And what are some that I might be able to find (in the DC area) that I don’t know about? I like empanadas, I love saltenas, and both are here, but I can’t find kolaches anywhere.
Pepper biscuits!
I have no idea if they’re available in your area (I suspect not), but by far the finest savoury pastry on this earth is a steak and kidney pie. If you disagree, it’s only because you’re wrong.
Indian Samosas!
I found this kolache shop in Maryland! The savory version of the kolache is officially called the klobasnek. Except they’re usually called kolaches too, down here in Texas. Kolache Kreations offers jalapenos in some of their kolaches/klobasniki–I’m betting they have Texas roots.
Shipley’s, a Houston donut shop chain, offers boudain kolaches, offering a mix of Tex/Czech/Louisiana flavors. Haven’t had them yet, although the one outlet that sells them isn’t far. Just haven’t gotten over there early enough on a Saturday morning…
I understand Pie Face are opening stores in the US.
One of life’s baffling mysteries is why the British and Aussie tradition of savory pies wasn’t taken up by America. Perfect food for anyone that likes hot fast food but doesn’t want a burger or pizza. Served in a bag you only need one hand to eat it and can devour one while walking. You can get a passable one from the hot box most places you fill your car and the supermarket has frozen ones to keep at home.
Savory pies have a foothold in a place or two in the US. They’re pretty common in Louisiana, for instance. Natchitoches is known for pies made from beef, pork, and crawfish (not necessarily all in the same pie). Many gas stations throughout the state offer Natchitoches-style pies, but almost no other fast-food places do; I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in a chain place. At least one company produces frozen Natchitoches pies; I see them in the grocery stores occasionally. There are also pie shops that do both savory and sweet pocket pies in Texas and Oklahoma, but they’re specialty places, and there aren’t many of them.
I agree that it’s odd they haven’t caught on more. It may be too late now–I’m afraid Hot Pockets have permanently damaged the image of savory pie-like things.
So far as I can tell, only if they have sausage in the filling, as “klobasa” means “sausage” in Czech.
I also bemoan the dearth of savory pies in the US, and find it baffling.
Look for Jamaican meat pies or patties. They’re smaller, with no gravy, but very tasty if you like spicy. You might have to look in Adams-Morgan, or out in Alexandria somewhere.
Try looking for bourekas. You’ll find them wherever you find concentrations of Greeks, Turks or Israelis.
Does Beef Wellington count? It comes in puff pastry
When I was in the DC area, I bought beef patties from several different 7-11s, of all places. And they weren’t bad, either.
Or Serbs and Bosnians under the name burek. Apparently, Bulgarians have something similar, too, called byurek.
There’s also the knish.
I never heard of these, but, damn, looking up some recipes online (like Emeril’s), they look awesome. I might have to make a versino of the meat filling tonight and just put it in a bun (feeling too lazy to make a pastry.)
cheese straws
Pasties from The Cornish Pasty Company in Arizona.
You should be able to find an Ethiopian restaurant in D.C. Try the Sambussa, a yummy pastry filled with lentil beans.
Or if you can find a Cuban bakery, the potato ball is always delightful.
Pulykamell, for Jamaican patties:
Caribbean American Bakery
1539 West Howard Street Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 761-0700
This is the only place I will get them in Chicago; all the others are either pale tasteless things or they get them from there to begin with.
For AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING savory pies:
Pleasant House bakery
964 West 31st Street
Chicago, Illinois 60608
Their mushroom kale pie is to die for.
I had a lamb-and-mint Cornish pasty in England that was just about the best thing I’ve ever tasted.