"Does anyone remember where Heck's bakery was located?'

I wanted to say that there is still a bakery where Heck's used to be, on Roscoe near Seeley. It is now called Rudy's. I believe Rudy used to be a baker at Heck's, and later, when Heck's was closing, bought their recipes. Although not as all-around fantastic as Heck's (I think the butter content of the cookies is less, for instance), some vestiges of the great stuff you'd remember from the Heck's days, such as the chocolate chip coffee cake, and the wonderful, dense, "Heck's Special" coffee cake are still there and taste just as good.

There was also a great bakery on Belmont, about a block west of the Belmont/California/Elston intersection, called Nyberg's. For a while, in the '90s, I lived not far from there, and would go almost every Saturday morning. Fantastic sweet rolls and cheesecakes. That's been gone a number of years now too; a real shame.

AND, I vaguely remember a bakery on the corner of Leavitt and Grace, back in the early '70s. I don't know the name.That was a great little area, totally tucked into a residential neighborhood, blocks away from major streets. there was a bar on the SE corner of Leavitt and Grace, the bakery was on the SW corner, Al's barbershop was a half-block west on Grace, housed in a tiny building which surely was originally built as a two-car garage, and across the street from him was the George Weiss meat market, also in a garage-sized shop. Only the bar is still there today. (Al the barber just retired this year, 2013, after being in that little shop since 1972 or so.)

To: Diogenes

"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."

I'm pretty sure that the little bakery shop that was in the Lincoln/Damen bank building for a short while (in the '70s I believe) was actually a Heck's satellite store, not Tomas (which would make sense, as the main Tomas bakery was only a block and a half away on Lincoln, so why have another location so close?)

I do remember Tomas too. My favorite things were these flying saucer-shaped cakes. They were about the size of a 45RPM record, and looked like thick pancakes with icing on top.

At 75th and Halsted was Adloch's Danish Bakery. Worked there in 1957. Now a parking lot. Great products. The German rye, pecan rolls....the full range of bakery goods.Fantastic eats. It was truly a wonderful experience to learn and work in the bakery. Quite the apprenticeship.
Recall the bakers would break for lunch for limburger cheese and a slice of onion on their rye bread. Would be paired with Schlitz beer. I would eat with the fry cook in the backroom on the flour sacks. My first experience with tacos and homemade hot sauce which the fry cook would share.

"AND, I vaguely remember a bakery on the corner of Leavitt and Grace, back in the early '70s. I don't know the name.That was a great little area, totally tucked into a residential neighborhood, blocks away from major streets."

Jim, I remember that area, too. I walked by that corner twice every day (more, if I was serving at early morning mass) during my 8 years going to St. Ben's grammar school (graduated 1963) and, though I remember it well, I cannot remember the name of that bakery either. IIRC, the tavern was bought by a gent named Dick Meck somewhere in the early 60's and his son Rick took over when he retired.
About 1/4 mile south of Leavitt and Grace, at Addison, there was another small area with with a tavern, Schneider's drug store, a tailor shop, a shoe repair shop, a barber shop, a small Certified grocery store, Propst's meat market, and a bakery. The last time I was in Chicago and drove down Leavitt Street, I noticed things have changed a lot; the memories are nice, though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2013 04:57PM by Diogenes9561.

Good news: bakeries are alive and well on South Archer. I have been making occasional safaris from the North Side to fill up my freezer. The 62 Archer bus goes from the Loop to the following: 1) Pticek & Sons, 5523 S Narragansett (a couple of doors south of S Archer). 2) Racine Bakery, 6216 S Archer. 2) Weber's, 7055 S Archer. All have websites with further details. Also Shop & Save, 5829 S Archer, has a gargantuan bakery department that leans Polish with magnificent bread and a wide variety of pastry, and Bobak's, 5275 S Archer, can be counted for for paczkis. On the North side Roeser's is still hanging on at 3216 North Avenue (at Kedzie). Several people have mentioned Lutz's on Montrose, still in business, as are Dinkel's and Swedish Bakery. Others are Delightful Pastry, 5927 W Lawrence, and Oak Mill Bakery, 5753 W Belmont.

Naples Bakery Don't forget the cannolis....

Heck's, As far as I remember was located at 2000-2200 block of W.Roscoe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2013 10:42PM by Chipast.

I sell bakery supplies and know or knew many of the people and bakeries mentioned. I'll try to answer any question that I can.

A bakery story..... There were two large, busy bakeries a couple of blocks away from each other on the southside. (One bakery is out of business and the other moved but is still open, run by the same family.) They were each open 7 days a week and each would have loved to run the other out of business. There were plenty of smaller bakeries in the area so the two owners met and agreed to close on Sunday's to give themselves and their employees a break once a week. They shook hands over their agreement and the next Sunday they were both open.

I'd love to know where to get dense seedey German-style bread and rolls (but [i]not[/i] rye).

Also if any of these bakeries make meat pies or similar savory combinations. Around here, bakery seems to mean nothing but sugary cakes and puffy white bread.

Schmeissings Bakery, about 2600 north on lincoln -now gone- was excellent.

Also, nOt a bakery, per se...but there was a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop at grand and wells that served a dedicated clientele of mostly blue-collar workers in the surrounding area. It was open from like 5 am to about 2 or 3pm and the owner used to show up in the even earlier hours to start baking. He made all his own -pure scratch- rolls, breads, coffee cakes, donuts, bismarcks and sweet rolls (as well as fresh cooked meats to be sliced for sandwiches). It was called Clyde's, (not to be confused with Clydes Donuts). Like i say, a hole-in-the-wall, but everything that came out of his kitchen was absolutely outstanding.

Last thought: wasn't it Toscano's bakery, on sheffield, at about webster that did mainly Italian bread. Really good; it was a loss when they closed (early 70s?).

I recently purchased an old building in Humboldt Park on North Avenue between Fairfield and Washtenaw across from the Cermak Grocery Store. I'm trying to find an old pic of it so that I can restore the facade to the original. It was built in 1887 and was a bakery in 1928 and a pastry shop called Graf's Pastry Shop from 1950-1979. The Crystal Theater was directly across the street from it. Any info or pics would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2015 12:33PM by fionne.

Hi - which building is it?

The one with the green awning beside the dollar store. Do you remember when it was a bakery?

I do not, but my mother grew up in the neighborhood and said that her mother used to shop there. She didn't remember the name in particular, however.

The Crystal was their preferred theater, although the much-smaller Queen was closer to their house at the time. And, in keeping with the shopping habits of the time, she mentioned that they rarely crossed Western nor California to buy groceries or household sundries.

There are a lot of good folks on this forum who can help to determine what the building would have looked like if no specific photos can be found.