By Sarah Greil
TOMAHAWK – The sophisticated taste of a French bakery will soon be coming to downtown Tomahawk.
Kallijah Paraska plans to open her traditional French bakery, Boulangerie, located at 114 W. Wisconsin Ave., with a Grand Opening on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
Originally from Phillips, Wis., Kallijah moved to Seattle, Wash., 40 years ago, where she worked as an actuary. After retiring nine years ago, she and her husband moved back to Tomahawk and last year bought the building that would soon be their new business.
One thing Kallijah did not want to give up when she left Seattle was French pastries, and since she’s always wanted to own a bakery, opening Boulangerie makes her dream a reality.
Hoping to open in June of 2021, Kallijah ran into some unforeseen obstacles. What started out as simply updating the plumbing and electricity soon turned into a new roof, new floors, and major bathroom renovations. To further delay the opening, the brand-new range that was ordered in August wasn’t completed until December because of COVID and labor shortages. A lack of available contractors also slowed the work.
Nevertheless, the custom furniture has been delivered, the espresso machine has been broken in, and the dough sheeter is ready and waiting to make those buttery, flakey croissants.
After months of preparation, Boulangerie is ready to offer sweet, buttery treats at almost any time of day.
On any given day, Kallijah says to expect 20 to 30 different kinds of pastries, as well as Austrian cakes and European Italian and French breads that have a “golden exterior and velvety interior.” She says that what’s special about French and Austrian pastries is that they’re not overly sweet so that you can “enjoy more of it without feeling like you’ve eaten too much.”
There will be no “day old” pastries. Since French croissants take three days to make, and they contain no preservatives, they are made fresh each day, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.
For those who like to enjoy a hot beverage with their pastries, Kallijah special-ordered an espresso machine from Italy. Her staff completed a three-day training on how to use the machine. They will be using only coffee beans that are certified Organic and Fair Trade.
She says just as traditional Europeans do, they will be offering only five types of coffee, because “they believe the complement of your lunch should be your pastry. The coffee is just a nice accompaniment to go with it.”
As a special offering, Boulangerie will have occasional “fruit of the season” treats during peak harvest times, highlighting fresh fruits like peaches, apples, or raspberries.
Also unique to Boulangerie will be warming griddles, where there will always be fresh, warm Belgium cookies made with rich Belgium chocolate.
Boulangerie will be open 12 hours, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8 for the Grand Opening to give those who work various shifts a chance to come check them out. In addition to trying great pastries, customers can enter a drawing to win a custom-made maple wood checkerboard.
Kallijah also says that she will be donating 10% of her net proceeds from the first week they’re open to the Tomahawk Historical Society.
To learn more about the products offered, follow Boulangerie on Facebook.