Located in Astoria, Cevabdzinica Sarajevo owned and operated for fifteen years by Ifeta and Ismet Huskovic, serves up NYC's best tasting cevapi. The couple native of Sarajevo, where in their mid-twenties ran a successful cevapi restaurant. Then in 1992 the Bosnian War broke out and life was was turned up-side-down. Their story is moving and inspirational as they were "separated" for over a year (she fleeing with two young children to upstate New York he remaining in Bosnia) before they were reunited.

This is cevapi, pronounced "che-va-pi,"it is made of grilled minced meat,it is three inches long resembling a muscular breakfast sausage. Yes,it is small, but itis busting with flavor and has a distinct taste all its own. When plied with ajvar, (the sweet roasted pepper) and sliced onion, the taste of cevapi is crazy good, findingit almost addictive. During my travels in the Balkans two years ago; Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, the air was always filled with the grilling of cevapi. I could not stop eating them.  However, true cevapi aficionados agree that the cevapi in Bosnia, and specifically the capital city Sarajevo are the most renowned.   

Ifeta Huskovic, a highly engaging woman shared with me the origin of the restaurant's name and it's translation. "Cevabdzinica," from the word "cevabdzija," which is a person who prepares the cevapi from scratch, using a secret recipe that is inherited from family members. I could sense a selling of pride as Ifeta spoke that Ismet, her husband each day mad the cevapi down below in the basement.

Cevabdzinica Sarajevo is small seating perhaps twenty-five, but it is colorful and captures the national pride of Bosnia. The walls are adorned with the blue and yellow national flag, and photos of FK Sarajevo football players. The television is always turned on to a favorite Bosnian station, Balkan music plays. The atmosphere is lively and upbeat.

What I especially found heart-warming about Cevabdzinica Sarajevo was the positive interaction of the people from various Balkan countries. (Their history is a stormy one) Serbian, Croatians, Albanian, Macedonian, Bosnians coming together at the restaurant to enjoy cevapi, soccer and good cheer.

Bosnia-Herzegovina interesting fact - The country consumes the ninth most coffee of any country in the world. This is quite amazing considering how small the country is.

Bosnian language - "Hello" (do-bra-den)  "Thank you" (Hvala)  "Delicious" - (U-kos-no)

Address - 37-18 34th Avenue   Astoria (Queens)  (718) 752 - 9528