I grew up Racine-adjacent. There were O&H people and Bendtsen’s people; I had some of each in my extended family, and they all held very strong opinions. O&H is a big regional operation now, but it started small, too. Pecan forever!
The Florida state pastry would have to be a pastelito. If you ever find yourself in Miami or central/south Florida, try a classic one with guayaba y queso (guava and cream cheese).
Love this post. Your trip sounds both terrifying and charming. I’d love to put that trumpeep in the microwave…. !!! I live in the Scandinavian neighborhood in Seattle, and we have some pretty solid Kringle! Love that stuff!
I rolled through Racine once to check out it’s lighthouses, and so wished I had had some time to check out the what the city had to offer. Kringles and Kewpee sound boss. Hopefully I can get back through there someday!
Amazing post all round, Tim! I’ve been meaning to check out Wingspread for a while but didn’t really know much about Racine. Will have to do a little road trip for the kringle and the architecture this summer.
Trader Joes here sells the Danish Kringle with Almond filling (which would be called almond ring……Its the only kringle I’ve ever had, but I have to say we are huge fans!
Glad you shared some of the true treasures of my hometown. But did you try Larsens Bakery for their cheese Kringle? My personal favorite!! Also, next time you head up stop at the Yardarm for a great burger!!
That Kewpee cursor baby! I love it and that donald trump made of peeps. Tooooo funny! You know I was at Trader Joes last week and they had the middle photo Danish Kringle and I now regret not purchasing!
Anne! I didn’t know. I bet you know all of the hot spots. We tried the pecan at Larsen’s, I think. I definitely liked the packaging the best at Larsens.
Thanks for this post. Your trip to Wisconsin sounds delightful, even with the specters of Trump and Palin in the background. I lived in Chicago for most of my adult life and miss it terribly. Everything about the city….including weekend getaways Wisconsin. Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories.
I love The HobNob (especially at holiday time, when the decor is turned up 1000%). Your David description is spot on. I always feel like I’ve wandered into some kind of eerie time warp whenever I make the trip up there.
That name was my handle a while back and seems fitting :) I grew up in Racine and this post is super on-point. You missed out on one major Racine classic though – the cracker crust pizza!!! Next time you’re there (if ever?) do yourself a favor and check out Wells Bros. The za is so great, as is the atmosphere. Just don’t try to pile on too many toppings! If you’re up for it go down prom weekend and check out the city-wide prom parade – it’s a real red carpet affair with bleachers for public seating and it’s broadcast live on local TV. That and the 4th of July parade are the major events of the year.
RaytownDiva! I didn’t know anything about the prom stuff until just now when I fell into an internet hole…it sounds so fascinating! We’ll be sure to get pizza next time, I love cracker crust.
I’m a huge kringle fan. Growing up in London, Ontario my mom always ordered one from a local bakery every Christmas and it was my favorite thing ever. Here in Vancouver, there aren’t many kringle bakeries, so on our next cross-the-country-and-into-another-country road trip, I’ll visit (a Trump-free) Racine.
Love this – will travel for food! I live (and grew up) in a small town in Ohio – we have 3 Kewpee restaurants in town – best place to grab a burger, fries, and a malt!
What a charming picture you painted; I just love the ending quote and the sense of idyll you created. I’ll be moving from the Midwest in the next month or two and this post started my process of Midwestern grieving. Thanks for sharing.
I bet that Trumpeep is aged just about perfectly. I live in the town next to where Peeps are made so Peep art shows up for some occasions. And people have preferences of how to eat Peeps, such as totally fresh or well aged so it gets kind of chewy.
I lived in Racine for a number of years as a child, and one of my fondest memories is O&H kringle. Despite my family not living there for over a decade, our extended family still requests kringle for reunions, holidays, etc. Every time I pass through I make sure to get a few… it’s that good. O&H all the way!
I grew up in Racine (I now, sanely live in Tucson,AZ) and to this day I can tell you what side of town someone grew up on by which bakery they thin makes the best kringle. All bakeries ship any where in the world, so I get my fix at Christmas when we order them for gifts and for ourselves. I do miss Kewpee’s though.
