A few weeks ago, we were in Dallas with our friends watching the Huskers scare the heck out of the Longhorns. On our way home, we stopped to see our friends who recently moved to the Dallas area. They made the mistake of telling us about a place that we had to stop on our drive home (they do the drive from Dallas to San Antonio often). Little did they know they were opening a can of worms…we’re hooked.

You see, about 15 minutes outside of the town of Waco, Texas there’s a little town of West, Texas.  It’s not west Texas, but the town is West, Texas.  I hope you’re following.  West, Texas reminds you of a small town in the middle of Texas… because it’s a small town in the middle of Texas. 

One thing West, Texas has going for it though is its Czech heritage.  You see, when you’re from West, Texas, you’re probably Czech and there’s a good chance you work in one of the bakeries in the town.  There were at least three of them that I saw, which is pretty good for a town about the size of my extended family.  We drove through the town, but there wasn’t much to see and there was only one bakery open. 

It’s a gas station.  So, considering there’s a bakery inside a gas station, you’d have to think it’s not going to be very good.  Not sure if you’ve had a hot dog from Kwik Trip, or QT, or Valero… but you know what I’m talking about.

It was a Sunday about 4pm, but the parking lot was an absolute zoo.  There were no cows or giraffes, but there were tons of people hungry for the Czech delicacy of a Kolache.  As it’s been said, a Kolache is like a Danish… except with class.  That’s right… an Eastern European delicacy is a Western European delicacy, except it’s classy.  (What a slap in the face to the Danish!!)

Not sure if it’s like this in other parts of Texas, but in San Antonio, people are always talking about making Kolaches, bringing in Kolaches to work, sending me packages of Kolaches in the mail. You get the picture. Now we know why: they have probably been to the Czech stop and, like us, cannot stop thinking about these wonderful pillows of deliciousness.

This is a Kolache:

Let me just say, the little bready dough around the edges is heavenly.  It’s so pillowy and fluffy and chewy and warm and amazing. It’s filled with cream cheese/fruit filling and it’s 100% Classy Deliciousness. 

However, Czech Stop is like “WHA?  THERE’S MORE!”  And what’s more?  They also take the exact same dough that works perfectly and (because this is Texas) they put a chunk of smoked sausage in it… they put jalapenos in it… they put cheese in it… and it’s all amazing.

Therefore, a word to the wise… 1) Eat Kolaches and 2) Stop at the Czech Stop in West, Texas.

(That’s a random baby drooling… I was drooling… but I don’t know who the baby is.)