"WHAT: The oldest Czech bakery in Texas, opened in 1952. WHY: Czechs began immigrating to Texas in the 1850s, and many settled in the fertile, blackland strip down the center of the state, including in the small town of West. Their culinary traditions — as well as their language and polka music — have endured and fused with local culture to yield pastries and plates that are distinctly Texas. The folksy Village Bakery often gets overshadowed by shinier establishments right off Interstate 35, but drive over the tracks into downtown West for quintessential Texas Czech treats. There are no fad flavors served here. Instead, buttery, yeasty with authentic fillings like apricot, poppyseed, and cream cheese are displayed side by side with more obscure offerings, like sweet buchta rolls and, at Christmas, the braided bread known as vanocka. The Village Bakery is the self-proclaimed inventor of the now-ubiquitous sausage kolaches. Ask for them by the bakery’s trademarked name, klobasniki. — Dawn Orsak" - Bill Addison