Tim! This sooooo makes me miss the Midwest. This seriously is a delightful post, to paraphrase another commenter.
Donald Trump’s peep tongue is the most disgusting thing i’ve ever seen!!!!!
Also…. claim to fame here! My stepdad’s family were the first Danish bakers to bring kringle to the US! They had a bakery in Racine called Ostergarrds which isn’t there anymore. We order kringle from Racine every Christmas!
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Katie says:
April 18th, 2016 at 7:27 am
This might be the best blog post ever. A Monday morning gift. Thank you!
Lynn says:
April 18th, 2016 at 7:49 am
I grew up Racine-adjacent. There were O&H people and Bendtsen’s people; I had some of each in my extended family, and they all held very strong opinions. O&H is a big regional operation now, but it started small, too. Pecan forever!
Rima Rantisi says:
April 18th, 2016 at 7:56 am
This is the first time I read one of your posts and there is only one comment. Could it be that your fans are Trump supporters?
alyssa says:
April 18th, 2016 at 9:02 am
OMG that Donald made of peeps!?!?!? Didn’t think either of those things could get any worse…and now I know it’s possible.
yuck
Ileana says:
April 18th, 2016 at 9:10 am
The Florida state pastry would have to be a pastelito. If you ever find yourself in Miami or central/south Florida, try a classic one with guayaba y queso (guava and cream cheese).
Ileana says:
April 18th, 2016 at 9:11 am
Lol, also, can you now be reached at tim@kewpee.com??
Tim says:
April 18th, 2016 at 9:14 am
Ileana- isn’t that wonderful?!
Marlena says:
April 18th, 2016 at 9:39 am
Please tell me you bought a Kewpee tee!
Amber | Loves Food, Loves to Eat says:
April 18th, 2016 at 10:33 am
Love this post. Your trip sounds both terrifying and charming. I’d love to put that trumpeep in the microwave…. !!! I live in the Scandinavian neighborhood in Seattle, and we have some pretty solid Kringle! Love that stuff!
Brianne says:
April 18th, 2016 at 10:39 am
I rolled through Racine once to check out it’s lighthouses, and so wished I had had some time to check out the what the city had to offer. Kringles and Kewpee sound boss. Hopefully I can get back through there someday!
Katie says:
April 18th, 2016 at 10:51 am
Amazing post all round, Tim! I’ve been meaning to check out Wingspread for a while but didn’t really know much about Racine. Will have to do a little road trip for the kringle and the architecture this summer.
Pam says:
April 18th, 2016 at 11:54 am
Trader Joes here sells the Danish Kringle with Almond filling (which would be called almond ring……Its the only kringle I’ve ever had, but I have to say we are huge fans!
Anne Kostroski says:
April 18th, 2016 at 11:59 am
Glad you shared some of the true treasures of my hometown. But did you try Larsens Bakery for their cheese Kringle? My personal favorite!! Also, next time you head up stop at the Yardarm for a great burger!!
SG says:
April 18th, 2016 at 12:02 pm
That Kewpee cursor baby! I love it and that donald trump made of peeps. Tooooo funny! You know I was at Trader Joes last week and they had the middle photo Danish Kringle and I now regret not purchasing!
Tim says:
April 18th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Anne! I didn’t know. I bet you know all of the hot spots. We tried the pecan at Larsen’s, I think. I definitely liked the packaging the best at Larsens.
Dena says:
April 18th, 2016 at 12:23 pm
Thanks for this post. Your trip to Wisconsin sounds delightful, even with the specters of Trump and Palin in the background. I lived in Chicago for most of my adult life and miss it terribly. Everything about the city….including weekend getaways Wisconsin. Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories.
Keep enjoy life…and food…and Kringles, of course.
Best,
Dena
Tram says:
April 18th, 2016 at 1:14 pm
I love The HobNob (especially at holiday time, when the decor is turned up 1000%). Your David description is spot on. I always feel like I’ve wandered into some kind of eerie time warp whenever I make the trip up there.
italiangirlcooks says:
April 18th, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Never been to Racine, but I already know I love their Kringles…thanks to this most entertaining post!
