who also wrote a book on Door County. His books are very interesting.
http://www.ellispress.com/blei.htm
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
Berwyn Frank
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 03, 2011 07:15PM
"The author Norbert Blei, in his book "Neighborhood" depicts his experiences as a young man growing up in the Pilsen area (now Little Village). He speaks of the many bakeries; Czech, Bohemian, Polish, etc. which filled the area. He tells of conversations with the owners of some of the bakeries.
He has memories of doing the bakery shopping every Saturday morning and coming home with delicious pastries; espeically the egg bread with sweet cheese on top."
Blei grew up in Cicero, not Pilsen. His family came from Little Village (different neighborhood then Pilsen, both were populated by Bohemians though). The bakery he writes about is a Bohemian bakery in Berwyn called Vesecky's which is amazingly still at 6634 W. Cermak Rd. I DEFINITELY recommend anyone to check it out!
He has memories of doing the bakery shopping every Saturday morning and coming home with delicious pastries; espeically the egg bread with sweet cheese on top."
Blei grew up in Cicero, not Pilsen. His family came from Little Village (different neighborhood then Pilsen, both were populated by Bohemians though). The bakery he writes about is a Bohemian bakery in Berwyn called Vesecky's which is amazingly still at 6634 W. Cermak Rd. I DEFINITELY recommend anyone to check it out!
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
fleurblue
(---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 03, 2011 11:28PM
Thanks Berwyn Frank. I will definitely try Vesecky's when I'm in the area.
Earlier I commented on Biel's Bakery and just noticed that Biel and Blei are anagrams. Just a wierd coincidence.
Earlier I commented on Biel's Bakery and just noticed that Biel and Blei are anagrams. Just a wierd coincidence.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
shekaago
(---.sub-69-96-206.myvzw.com)
Date: January 04, 2011 06:44PM
On Addison, just west of Long, there was a lovely bakery named the Vienna Pastry Shop. It is now closed. Their breads and pastries were not only delicious but extremely reasonably priced. They had a few tables inside and served coffee too. There was also The Village Bakery (named so because of its location in Schorsch Village) on Belmont between Oak Park Avenue and Rutherford. The old sign is still there though it is now called Smakowski's and the space it occupies is only a fraction of the size of the old Village bakery.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
Kchi
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 04, 2011 08:03PM
The baker at Vienna Pastry who was the son of the founders, was killed in a auto accident in May of 1999 in Lake County at the age of 31. I don't know if that is when the bakery closed.
I think it was down the block from Chuck Schaden's Metro Golden Memories.
I think it was down the block from Chuck Schaden's Metro Golden Memories.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
fleurblue
(---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 04, 2011 09:37PM
I am suprised to hear that Biel's Bakery is now in Delavan, WI. Must check it out in the summer.
Yes, Vienna was great and comparable to Lutz in many ways, especially it's selection of marzipan pastries. What a shame that their baker was killed. I always wondered why it closed for seemingly no reason.
Village Bakery was terrfic years back. Wonderful selection and also packed on Saturdays amd big on standing order pick-ups.
Yes, Vienna was great and comparable to Lutz in many ways, especially it's selection of marzipan pastries. What a shame that their baker was killed. I always wondered why it closed for seemingly no reason.
Village Bakery was terrfic years back. Wonderful selection and also packed on Saturdays amd big on standing order pick-ups.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
shekaago
(---.sub-75-211-40.myvzw.com)
Date: January 04, 2011 11:25PM
I'm so sorry to hear about Vienna's baker. How sad. I know the bakery was still open for business as late as 2003 or 2004. I can't recall exactly when they closed their doors. Here's a photo I snapped back in 2003 or so.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
nancybc
(---.va.shawcable.net)
Date: February 28, 2011 04:30PM
There was also a Davidson's bakery on Argyle just off Broadway.
Anybody remember that one?
The window always had delicious goodies- I especially remember the strawberry shortcakes- real cake not biscuits- in the late Spring.I loved that bakery!
Nancy
Anybody remember that one?
The window always had delicious goodies- I especially remember the strawberry shortcakes- real cake not biscuits- in the late Spring.I loved that bakery!
Nancy
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
71stAda
(---.lightspeed.lemtil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: December 10, 2011 03:39AM
"Naple's" Italian bakery on 95th street, Evergreen Park.Still there, I remember going there in the early sixties with my parents. Great place.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
s justice
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: December 12, 2011 12:12AM
Does anyone remember where Heck's bakery was located?
Thanks,
Skip
Thanks,
Skip
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
Diogenes9561
(---.86.204.68.cfl.res.rr.com)
Date: December 12, 2011 01:00PM
"Does anyone remember where Heck's bakery was located?'
Yes, I do, Skip. Heck's was on Roscoe just west of Damen Avenue across from Hoffing's Department Store, just a door or 2 away from the old Roscoe theater. Our family lived at Roscoe and Oakley from about 1955 to 1963 and Heck's was a neighborhood institution: wonderful coffee cakes, sweet rolls, and rye bread, always crowded, now just a fond memory. Tomas Bakery was also in the area on the west side of Lincoln just north of Irving Park and there was another little bakery the name of which escapes me at the moment, on the south side of Irving Park about 1 block west of St. Benedict's church. Tomas also had a little location in the Lincoln Bank building at Irving, Damen, and Lincoln, right next to the elevator, always lots of goodies in the window.
