If you bake it, they will come. That seems to be the motto at Minerva's Bakery in McKeesport.
"Paska bread is a big seller during Easter," said owner George Monezis. "We expect 3,500 paska customers this week. They line up around the building in all types of weather. Our storefront is too small to fit them in, but we kept the line moving."
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Trays of paska fresh from the ovens cool at Minerva Bakery. In the background, Jean Obusek serves a customer. (Tony Tye, Post-Gazette) |
The sweet bread containing extra eggs and sugar can represent Jesus Christ's body and resurrection, which is commemorated during Easter week depending on religious background. Western Easter will be celebrated Sunday, and Orthodox Easter is April 27.
"Paska is important for many ethnic groups, including Eastern Europeans, Italians and Greeks," George said, not only for religious symbolism but also for family tradition.
Customer Stevie Standish of McKeesport has been standing in the paska lines for 10 years. "It's a very holy bread," she said "Minerva's paska is second best to my own, but when there's no time for baking, you want one that tastes like home-baked, so I wait in line."
She also takes the paska to church at St. Martin de Porres for the annual basket blessing service, where she sees a lot of Minerva's paskas getting blessed.
Monezis' wife, Irene, ships a paska to her brother, Mike, in Las Vegas every year.
"Many of our customers have moved, but they come back for their paska. Some have come for more than 40 years. People are serious about this bread," she said. "My job used to be dyeing the red eggs that we placed in the center of the paskas, symbolizing the blood of Christ and the resurrection. Can you imagine coloring thousands of eggs?"
An accident resulting in a broken wrist some years back put a halt to the hard-cooked eggs crowning the breads.
"My parents started this bakery 80 years ago," said George. "My mother, Angela, baked six loaves in 1923 and told Dad [George Sr.], 'I think these might sell,' priced them at 35 cents and watched them go in less than an hour. Other bakeries might have made them back then, but I think we were the paska pioneers."
Today, a large paska costs $6.50 plain, $7.25 with raisins; a small plain is $3, $3.75 with raisins. Only golden raisins are used.
Son Mark Monezis of McKeesport is in charge of the paska production. He has worked in the bakery for 38 years. "We make the dough, let it rise and put it through the dough sheeter, which readies it for shaping."
He hand rolls each 4-foot piece of dough that leaves the machine and shapes it into the paska pans.
"It's a three-hour process, and we can bake 70 at a time."
Cousin Larry Bogden, brother-in-law Bill Wesley, Jim Hollmuller and Calvin Brooks help get the paskas ready for the thousands of customers who will appear.
"We don't take orders for paskas Easter week," said Irene, "so if you want a paska you have to come in early."
"Rise and shine, the early bird gets the paska," chorused the baking staff.
Counter women Jeanie Obusek, Louise Lindberg, June Salvi and Mary Jane Lieberum (daughter of former employee Minnie, 93), make sure you have a pleasant wait for the paskas. They know most of the customers by name.
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| The Monezis family has operated the Minerva Bakery for 80 years. The current owners are Irene, right, and George Monezis, third from right. Here they joke with their daughter, Kathi Harvey, second from right, and Irene's sister, Helen Bogden, left front. Also pictured are employee Calvin Brooks, left rear, and Helen's son, Larry Bogden. (Tony Tye, Post-Gazette) | |
"I bring Mom a paska each year," said Leiberum. "She really misses this place."
Obusek is a childhood friend of owner Irene. "I came to help Irene 19 years ago, and I'm still here."
Daughter Kathi Harvey proudly shows off the enlarged photos that adorn the store front. "That's my grandmother baking, here's Grandfather, and look, there's Dad on the McKeesport Bulldog football team."
She's most proud of her father's Master Baking Certificate, which hangs on the wall behind glass cases of strudel, mousse cakes, pies, cookies and pastries. Kathi's job is to prepare the cakes for the artistry of Irene and cousin Larry.
"It's definitely a family affair," she said. She and her brother and started working here as kids, side by side with the family, and now her kids, Kurt, 13, and Alaina, 11, help out at holidays with cousins Michael, 9, and Kate, 10.
"Dad has taught us that quality comes first, and we take great pride in what we do," Kathi said.
That quality has earned Minerva's many loyal customers, who come all year-round, not just for paskas. McKeesport's Sue Filson Carter has been a customer since childhood.
"I've eaten years' and years' worth of stuff from this bakery; my parents were customers. Now I take orders from co-workers and friends, stop at the bakery and then transport what I don't eat."
Said George: "What a wonderful life this bakery has brought us. My dad was an orphan from the island of Chios, shifted from family to family. He talked his way into learning the baking trade and ended up one of the first bakers at the original William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. Now we're celebrating 80 years in our family business."
Why the name Minerva? "In typical 'Greek wedding' fashion, my father thought the Greek goddess of wisdom was Minerva, and it also sounded a bit like Monezis. Later he found out Minerva was the Roman goddess; Athena was the Greek. No matter, to him everything was Greek."
Minerva's is at 927 Fifth Ave., McKeesport. Hours: 7 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Phone: 412-673-2863.
Karen Novak is an East McKeesport-based freelance writer.
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