A new cafe in southeast Phoenix wants to be the next go-to spot for kolaches, baked offerings made of puffed-up dough and stuffed with savory or sweet fillings.
The Kolache Cafe opened in Ahwatukee at 4302 East Ray Road in early January, serving more than a dozen variations of the treats with Czech and Texan roots.
During the second week of January (when we visited), lunchtime business was brisk at the cafe The cafe still had some breakfast items available, including sausage and gravy plus potato, egg, and cheese kolaches. Diners were ordering a number of savory items — everything from chicken, broccoli, and cheddar to pulled pork with jalapeno. There were also sweet kolaches: blueberry and raspberry cheesecake. Some customers took advantage of patio seating while the rest lined up for takeout orders. Employees advised to-go customers to warm their kolaches at home in their microwaves, setting timers to 15 to 20 seconds. It was a humming operation.