Original El Nopal Bakery Memories

06/03/2026

With Gemini AI I colorized this black and white photo of my parents from their El Nopal inauguration 1974. The amazing thing is it got many colors right without my telling it.

05/30/2026

That is Bernardo Cardenas on the left by the Mariachi at our 1974 El Nopal Bakery® inauguration.

My parents and I are pictured there. My cousins too.

I'm not sure of the names of some of the other people there.

05/29/2026

05/23/2026

This Monday May 25th is a free day at Chicago History Museum. Admission is free that day.

If you have never been to it before, it's a fun museum.

Official real Hojarasca® Cookies that follows my father's original detailed recipe only available in their cafe on the right side of the building as you enter.

05/21/2026

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day.

05/09/2026

Gemini colorized photo of the other side of the Blue Island block. It made some changes to store signs. I don't think that was called LAX restaurant next to the salvation army store which later became Dr Ramos office.
It changed the Atlas name of the sausage store. I don't think club holiday had a "bar" sign above their sign, it looks like it was Schlitz or Pabst beer sign. But the brick colors look pretty close to accurate.

Photograph found at the Chicago History Museum reference library on the third floor.

05/09/2026

This July 1965 photo of my haircut before my birthday with my dad's reflection in the mirror. At Luis Barber Shop in Pilsen. Colorized.

The door says 1712. Does anyone remember if Luis barbershop was on Blue Island avenue across from the bakery as I remember it or was it on Ashland avenue in 1965?

05/06/2026

My mom said to me that my dad Francisco "He is El Nopal."

In writing this page and revisiting good memories, I realize how strong my connection is to Pilsen and Little Village. Especially the 1960s and 1970s. Thank you for sharing your memories.

And we will continue sharing memories new and past.

05/05/2026

Someone posted about buying a car at Pontiac on Blue Island avenue but I can't find the post. I completely forgot about that Pontiac dealership. I remember now that it was mentioned.
.. Okay I found the post.

It was by the Blue Island, Ashland, Cermak intersection where Benito Juarez high School is now. Does that intersection have a name?

05/05/2026

Happy heavenly birthday Mom.

05/04/2026

The Pilsen block from 1967 looks more modern now that it's colorized. It got the red lettering on Barnet's store right though it jumbled the spelling.

Someone wrote the Casa del Pueblo taqueria has a poster that they're moving.

A few days ago I visited the Blue Island block in Pilsen. An old photo I found at the Chicago History Museum from 1967 helped me remember where certain stores were. I stood in front of vanished stores I used to go to in the 1960s:
Nerads, Dee's, and Barnet's five and dime.

I went to Casa del Pueblo taqueria which has the best barbacoa tacos. Of course I bought some barbacoa tacos. Me and my cousin Gus would often buy tacos there (when we had El Nopal there) because they're delicious. Every Sunday my mom and Gus would bring me huevos con papas from Casa del Pueblo. My cousin met his wife there when she was a cashier. The waitress remembered me.

My parents knew the owner of Casa del Pueblo since they opened the bakery in 1961. About 15 years ago I took my mom to their taqueria and she saw the Casa del Pueblo supermarket owner and warmly and cheerfully greeted him.

In the 1960s all the different ethnicities on Blue Island avenue were friendly with each other and bought from each other. We all got along. Mexican, Italian, Jewish, Greek shopowners.

I told the waitress who remembered me the authentic and authorized Hojarasca® Cookies are only available at the Chicago History Museum Cafe and only the museum has my father Francisco's original recipe from the original bakery. I showed her the poster from the museum.

I pointed out to the waitress that the cookies they sell are not authorized by us. That those were by a bakery with a different name. I informed her we did not sell the trademarked El Nopal Bakery® and Hojarasca® Cookies names.

It was very nice seeing the old neighborhood. In the mid-70s we would drive from Pilsen to 26th Street bakery then to our home on 25th and Kedvale. My understanding is some there hope to demolish the Blue Island avenue block to build condominiums. I don't know when. But I'll tell you I have so many dreams that are always the same of walking to El Nopal on Blue Island at night, my hands on the bricks climbing myself to the entrance, I enter and it's like it was in the 1980s. I see my parents both dressed in white baker uniforms. And they walk from the baking area to the lobby arms outstretched happy to greet me. And I am happy to see them again.

05/04/2026

Colorized this photo of my parents and I at the Bernardo Cardenas supermarket in Pilsen around 1963. I think the store was near Wood Street on 18th. My parents are on the left of Fr. Bianchi from St Francis Church. My dad is holding me up. The colors bring out a lot of things I did not notice in the black and white photo.

Deborah Kanter

05/03/2026

This black and white photo of a circa 1958 team standing with my father on Halsted Street was colorized by Google Gemini. My dad is wearing the short sleeve white shirt on the right. In the blue shirt is Bernardo Cardenas who I think had a TV show.

Were Los Rayos a soccer or baseball team?

05/02/2026

Around 1995 at 11:00 p.m. I see a dog sitting in front of the front doors of El Nopal Bakery®. I opened the door and the dog turns around and holds up his paw to shake hands. I shake his hand and say hello.

I get a biscuit and a cup of water and go outside to give it to him. The dog was very hungry. I thought what a well mannered dog, whoever trained him must be looking for him.

I thought I didn't want to leave the dog alone on 26th Street all night. I took the dog home. I opened my car door but he wouldn't go in so I threw in a biscuit he jumped in.

I went to the grocery store and got dog food, two dog dishes, and a leash to walk him. We gave him the name Tex. He was very well trained and had a good disposition. I would tell him "Tex is a good dog."

We called the owners and they came to the bakery to pick him up in the lot behind the bakery. The dog was very happy to see them. If the dog was afraid of them, I would not have given them the dog.

