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Yep, I grew up in Texas and tons of German-Czech influence. Hruska's beats on kolaches for my money, if it's on your way :)

There are also some hidden historic dance halls that are great if you can make it by. I know one dates to 1912 and a buddy's family refurbished it last year; lovely place.

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Just before New Years, we were headed to The Woodlands from my hometown in Bell County, and passed through Zabcikville. I decided to get a hostess gift for the high school friend we were visiting, so dropped into Green's Sausage House for a dozen kolaches. I figured I'd be out about $30-40, given how expensive everything else had gotten both where I live now and where I grew up.

It was still $16.

The cottage cheese and the peaches and cream are the best two, in my opinion, followed closely by the cream cheese and the apricot.

If you're eating lunch behind the wheel, their sausage and sauerkraut "kolaches" (more like sausage rolls, but made from the same dough as the sweet kolaches) are an excellent option. One is a heavy snack, two are a solid meal.

Discovering that there were kolaches over the border in Czechia after moving to Central Bavaria: happiness!

Discovering that those are more like what Americans would call a danish than a Central Texas kolache: heartbreaking.

I live in Bell County now but I spent a lot of time in and around small TX towns (smaller even than Zabcikville or Cyclone) where a lot of the residents were 3rd generation or 4th generation immigrants. Growing up we learned some Czech and "Czech identity" was (is still, at least for my "elders") a big deal.

Anyway those "sausage rolls" are called klobasneks (or Klobásniks).

It's a bit of a shibboleth since the only people that seem to know that are the Czech. ;)

Interestingly we never called anything a danish—but we did have a lot of strudels.

I mentioned it in another comment myself, but I think it’s funny how online every time I see this topic this comment about the misnomer comes up. IRL I’ve lived all over the Texas triangle my entire life and have never actually heard anyone say anything other than kolache regardless of sweet/savory. My Czech great grandmother died when I was about 10 though so maybe I just don’t remember hearing it.

My kids have learned the precise term for the savory ones from me, but you're right that most Texans, even many Czech Texans, do not know it! To be fair, the origin is that Czech Texans used the same kolache bread and stuck meat in it. People might not think it matters, but many kolaches I've had from shops do not use the bread I'm familiar with from my grandmother (and cousins). I won't name names, but their bread doesn't taste very good, and only a few shops make the same bread I grew fond of at my grandmother's house, and that same kind of bread was used for both the sausage ones and the sweet ones at my grandmother's house.

I should just learn how to make that dough. I regret not buying that Church of the Visitation (Westphalia) Altar Society cookbook I saw on the counter at Green's.

I’ve not had luck following recipes I’ve found online. Could be my execution but it never turns out right. Most of the original immigrants have passed but if you can learn from someone in person you definitely should not let the opportunity slip by you.

Agree that the bread is origin and makes all the difference. Especially when compared to a normal “pig in a blanket” style which usually has biscuit/croissant bread the kolache dough is much sweeter. I’ve tried making it at home a couple times and have never been able to get it quite right. It’s either not sweet enough or not airy enough. I’m not a great cook though tbh.

For me, Shipley Donuts is pretty wide spread in parts of Texas and has good kolaches. There’s found at most donut shops but there’s a thing here too now where most donut shops are owned by SE Asian folks and it seems they all use the exact same dough premix and I think it all tastes pretty bad. Also, if you like cheese in it there’s a big difference as places like Shipley puts more in there and it’s quite a good meat to cheese ratio. The other places only buy sausages with cheese already mixed inside and it’s not cheesy enough IMO.

The kolache market in Dallas is abysmal compared to Houston and Austin and up to West, and pretty everywhere inside that triangle. It seems like Czech folks never ventured north of West lol. Pretty much ever road trip I take from Dallas I’m seeking out a “good” sausage and cheese kolache

Sorry for your disappointment! I can't speak to that part of Czechia as my ancestors came from Moravia. When I first visited Czech relatives in 1991 (Czechoslovakia at that time), we were served fruit kolaches that looked just like the ones my grandmother had grown up with in Texas, although the Moravian ones were smaller. However, I've been back to visit my 3rd cousins multiple times and I get the impression that the specific pastry that Czech Texans are so familiar with is just one of many kinds in the old country. In the 1800s, ovens were not as plentiful in Europe, but were more common in America. Sugar, butter, eggs and white flour were more expensive in Europe, so kolaches were reserved for special occasions. But since it was easier to make them in America, Czech immigrants made them frequently and they became one of the most prominent symbols of Czech culture.

Gruene Hall is the classic example. If you’re into red dirt and have not made the pilgrimage, then you’re just doing it wrong

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruene_Hall

Red dirt?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_dirt_music

Thank you :)

Gruene is good. Luckenback was always more fun for me, but I lived in Fredericksburg and enjoyed the picking circle.

Coupland was cool- cooler than Gruene, at least to me. We played there once to about 4 people and I quit the band because that night was supposed to be the "paid" gig after the band hauled me all the way from Lubbock to play the Saxon for free.

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