Carl's Bakery

If you ever travel through the East Peoria, IL area ... and it's sometime between 5:30 AM and 2:00 PM ... it would behoove you to stop in at Carl's Bakery. Just ask directions to "The Rooster".

They make excellent donuts there ... but ordering a donut there is like ordering a hamburger at a steak house! They have every type of roll, pastry and sweet bread known to man. As a matter of fact, that's the tough part ... figuring out which to buy when they all look and are ... delicious! So do as I do ... ask for a box and take one of each!

As a matter of fact ... part of the fun of eating there is watching people approach the counter and select the "one" they want!

"Give me a cinnamon twist .. no no, make it a cream cheese danish ..... wait is that apricot? What's that over there? Cream filled long john ... yeah that's what I want. No. Wait .... just get me a box and put one of each in there. Oh and one donut to eat on my way to work!"

And while you're setting there savouring your sweet selected morsel (assuming you were able to make a single selection) ... here comes Carla with another tray ... fresh from the oven!

So if you're planning on just eating one ... best get it to go!

Carla's dad (Carl) opened the place over 50 years ago. She told me she started helping her dad there when she was 8 years old. Her and her husband have operated the bakery for several years. They're up every morning around 2:30 AM ... start cooking at 3:00 AM so they have things ready by 5:30.

Their bakery will be featured sometime in the next few weeks on the Food Channel.

Oh ... and if you have to make only ONE selection ... let me offer MY choice ... it's the cream cheese danish ... no wait, the apple fritter ..... or maybe the ....

Dennis