While I have never been to the Czech Republic, I’ve often felt a kindred spirit with their interesting pop culture, their evocative tourism scene, and, of course, their world-shaking cuisine.
But culture has a way of traveling far beyond borders, especially when there’s pastry involved.
Born of a relatively demure European republic, I first encountered the kolache—or, to be proper about it, the koláče—at a small bakery in North Texas. It was impossibly good, the kind of pastry that haunts your fantasies long after it’s gone. But aside from that sweet introduction, I’d never really tasted any actual Czech fare.
Recently, though, someone turned me on to a culinary representative of the Czech Republic with a real neighborhood vibe in Yukon, Oklahoma: Vladislava’s Czech Bakery and Café, 422 West Main St.
After looking over their mouthwatering menu online, I just knew I had to give it the old college try and experience the food of this mythical land.
Going around lunchtime one day last week, my wife and I were surprised by how packed the restaurant was. Though it was a small space, they were going gangbusters—there was always someone at the register, grabbing lunch or bakery orders for dining in or taking out.
Even though I had an idea about what I wanted, it was the lavish pictures on the wall that completely made my decision—they showed luscious (and, even better, lascivious) depictions of all the goulash, dumplings, and schnitzels waiting to be devoured.
With our meal quickly ordered, I chose one of their foreign sodas from the cooler behind the counter, a Paulaner Sunset, a kind of cola-by-way-of-orangeade drink. Looking around at the walls covered in both Oklahoma and Czech memorabilia, I felt oddly at home as I sipped it.
As I popped the top of my second Sunset—hey, I liked it!—our “appetizer” arrived, the freshly made Kloba’snik ($3.00).
A whole sausage, wrapped in a logic-defying pillowy dough, is slowly baked. With some tangy mustard on tap, it became a wondrous ideal of meat and bread that was a truly inexpensive snack and a delightful preamble to our lunch.
My wife had one of her European favorites for lunch, the Schnitzel Sandwich Combo ($12.00). On a hearty ciabatta roll, thinly breaded and lightly fried pork tenderloin, delicate slices of pickle, chopped bacon, and Czech dressing come together like a full meal in a single bite.
With some non-corporate fried potatoes as the side, this was a real extra value star. The pork is so tender and immediately flavorful as the crispy lead, with the backup players—the heady roll and the amazing Czech-dressed slaw—tying things together.
And while the Schnitzel Sandwich is a really good lunch, the Klobasa Meal ($15.00) is an even better meal. A whole round of the corkscrewed klobasa sausage, grilled to perfection, accompanied by those familiar fried potatoes and the Czech sauerkraut I had been waiting for.
This whole meal was fittingly stout, with the spindly sausage coiling down my waiting mouth, taking bite after bite until the whole thing was gone. Of course, this was followed by the Czech sauerkraut that, if I might be so bold, definitely surpasses the German variation.
I got to tell you that Vladislava’s, in terms of value and food, was already in the top tier, but it was the sweets that pushed them over the top for me.
Their sheer variety of Czech Kolaches ($2.00 each) made me drool, with every flavor represented—from strawberry and cherry to Nutella and prune. Difficult choices were made, but we capped off our lunches with both a raspberry and, my personal favorite, cream cheese and almond.
Our faces contorted in total kolache-drunk bliss!
Without a second thought, we grabbed a dozen to go—as many flavors as possible!—and I’ll probably swing back later this week for another. If I lived closer, my new Euro-lunch spot would be Vladislava’s, cramming a full, well-proportioned lunch and multiple baked delights into one spot, all at a good price and better value.
Heck, the kolaches alone might be worth the move to Yukon!
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
