Irena Kaci

The dog days of summer are arguably the most memorable out of each year, especially around these parts where long warm days have a short shelf life. Even after summer vacations are no longer a given, but distant formative memories, summer holds fast to its identity as a time for indulgence and enjoyment. To that end, we have compiled a great and tidy list of Worcester County bakeries that can aid you in exactly this pursuit. 

European Bakery (29 Millbury St., Worcester) has been around since 1994. Founded by Zbigniew Surowaniec, a Polish immigrant, it was recently acquired by a team of brothers named Casey and Brett Griswold who expanded the business by also acquiring Montgomery’s Irish Bakery in Boston and who now distribute Irish specialties like Irish soda bread and scones all over the greater Boston area. I spoke with Casey Griswold who describes their business model as a ‘wholesale bakery with a retail storefront’. 

“We distribute our bread and pastry to almost every Polish market in New England, along with other Eastern European and Jewish Markets. We are certified Kosher, so in addition to the traditional Polish items, there are some very traditional Jewish recipes that we prepare. Most of our items are not necessarily unique to us, but they are very old, traditional recipes that you probably wouldn’t find elsewhere in New England. Our products are naturally less sweet than most American bakeries, in following tradition with Eastern European recipes.  Our closest competition for this type of product is in Brooklyn, NY. Our most popular items are our Rye Bread, Challah, Babka, Polish Strudels and P?czki. Our P?czki is made year round, but in the couple of days before Lent (Fat Thursday for the Polish and Fat Tuesday for the Americans), we make around 10,000 of these donuts!  If you have purchased a P?czki in New England (excluding the fake grocery store type), then it was probably made by us.”

Summertime for European Bakery is a time for perfecting recipes and preparing for the big feasts of winter, but there is a late summer specialty that should not be missed. “The summer is when we try out a few new recipes and try to revive some old ones. In late August / early September, there is a period of 2-3 weeks when the European Plums are ripe, so we buy as much as we possibly can – usually hundreds of pounds, and make Babka, cakes, and Danish, and we also sell the plums fresh in the store. During the fall months, we actually make cider donuts for a local orchard on Saturdays, and those are available in our store and wholesale.”

European Bakery has been around for 30 years now, and is well known as far north as Portland and as far South as Hartford. The recipes have very much remained identical and faithful to the original iteration. The Griswolds did change one thing, however, “When we purchased the bakery, almost everything we made was sold outside of Worcester. We have tried to change that over the last couple of years by offering wholesale to local restaurants, markets and food trucks. Although not many people know about us, if you have had what I would say is the best burger in Worcester, or unequivocally the best Pastrami on Rye – then it was served on our bread.”

If, like me, you grew up in an area with ample Italian-American immigrants, then you are in for a treat, as our next featured bakery is Worcester’s homage to Italian-American baking. Joe’s Cannoli (1130 Pleasant St., Worcester) opened its doors in November 2023 in its humble location in Tatnuck Square, and has been quietly but consistently offering up classic Italian-American favorites to its growing fan base. 

Owner Yussef “Joe” Khalaf whose background includes Gerardo’s, Val’s in Holden, and the Boynton, is pleasant and accommodating, more willing to readily give end of day leftovers away than seeing them go to waste. In fact the whole business model skews heavily against waste, even when it means more work. “ We are an Italian American style bakery. We don’t just specialize in Italian baked goods. We bake American specialities as well. Some favorites include a ‘Nutella-stuffed’ cookie, S’mores Cookie, and a NY style chocolate chip cookie.  Of course our bestseller is the cannoli, which comes in four different flavors: pistachio, plain, chocolate covered, and tiramisu.” 

But Khalaf is quick to explain that it doesn’t end there. “We have coffee, a full deli, and a sandwich menu. We are expanding our catering reach, having recently worked with a charcuterie company to cater an event for the Worcester Housing Authority. We have also donated to the recent fundraiser for Neighborhood Strings Orchestra. We just want to make a positive impact on our community and bake.”

But Worcester proper does not have the monopoly on Italian baked goods. Not too far to the south, Francesco’s Italian Bakery (14 Powerstation Rd, Charlton) has been filling the same niche for 25 years. I spoke with manager Gianna Manzi to learn a bit more about the history as well as the offerings at Francesco’s. 

“My father Frank opened our bakery in 1999 and I have been the manager since the last 10 years. We have a very wide selection of products, including things like cannolis, French macarons, Italian cookies, but wedding cakes are our speciality. We are open every day from 6:30am-7pm except for Sundays, when we close at 6pm. We only close for one day a year and that’s Christmas Day.”

It is easy to see that Francesco’s success comes largely from their commitment to their community, and their willingness to go the extra mile to make special occasions extra special for their clientele. However, even outside of special occasions, their offerings are enough to tempt just about anyone. “We have a few seasonal Cannoli flavors for Summer currently – Cotton Candy and Raspberry Chocolate Chip. For Fall our biggest sellers are definitely Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies and Pumpkin Spice Cannoli! Our Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches with Apple Cider Buttercream Filling are big favorite among our customers too!” 

Founded in 2002, Miranda Bread (140 Shrewsbury St, Worcester) now has a total of four locations in Marlborough, Stoughton, Framingham and the flagship bakery in Worcester. Equal parts cultural community space and bakery, Miranda Bread’s mission is not only to provide quality Brazilian baked goods to the community but also to help recent Brazilian immigrants find their footing in their new lives. 

Established by Ernando Miranda in 2002, Miranda Bread began as a “humble Brazilian Bakery on the vibrant Shrewsbury street” intending to offer traditional Brazilian foods and baked goods as well as a wonderful landing community for recent immigrants.  Not only did it achieve that goal by becoming a cultural institution in its city of origin, but it exceeded the goal by continuing to support the influx of immigrants both economically and gastronomically in four additional boroughs.

Across town from Miranda Bread sits “Worcester Sweets” a small family owned Colombian bakery and coffee shop, offering a sampling of traditional Colombian goods. Diana Gallego, and spouse Norman Gallego opened Worcester Sweets in early 2023 in hopes of bringing their unique blend of flavors to Tatnuck Square and beyond. Their signature baked goods include arepas con queso, puff pastry concoctions with chicken or beef, an array of muffins and a rotating menu of cake slices, including anything from tiramisu to tres leches. Of course, their claim to fame is 100% authentic Colombian coffee beans brewed into a perfect cup of coffee everyday. Their website says it best, “Colombian coffee is famous all over the world for its unique flavor and aroma, which comes from the fertile soil and warm climates of the Colombian coffee growing region. Colombian coffee is one of the best in the world, and is backed by the commitment of Colombian farmers to produce quality coffee. The Worcester Sweet Cafe offers a variety of premium Colombian coffee that offers a unique flavor and aroma not found anywhere else.” In just a year, Worcester Sweets has become a neighborhood staple.

One of the perks of handling the grand tour of bakeries in Worcester County has been sampling the vast array of delicious options available to those of us lucky enough to call this portion of the state home. It is truly encouraging to see several iterations of plucky transplants enacting the American Dream of business ownership, and the wonderful community support that makes it possible. These days it is far too rare and far too valuable an experience!