Went out to Serbian restaurant Kafana with my friend Jen in the East Village. It’s been so long since I’ve had the food I grew up with. As a kid, I’d beg my mother to make the food my (American) friends were eating because I wanted to fit in. Now, I would do just about anything to have one day back with her and her home cooking. Going to Kafana helped me reconnect with those memories and reminded me that I should have paid more attention when mom was trying to teach me her recipes.

The Serbian/Croatian-dominant wine list was incredible. I started with a glass of “graševina” and my friend had a glass of Orange wine. With our main course, we went with a bottle of Sub Rosa 2009 (@vino_budimir ), a blend of Prokupac and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Bordeaux-styled wine showed notes of black cherry, plum, violets, mushroom and black currant with a medium acidity that fit perfectly with our dishes.

The food was delicious. We started with Lepinja sa kajmakom (bread with a creamy cheese spread) and kupus (chopped cabbage salad). Our main courses was ćevapi (grilled minced meat) and kobacise (sausages). Each dish had that special touch of “home” that I missed so much. There is something about the saying “made with love,” that you can never quite describe … but certainly can taste.

❤️