Additionally, there was a bakery located in an old building at the southwest corner of Roscoe and Oakley when we first moved there but it was torn down about 1957, IIRC, and the name is something I can't recall. Then again, the product was vastly inferior to Heck's so we'd always walk the few blocks to Heck's.
I've lived in Florida since 1984 and have been back more than a few times and the old time bakeries seem to be an endangered species. I lived in Berwyn before I moved here and distinctly remember the Charles Fingerhut bakery in Cicero on Cermak just east of Central. My wife is half Bohemian and we'd always stop at Dinkel's( for the chocolate chip cookies) and Fingerhut's (for the Babi's rye bread) to bring back goodies but I believe Fingerhut's closed in the early '90s, sad. Lots of good memories here.
Yes, I do, Skip. Heck's was on Roscoe just west of Damen Avenue across from Hoffing's Department Store, just a door or 2 away from the old Roscoe theater. Our family lived at Roscoe and Oakley from about 1955 to 1963 and Heck's was a neighborhood institution: wonderful coffee cakes, sweet rolls, and rye bread, always crowded, now just a fond memory. Tomas Bakery was also in the area on the west side of Lincoln just north of Irving Park and there was another little bakery the name of which escapes me at the moment, on the south side of Irving Park about 1 block west of St. Benedict's church. Tomas also had a little location in the Lincoln Bank building at Irving, Damen, and Lincoln, right next to the elevator, always lots of goodies in the window.
Additionally, there was a bakery located in an old building at the southwest corner of Roscoe and Oakley when we first moved there but it was torn down about 1957, IIRC, and the name is something I can't recall. Then again, the product was vastly inferior to Heck's so we'd always walk the few blocks to Heck's.
I've lived in Florida since 1984 and have been back more than a few times and the old time bakeries seem to be an endangered species. I lived in Berwyn before I moved here and distinctly remember the Charles Fingerhut bakery in Cicero on Cermak just east of Central. My wife is half Bohemian and we'd always stop at Dinkel's( for the chocolate chip cookies) and Fingerhut's (for the Babi's rye bread) to bring back goodies but I believe Fingerhut's closed in the early '90s, sad. Lots of good memories here.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
BullHubbard
(---.dhcp.losa.ca.charter.com)
Date: December 22, 2011 03:55PM
Steve B.-- "In the core of the Back of the Yards neighborhood, there was Pav's (Polish) Bakery on west 47th Street just west of Wood Street.
Rytina's (Lithuanian) Bakery on 46th and Hermitage Street served both walk-ins and also distributed to restaurants and grocery stores. My uncle worked there in 1939. They changed their name to Baltic Bakery before the health department closed them down for unsanitary conditions just a few years ago. They never reopened."
It's a shame the Baltic Bakery had to close down. It was one of the last (if not THE last) Chi. bakeries to offer genuine Lithuanian style rye bread, both the lighter style and the Rupa Dona (pumpernickel). Also, as Kchi says above, many of the corner grocery stores, in addition to carrying this great bread, used to carry fantastic sausages. Alex's Grocerland on the corner of California and 39th Place had a butcher case with the greatest skilandis EVER! Man, why is this great Eastern European stuff disappearing? Or maybe it's not . . . Any good Russian or Polish bakeries around on the SW side?
Rytina's (Lithuanian) Bakery on 46th and Hermitage Street served both walk-ins and also distributed to restaurants and grocery stores. My uncle worked there in 1939. They changed their name to Baltic Bakery before the health department closed them down for unsanitary conditions just a few years ago. They never reopened."
It's a shame the Baltic Bakery had to close down. It was one of the last (if not THE last) Chi. bakeries to offer genuine Lithuanian style rye bread, both the lighter style and the Rupa Dona (pumpernickel). Also, as Kchi says above, many of the corner grocery stores, in addition to carrying this great bread, used to carry fantastic sausages. Alex's Grocerland on the corner of California and 39th Place had a butcher case with the greatest skilandis EVER! Man, why is this great Eastern European stuff disappearing? Or maybe it's not . . . Any good Russian or Polish bakeries around on the SW side?
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
West Town
(---.elgin.edu)
Date: January 05, 2012 01:50PM
I remember the Hub bakery in the 1700 block of Chicago Ave. it was next door or one door down from the Hub Theater. There was another bakery further east on the south side of Chicago Ave. It was under where the old El tracks were. both places had great rye bread and rolls.
Re: Bakeries
Posted by:
Chipast
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: January 07, 2012 12:11AM
West Town Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember the Hub bakery in the 1700 block of
> Chicago Ave. it was next door or one door down
> from the Hub Theater. There was another bakery
> further east on the south side of Chicago Ave. It
> was under where the old El tracks were. both
> places had great rye bread and rolls.
That place was the "L" Pastry Shop, And was very aromatic with their cookies & sweet goods.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember the Hub bakery in the 1700 block of
> Chicago Ave. it was next door or one door down
> from the Hub Theater. There was another bakery
> further east on the south side of Chicago Ave. It
> was under where the old El tracks were. both
> places had great rye bread and rolls.
That place was the "L" Pastry Shop, And was very aromatic with their cookies & sweet goods.
