Add to the long list of foods available in Hartford: cherry babka, cheese babka, challah, poppy seed strudel, pierogi.
In the general excitement over the Polish National Home (whose future, at time of publication, seems uncertain) and the reputation of New Britain as the epicenter of the Polish experience in Connecticut, Baltyk gets overlooked.
Baltyk European Deli, on the corner of Wethersfield Avenue and South Street, is open every day except Mondays, though the exterior might suggest otherwise. Try the door, and you will walk into a brightly lit, well-stocked shop of pączki, jams, prepared foods, cheese, juices, kielbasa, magazines…and did I mention pierogi?
The Polish flag is in the window, but as the name suggests, there are products from the Baltic region (not to be confused with the Balkans). Yes, there is Lithuanian bread, a load of candy, and newspapers and magazines.
I’ll leave you with this photo, blurry from the excitement of an aisle of goodies:
Unhidden Gems is a series published every other Monday, spotlighting one of Hartford’s treasures that sits right out in plain sight. These are restaurants, clubs, cultural centers, and other places that are either on or easily visible from one of Hartford’s main streets.
