I’ve always been curious about different cuisines. Luckily, I have worked in very diverse workplaces where people come from various places. When my office mate from Serbia found out that I wanted to try Serbian food, she recommended Kafana in New York City. Hubby and I ate there back in 2012.
Before going there, I had no clue what to order. I asked my office mate for recommendations on what dishes to try, so she gave me a short list. We went with her suggestions. After all, she knows better – she’s Serbian.
There’s a tip right there: if you’re curious about a particular cuisine and you’ve got friends who hail from that particular country, just ask them. They know. It’s like me and Filipino food. I’ve got my favorites, so I won’t steer you in the wrong direction. I can tell you where to get fusion Filipino food and Filipino food we actually eat. I won’t force-feed you balut, unless you want some. But I’m getting off the subject. . .
Hubby and I went on a Saturday to check out Kafana. Parking was difficult, as expected in the city. The place was pretty quiet. In fact, we were the only ones there; the place is supposed to be busy at night. Our server asked us if it was our first time to go there. I said yes. She asked if we knew what to order. I showed her my office mate’s list, and the server agreed with it. While we were waiting, she gave us some bread. No idea what the dip was, but it was good.
Then she gave us another bread – a flatbread – with a creamy spread.
As my office mate suggested, we ordered one Karadjordjeva (pan seared schnitzel rolled with ham and cheese) and one Pljeskavica (a traditional Serbian burger).
Don’t be deceived by that schnitzel. It was pretty big. Too big that I didn’t finish it. They even added salad and fries, so it really filled me up quickly! Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten so much bread.
Hubby’s burger was very juicy! Honestly, we didn’t think it would be, but it was.
For our dessert, we tried the Pita sa Visnjama (sour cherry pie). I wasn’t a big fan of this, but had I not tried, I wouldn’t have known, would I?
I haven’t tried other Serbian restaurants since then, so I have nothing to compare the food with. I still want to go back to Kafana and try their Cevapi, Kobasice and Krmenadla, plus their desserts Reforma, Palačinke and Baklava Tulumba. I think it’s better if we go in a group. With their generous portions, finishing the food with two or three more companions shouldn’t be a problem.
Address:
Kafana
116 Ave C (between 7th and 8th Streets)
New York, NY 10009
OMG, I think I have been to this place before! It was a Serbian place in lower Manhattan that began with a K, how many could there be?? We went for dinner with a large group and drank lots of schliva (prob not spelling it right — Serbian plum brandy) and there was a guy playing accordion. Really fun time! I keep pestering my husband to take me back.
It sounds like it IS the place, Jessie! Glad to know I’m not the only one who enjoyed the place. 😉