Tomorrow is Paczki day, and for this week’s Food Monday segment, WBEZ’s Monica Eng joins us for a preview. Paczki day is a longstanding Chicago tradition. It’s a Polish version of Mardi Gras, so that means it’s the last day of meat before Lent begins.

Paczki are a type of lard-fried jelly doughnut that’s the holiday’s namesake. We’ll sample some Paczki from bakeries around town. We’ll try boozy paczki from Delightful Pastries on the far Northwest Side, and some more traditional ones from Ideal Bakery down the street. We’ll try some American-inspired ones from Alliance Bakery, and some paczki with traditional orange glaze from Kurowski’s and Rich’s Bakery.

We’ll also try a Paczki-flavored beer from Marz Community Brewing. It’s made with peruvian chocolate, though, since apparently the company mistook an order for Polish chocolate. Happy Paczki Day, Chicago!