Review of Cha Cha’s Hiland Bakery, 3615 6th Ave.; 515-282-4059.
Hours: Wednesday through Friday: 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
Saturdays 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Sundays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed Monday and Tuesday, though the Kirkmans plan to start opening on Tuesdays starting October 17.
While I was perusing the pastry cases at Hiland Bakery, I came upon an enticing-looking “Old Fashioned” cake donut.
“What makes these “Old Fashioned?” I asked the new owners, Elizabeth and Ed Kirkman. After all, most of the classic donuts looked delightfully old-fashioned to me.
They looked at each other, then back at me and smiled—beamed, in fact—as if they both recognized something remarkable at the same exact time.
“We don’t know!” laughed Elizabeth. “That’s just what everyone calls them.”
For some reason, we all just started laughing. And now, as I’m sitting here writing this, I’m trying to figure out what made me so damned happy about that moment.
Well, it’s not that hard to figure out. When things we love seem to disappear or fade about every other day, it’s just such a gift when something that’s been around forever stays around even longer. Especially when it’s something as sweet as a neighborhood bakery. And especially when traditions—like the Old Fashioned donuts—remain steadfast through the years.
The Kirkmans might not know where the Old Fashioned descriptor comes from, but they know they’ll likely sell out of the donuts by closing time. And they know these tender, fine-crumbed treats, with their crisp, lightly glazed crust, will make a lot of people very, very happy. What else do they need to know?
Yes, we could probably all go deeply into Google to find out why this particular style of donut is labeled “Old Fashioned,” but why not simply let that little bit of mystery add to the charm?
From Hiland Bakery to Cha Cha’s Hiland Bakery
The Hiland Bakery was owned and operated in the Highland Park/Oak Park neighborhood by the Martinson family from 1946 until it closed briefly in 2019. In 2020, the Adamson family took it over, obtaining the bakery’s recipes as part of the sale.
The keys—and the recipes—were in new hands once again when the Kirkmans took over in early August. The duo kept their ownership mostly under wraps for a while so they could gain their footing. Their ribbon-cutting celebration will be held on October 17, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Find more details here.
So, who are these people? Elizabeth, known to friends, family, and customers as Cha Cha, has operated Cha Cha’s Confections from her licensed home kitchen since 2015. You might have tasted her sweets at local restaurants, including Tumea & Sons, Anna Dolce, and Patrick’s in Adel; she also sold her wares via special order.
Ed has served in the Coast Guard and later worked as a policeman, contractor, and insurance claims adjuster. As a contractor, Ed’s got the know-how to keep the old building going strong, and he plans to add a few touches to cozy up the place, including chandeliers in the dining area and new pastry cases to better show off the baked goods.
Like Elizabeth (er, I mean Cha Cha), Ed is also involved in the day-to-day operations, having to fill in, for instance, when a donut maker was out for a few days. And yes—he appreciates the irony of a former policeman learning the ins and outs of making donuts.
As I interviewed the Kirkmans at a table by the window, our conversations were occasionally interrupted as customers came and went—each being cheerfully greeted or bid farewell by the duo. Everyone seemed to know the Kirkmans already, which is kind of amazing, since they are originally from the South Side and just recently bought a new house a few blocks away.
Exuding joy and excitement at every turn (in spite of what must be long hours and all-new challenges), the Kirkmans seem like the kind of people anyone would want to know. Trust me—meet Elizabeth Kirkman once, and she will soon be Cha Cha to you, too.
Long Johns, Donuts . . . and Gourmet Cheesecakes, Too
Longtime fans of Hiland Bakery will be glad to know that their longtime favorites remain.
“We haven’t touched a thing,” says Ed, speaking of the age-old recipes. After the sale of the shop, the staff of bakers stayed on, seamlessly crafting the donuts, long johns, cinnamon rolls, danishes, bismarks, twists, fritters, and other treasured pastries the way they’ve long been made at the bakery. The Pink Champagne cake, too, is a time-honored choice.
Their team of 18 employees include donut specialists, cake decorators, and danish-makers (who cut and roll the dough by hand), as well as those tasked with making quiches and savory pastries, topped with, for example, mozzarella and pepperoni. And, by the way, this mom-and-pop operation is sometimes a mom-and-pop-and-mom operation—Ed’s mom was working the counter on the day of my visit.
What’s new, however, is Cha Cha’s Confections. Working in the kitchen alongside the bakers that came with the place, Cha Cha creates her own specialties, including cheesecakes, her signature homemade pies, and her almond-flavored sugar cookies with royal icing. The latter are sold along with the bakery’s traditional buttercream-frosted cookies.
The difference between royal icing (a fancy meringue-based choice) and buttercream frosting (a homespun, perennial favorite) highlights the difference between Cha Cha’s new additions to the menu and the longstanding favorites that endure. Both will have their die-hard fans.
An Irresistible Box of Goodies
I bought a box of pastries, plus a slice of pie, to take home and tasted them one by one. I loved opening the box in my kitchen and getting that waft of sweet-bakery scents, and I loved sampling the pastries even more.
I adored the Old Fashioned cake donut, with its fine crumb, the light glaze, the delicately crisp crust. The caramely, nutty cinnamon roll went beautifully with my afternoon tea, while the pecan-crunch pumpkin pie proved a dreamy dessert.
The so-called “Crack Donut” made me smile inside and out. A yeast donut with a whippy vanilla filling and a dusting of powdered sugar, this is one crazy-sweet confection. No mystery about the name here: it comes from its addictiveness. But that’s not the only reason this cutie gladdened my heart. Cha Cha mentioned the some of her early-morning regulars include night nurses in the area who come in for the specialty on their way home from work.
Certainly, the term “Crack Donut” has not been around since the bakery opened in 1946. But the tradition of nurses enjoying a sweet donut after their long overnight shift as another day dawns? That’s likely as longstanding as the beloved old bakery itself.
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I drive through the Highland Park neighborhood regularly and am appreciating the transformation. I’ve always thought it could be a DSM gem!
Your review makes me want to abandon my gf ways!