"William Djuric, the chef and co-owner of the West Village’s new fast-casual restaurant Balkan StrEAT, grew up—on the Upper East Side—with the food of the Balkans. His father, a Serbian artist, cooked goulash at home; in the summers the two of them travelled to Belgrade, and they would eat their way through the region. Later in life, Djuric attended the Institute of Culinary Education and worked at Bouchon Bakery, Gramercy Tavern, and Momofuku Ssäm Bar, all the while dreaming of opening his own ćevapi place. Ćevapi —kebabs served alone or on a bun, with ajvar, a spread of roasted red pepper—are the ultimate Serbian street food. “I knew that eventually, when I did my own thing, hopefully one day, it would be Balkan food,” Djuric told me. “You can get it in Manhattan, but I always thought something was missing—a place that represented the street food, the vibe that I experienced.”" - Shauna Lyon