RaytownDiva says:
April 18th, 2016 at 6:05 pm
That name was my handle a while back and seems fitting :) I grew up in Racine and this post is super on-point. You missed out on one major Racine classic though – the cracker crust pizza!!! Next time you’re there (if ever?) do yourself a favor and check out Wells Bros. The za is so great, as is the atmosphere. Just don’t try to pile on too many toppings! If you’re up for it go down prom weekend and check out the city-wide prom parade – it’s a real red carpet affair with bleachers for public seating and it’s broadcast live on local TV. That and the 4th of July parade are the major events of the year.
Tim says:
April 18th, 2016 at 6:31 pm
RaytownDiva! I didn’t know anything about the prom stuff until just now when I fell into an internet hole…it sounds so fascinating! We’ll be sure to get pizza next time, I love cracker crust.
kickpleat says:
April 18th, 2016 at 7:07 pm
I’m a huge kringle fan. Growing up in London, Ontario my mom always ordered one from a local bakery every Christmas and it was my favorite thing ever. Here in Vancouver, there aren’t many kringle bakeries, so on our next cross-the-country-and-into-another-country road trip, I’ll visit (a Trump-free) Racine.
Liz says:
April 18th, 2016 at 9:58 pm
Ah you have made me homesick. I love it when people get WI right, and you keep doing it.
Mallory says:
April 19th, 2016 at 5:32 am
Love this – will travel for food! I live (and grew up) in a small town in Ohio – we have 3 Kewpee restaurants in town – best place to grab a burger, fries, and a malt!
Rach says:
April 19th, 2016 at 7:27 am
The writing in this post is fantastic.
Tim says:
April 19th, 2016 at 9:12 am
Thanks, Rach.
And thanks to everyone. Nice to see you here.
MM says:
April 19th, 2016 at 9:31 am
What a charming picture you painted; I just love the ending quote and the sense of idyll you created. I’ll be moving from the Midwest in the next month or two and this post started my process of Midwestern grieving. Thanks for sharing.
Louise says:
April 21st, 2016 at 3:07 pm
I bet that Trumpeep is aged just about perfectly. I live in the town next to where Peeps are made so Peep art shows up for some occasions. And people have preferences of how to eat Peeps, such as totally fresh or well aged so it gets kind of chewy.
MK says:
April 21st, 2016 at 3:58 pm
Now you owe yourself a return trip to Nelson’s Variety Store. A true classic in the sense of that old fashioned dime store feel!
Elizabeth says:
April 25th, 2016 at 8:58 pm
I lived in Racine for a number of years as a child, and one of my fondest memories is O&H kringle. Despite my family not living there for over a decade, our extended family still requests kringle for reunions, holidays, etc. Every time I pass through I make sure to get a few… it’s that good. O&H all the way!
Luisa says:
April 27th, 2016 at 7:02 am
That book already (kinda?) exists! http://www.amazon.com/United-Cakes-America-Recipes-Celebrating/dp/1584798394
Arcadia says:
April 29th, 2016 at 10:58 am
This is such a fucking delightful post. Also, the peeps kill me.
Rita Connelly says:
May 1st, 2016 at 12:31 pm
I grew up in Racine (I now, sanely live in Tucson,AZ) and to this day I can tell you what side of town someone grew up on by which bakery they thin makes the best kringle. All bakeries ship any where in the world, so I get my fix at Christmas when we order them for gifts and for ourselves. I do miss Kewpee’s though.
Mary Anne says:
May 2nd, 2016 at 7:57 pm
Tim! This sooooo makes me miss the Midwest. This seriously is a delightful post, to paraphrase another commenter.
Donald Trump’s peep tongue is the most disgusting thing i’ve ever seen!!!!!
Also…. claim to fame here! My stepdad’s family were the first Danish bakers to bring kringle to the US! They had a bakery in Racine called Ostergarrds which isn’t there anymore. We order kringle from Racine every Christmas!
HEARTS to you and Bryan. xx