They left with Tex. I see them gone down the alley from the building corner. Then Tex runs back to look at me. Then he goes along with his owner.

I had a dog for a day and I wish I kept him. Tex is a good dog.

04/30/2026

Artwork I added...

04/30/2026

26th Street and Harding circa mid 1950s. You can see Linkas stationery store and sports goods on the right.

04/28/2026

Two years ago April 27, 2024 is a great blessed day for original El Nopal Bakery®. We taught the Chicago History Museum Cafe how to bake the Hojarasca® Cookies based on my father's original recipe used at the original bakery. The museum liked my page as it chronicled the history of the Mexican community. And they wanted to offer the authentic Hojarasca® Cookies to visitors of Aqui en Chicago.

04/25/2026

Pancho and Sally. One of my favorite pictures of my parents.

My parents would be so happy I have a licensee like the Chicago History Museum. The museum staff are kind, respectful, ethical, caring, high standards super clean kitchen, and keep their word. God bless them.

Their Latina chef who bakes the Hojarasca® Cookies is wonderful and she used to be a customer of ours from my parents' days. She bakes the cookies perfectly faithfully following my father's original recipe taught to her by our retired master baker.

Both my parents were born in Texas. My dad lived in Mexico with his father. My mom would cry telling me when my dad was 10 he would sell donuts on the road in Mexico barefoot. That he suffered a lot. I video recorded my mom reminiscing about stories when she became elderly. Maybe one day I will post the video.

My mom and dad met at Jalisco Bakery in San Antonio Texas. My mom was the manager and my dad was a baker.

In 1949 they got married and moved to Chicago. My dad was a pastry chef at Palmer House who liked the large bread alligators he baked. Then both my parents opened their first El Nopal Bakery® at 330 S Halsted Street in Chicago on January 1, 1954.

My parents and I worked hard. We all worked everyday. I'm protective of our hard-earned trademarks and reputation. I'm very happy with the Chicago History Museum.

04/22/2026

About 18 years ago when we were having our refrigerator repaired in El Nopal on Blue Island avenue, I went to Casa del Pueblo taqueria to buy the employee's tacos and I bought tacos for the repairman. He liked them a lot and he said out loud "Only at El Nopal do they feed you."

04/22/2026

I am the trademark owner of the United States registered trademarks El Nopal Bakery El Pan de su Hogar® and Hojarasca® Cookies.

It is official that the only establishment in Chicago authorized to use our trademarks and bake and sell Hojarasca® Cookies is the Chicago History Museum Cafe.

It is official that only the Chicago History Museum Cafe has Francisco and Celia Bonilla's original Hojarasca® recipe used at the original bakery.

Only the museum cafe has the right to use the ® symbol for the El Nopal Bakery® name on their Hojarasca® Cookie boxes.

Anything contradictory someone else writes is not official.

If the ® symbol with our trademark names is used on an unlicensed box, this is an intent to deceive the public which the United States trademark law considers is fraud.

Thank you.

04/21/2026

A few days ago I visited the Blue Island block in Pilsen. An old photo I found at the Chicago History Museum from 1967 helped me remember where certain stores were. I stood in front of vanished stores I used to go to in the 1960s:
Nerads, Dee's, and Barnet's five and dime.

I went to Casa del Pueblo taqueria which has the best barbacoa tacos. Of course I bought some barbacoa tacos. Me and my cousin Gus would often buy tacos there (when we had El Nopal there) because they're delicious. Every Sunday my mom and Gus would bring me huevos con papas from Casa del Pueblo. My cousin met his wife there when she was a cashier. The waitress remembered me.

My parents knew the owner of Casa del Pueblo since they opened the bakery in 1961. About 15 years ago I took my mom to their taqueria and she saw the Casa del Pueblo supermarket owner and warmly and cheerfully greeted him.

In the 1960s all the different ethnicities on Blue Island avenue were friendly with each other and bought from each other. We all got along. Mexican, Italian, Jewish, Greek shopowners.

I told the waitress who remembered me the authentic and authorized Hojarasca® Cookies are only available at the Chicago History Museum Cafe and only the museum has my father Francisco's original recipe from the original bakery. I showed her the poster from the museum.

I pointed out to the waitress that the cookies they sell are not authorized by us. That those were by a bakery with a different name. I informed her we did not sell the trademarked El Nopal Bakery® and Hojarasca® Cookies names.

It was very nice seeing the old neighborhood. My understanding is some there plan to demolish the Blue Island avenue block to build condominiums. I don't know when. But I'll tell you I have so many dreams that are always the same of walking to El Nopal on Blue Island at night, my hands on the bricks climbing myself to the entrance, I enter and it's like it was in the 1980s. I see my parents both dressed in white baker uniforms. And they walk from the baking area to the lobby arms outstretched happy to greet me. And I am happy to see them again.

Pilsen Memories
Pilsen Community

04/18/2026

Thank you Pilates Connection Chicago! And yes Professor Elena is a master guide and wonderful person. Happy to hear you like the museum cafe Hojarasca® cookies.

I especially like they wrote "You can now only get this special recipe at the museum!"

04/13/2026

Wow nearly six months already since Aqui en Chicago opened at the Chicago History Museum in Lincoln Park. That was an event.

I will always be grateful to the museum people for allowing me the opportunity to honor my parents.

04/03/2026

Blue Island Avenue Pilsen 1940s to 1950s. Look the Del Farm parking lot across the street hasn't been built yet.

I think the first or second awning is 1844 S Blue Island Ave which was Ace Bakery. Became El Nopal in 1961.

Vanished Chicagoland
Pilsen Community
Pilsen Memories