What's the Best Spot for Paczki in Birmingham? You Said Le Petit Prince

Tuesday is Mardi Gras — or as it's better known around here, Fat Tuesday. And in Metro Detroit, that means one thing: pączki.

Sugar, eggs and fat are traditionally combined to create pączki, traditional Polish doughnuts filled with fruit or cream and dusted with powdered sugar or glazed.

The Polish tradition is to celebrate the last six days of Carnival, known as zapusty, beginning on Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek) when pączki (fried doughnuts) are eaten. In America, pączki can be found in bakeries on Fat Tuesday or Pączki Day, Feb. 12.

The baking and consumption of pączki began as a practical matter. Pączki were made as a way to use up the lard and eggs that were prohibited during the ancient observance of Lent. Now, they’re part of a last-minute binge on sweets before the sacrifice begins.

So what's the best spot to find paczki in Birmingham? Last year, we asked Birmingham Patch readers as part of our Readers Choice series . Thirty-one percent of you said Le Petit Prince, Birmingham's iconic French bakery.

Other local favorites include:

• Frank Street Bakery (18 percent)
• Papa Joe's Gourmet Market (13 percent)

What's your favorite spot to pick up paczki around Birmingham? Let us know in the comments below!