Dining pick of the week: Donuts & Kolaches

4650 E. Sunset Road at Mountain Vista Street, 331-3000

Kolache is probably a new word for you, let alone a new food item. Originally from Central Europe, mainly Czechoslovakia, kolaches are a sweet pastry/dessert holding a dollop of fruit or jelly rimmed by a puffy pillow of dough. They gained popularity at weddings and other celebrations. Today, resembling those cute "pigs in a blanket," kolaches may contain ham and cheese or sausage and cheese or just vegetables. According to Victor Lee, restaurant general manager, there can be as many different kinds as there are doughnuts, although each is made with its own distinctive dough. Lee said kolaches are very popular in Texas, and many Lone Star transplants visit daily, especially those from Houston. And we know that nothing goes better with a sausage and cheese kolache than a glazed or chocolate doughnut. Other doughnuts include Old Fashion, blueberry, apple fritter, cinnamon roll, plain, Long Johns and assorted doughnut holes. There also are croissants: ham and cheese, and sausage, cheese and bacon. Kolaches start at $1.09 each or $10.90 for a dozen. Donuts & Kolaches is open from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday.

-- Jack Bulavsky