10/08/2026
What a sweet story! 🍩
Thank you for sharing it with all of us!
Fall in love with Pedretti's
By Steve Ortman
Published April 25, 2023
It's Saturday morning. I'm 6 years old and "The Real Ghostbusters" is blaring on television as I'm playing with my WWF Hasbro wrestling action figures. I do not have a care in the world.
Yet, my day is about to get a whole lot better.
"Grab your coat," my mom says. "Let's get to the bakery before all the good stuff's gone."
Oh, Mom, I'll forgive you for misspeaking. Everything is good where we're going.
It was a weekend tradition at our house to grab some breakfast treats at Pedretti's Bakery, located right on Main Street in downtown Elkader, Iowa. I believed this when I was 6 years old, and I still believe it 32 years later: Pedretti's is the best bakery on the planet.
For quality and price, you are not going to find a better bakery than the Elkader mainstay that has been owned by the same family through three generations since 1968. Chris Reimer is the current owner.
When my mom took me there, I couldn't wait to get a little of everything. M&M cookies, blueberry donuts, apple turnovers, donut holes, long john's, jelly-filled delights, frosted sugar cookies, you name it. Everything is absolutely fantastic and will have you reaching for a tall glass of cold milk.
When I get back to Elkader now, I always make sure to stop at Pedretti's and load up. I'll walk out with four or five of their classic small white paper bags - jammed to their folded-over creases at the top - and every time they are finished ringing me up, it never ceases to amaze me how little I'm paying for such treasured sweets.
I've since had the luxury of treating my own family to Pedretti's, and they sure do agree with me. My daughter digs the M&M cookies and giant frosted sugar cookies - always decorated with fun designs - while my wife leans toward the fruit-filled sugar cookies - something I had never had before but has quickly become one of my favorites. Raspberry is my jam.
More than 30 years of visiting Pedretti's Bakery and they still blow me away.
While the treats are terrific, it is that sense of nostalgia I feel every time I bite into one that keeps me wanting more. Watching my daughter look through the glass case windows trying to decide what to get - that decision is never easy - takes me back to when I was in her shoes 30 years ago. Now I play the role of my mom, waiting with a smile and getting the money out.
Each bite carries me back to those simpler days, and that's why Pedretti's holds a special place in my heart.
But mostly because the goodies are freakin' incredible.
So, if you're looking for something new this spring, head to Elkader and give Pedretti's a try. I promise you won't regret it, and you'll probably keep coming back for more.
