Austin is an amazing breakfast taco town. And for those with a sweet tooth, there’s no shortage of memorable donuts. But one breakfast choice that deserves more love is the incomparable kolache.

For those who have yet to experience these little pillows of perfection, kolaches (pronounced kuh-LAH-chee) are Czech and Slovak pastries that (thankfully) made their way to Texas and parts of the Midwest. Traditionally, a kolache is a ring of slightly sweet dough surrounding a dollop of fruit filling. In Texas, we’re lucky to have related versions with sausage, cheese, jalapeño and other savory fillings. Technically called a klobasnek, but often referred to as kolaches, these tasty treats look like pig in blankets on steroids.

Many will tell you the best kolaches are found in West, Texas a little over 100 miles north of Austin. However, before you make the pilgrimage, you should try all the wonderful kolache places right here in the ATX. They’re sometimes sold at donut shops and sometimes at dedicated shops. But where there’s a will to locate a tasty, warm kolache, there’s always a way. To get you started, here are just a few of my favorite kolache places in Austin. [Read more…]