Czech it out: Tour Northern Colorado's mini 'kolache trail'
Everything's bigger in Texas. Especially kolaches.
The Czech-born pastries, known for their pillowy yeast dough and sweet and savory fillings, have a huge following in the Lone Star State — where thousands of Czech immigrants landed starting in the mid-1800s.
Kolaches are so popular there, Texas even has its own "kolache trail," a map of authentic kolache bakeries to visit in south and central Texas.
But let's not let them have all the fun. Northern Colorado has its own growing kolache presence — with the most recent addition of Fort Collins' first dedicated brick-and-mortar kolache bakery early this year.
So let's take a journey on Northern Colorado's tiny kolache trail.
But first...: Be sure to vote in the Coloradoan's March Madness bakery bracket
Stop 1: Just a Pinch Bakery
630 E. 29th St., Loveland
When Texas chef Stanley Martin and his wife, Megan Zambas, moved to Loveland in 2018, they noticed something was missing: kolaches.
Within a year, they'd opened Just a Pinch Bakery in downtown Loveland, serving up the beloved breakfast pastry from their home state — as well as scones, cinnamon rolls, weekend biscuits and gravy, and rotating quick breads, focaccia, cookies and brownies.
The operation later moved a couple miles north to its current location on East 29th Street. There, Just a Pinch offers a rotating slate of kolache fillings, from apple pie and blackberry with lime cream cheese to chorizo potato and a krautburger variety.
Sweet kolaches cost $3, classic kolaches cost $3.25 and specialty kolaches cost $3.75. Pre-ordering your kolaches is encouraged and can be done by calling the bakery at 970-617-7602. Just a Pinch is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Stop 2: Colorado Kolache Co.
1717 S. College Ave., Fort Collins
Kolaches have intermittently been available in Fort Collins for decades, especially in recent years as the Cottage Food Act opened more doors for home bakers. But the Choice City recently saw the addition of its first dedicated brick-and-mortar kolache bakery with the Feb. 1 opening of Colorado Kolache Co. in Midtown.
Using a more-than-century-old Czech kolache recipe, the shop offers a rotating menu of more than 70 sweet and savory kolache flavors, from strawberry to sloppy joe — "anything you can think of, really," said Nancy Agnew, who founded the bakery with her husband, daughter and two teenage grandchildren.
The bakery's kolaches range from $1.99 to $3.50. Colorado Kolache Co. is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Stop 3: The Crooked Cup
147 W. Oak St., Fort Collins
Take your pick of kolaches at The Crooked Cup, which has an in-house bakery that churns out the sweet and savory pastries in the heart of Old Town.
Standing fillings include strawberry and cream cheese; ham and jalapeno; veggie; turkey pesto; sausage; and bacon.
The Crooked Cup is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Erin Udell reports on news, culture, history and more for the Coloradoan. Contact her at [email protected]. The only way she can keep doing what she does is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, sign up for a digital subscription to the Coloradoan today.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins kolaches: Where to get them in Northern Colorado