By the time the sun rose on Feb. 17, the line outside Wolf’s Bakery had already stretched down 95th Street, a sweet sign that Paczki Day had arrived.
At Wolf’s Bakery, 3241 W. 95th St., Fat Tuesday is a tradition nearly as old as the bakery itself.
Paczki, pronounced “POONCH-kee,” are rich, deep-fried Polish pastries traditionally filled with fruit preserves or sweet cream and dusted with powdered sugar or glaze. Unlike standard doughnuts, paczki are made with a richer dough that includes eggs, butter and sugar, creating a denser, more indulgent treat. The pastry is rooted in Polish tradition, where families historically used up sugar, lard and other ingredients before the start of Lent.
Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, marks the last day of feasting before the 40-day Lenten season leading up to Easter. In many Polish-American communities, Paczki Day is synonymous with the celebration, drawing crowds eager to indulge before Lent begins.
The iconic Evergreen Park shop marked its 86th anniversary in June, celebrating a legacy that began in 1939 when Bud and Laurel Wolf opened the full-service bakery. Since 1991, it has been owned and operated by Pam and her late husband, Jeff. Pam declined to share their last name, preferring to keep the focus on the family business and the customers who had made it a neighborhood staple.
Paczki Day, observed the Tuesday before Lent, was one of the bakery’s busiest and most anticipated days of the year. Preparations had begun weeks in advance. Starting the last week of January, staff members fried, filled and dusted more than 24,000 paczki over the course of the season.
By 6 a.m. Tuesday, customers were already filing through the doors.
“My kids woke up and said, ‘It’s Fat Tuesday, we need to get paczkis,’” said Melissa McCann, of Mount Greenwood, who arrived at the bakery early that morning.
On the big day, customers placed pre-orders or walked in to choose from 18 varieties. The menu included 12 traditional flavors — Lemon Fluff, Strawberry, Cherry, Blueberry, Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Custard, Raspberry, Pineapple, Cheese, Apricot, Prune and Apple — alongside specialty offerings such as Strawberry Whipped Cream, Strawberry Butter Cream, Cookies ’N Cream and Peaches ’N Cream.
“The Lemon Fluff is my favorite,” Pam said.
The flavor held special meaning for the bakery. Wolf’s Lemon Fluff cake had long been one of its best-sellers, and Pam had decided to transform the signature cake into a paczki filling.
“It’s a representation of our bakery and who we are,” she said.
For many customers, that signature flavor kept them coming back year after year.
“Wolf’s Bakery is the best,” said Kelly Evans, of Mount Greenwood. “They have the best and fluffiest dough. I love the Lemon Fluff.”
Others said loyalty came from experience.
“We’ve tried other bakeries and definitely prefer Wolf’s,” said Diane Liszewski, of Burbank.
Customers bundled against the February chill lined up before sunrise, some bringing folding chairs and coffee as they waited for the doors to open. Inside, trays of sugar-dusted pastries moved quickly from kitchen to counter.
The frenzy led to memorable moments over the years.
“One year, we were just about to close and there was only one prune paczki left,” Pam recalled. “Two women were in the bakery and actually started arguing over it.”
With the scene lively and energetic, Pam said the day was ultimately about community. Generations of families returned each year, passing down flavor preferences and traditions along with stories of past Paczki Days.
