Kafana

After the exciting USA-England game, it was time to figure out what to do for dinner. We had an unlimited Metrocard for the day so we definitely wanted to go somewhere not in walking distance. After some research, we decided to try Serbian food for our next World Cup meal. Neither of us had ever had Serbian food before, and the team was playing the next day. Perfect!

The obvious choice appeared to be Kafana in the East Village. They were open late (and we were having a late dinner after the feasting at the beer garden) and people really seemed to enjoy their experiences there.

As we approached the restaurant, we noticed a huge crowd outside. The place looked packed. We had some back-up options, but really wanted to try something different and new. Luckily the wait wasn't very long (just to clear and set up new tables) and most of the crowd was just leaving the restaurant.


The meal started with complimentary bread which came with a red pepper spread:


We ordered an appetizer, which was a special for the day. It was corn on the cob with a creamy cheese spread:


The spread was delicious, and who could go wrong with corn on the cob? None of the extra spread went to waste, since we had leftover bread after finishing the red pepper spread. Really, really good dish.

Then it was time for our main courses.

A got a lamb and spinach stew called jagnjeca kapama. The hearty stew had a mild but well-seasoned flavor, and the lamb wasn't very gamey. A thought it was very good, especially with the bread -- of which we unfortunately ate too much!


M got something called prebranac sa seljackom kobasicom. It was traditional baked beans with peasant sausage. M's eyes lit up when they brought it over because the "baked beans" (which she had pictured as baked beans like those you eat with hot dogs) were instead the giant white beans that she loves from various Mediterranean restaurants. This dish is like comfort food. It makes you feel warm and cozy inside, and the flavors were excellent.


Although everything was good, our 2 favorites were probably the corn special and the peasant sausage with baked beans, with a slight edge to the sausage and beans. We kept eyeing all the food arriving on the other tables because we would love to go back to Kafana to try more dishes. So much of it looked good!

Have you ever had Serbian food? Any recommendations?

Kafana is located in the East Village on Avenue C between East 7th and 8th Streets. It's open late on Fridays and Saturdays (1 am). Cash only.