’Round these parts, we foodies aren’t strangers to waiting a while for a restaurant opening. (We’re looking at you, Semolina, Fry’s Spring Station and, ahem, Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar.) Historically, it’s been worth the wait. Balkan Bistro & Bar, which opened June 21, is hardly an exception.
The new West Main restaurant from Anja Cetic has been in the works since last fall, when her family’s Water Street joint, Balkan Bakery, closed up shop to make way for Bill Atwood’s Waterhouse project. (The tasty Balkan creations can still be found at the City Market.)
Last week, Cetic opened the doors to her new place, located in the building that formerly housed Under the Roof. After attending the opening, we’re Balkan believers. The restaurant has a few kinks to work out (halfway into our evening, we were informed the chef didn’t have the ingredients to make what we ordered), but the food more than makes up for the (presumably temporary) snafus. We received a plate of perfectly smoked meats with a side of fresh ricotta cheese and eggplant dipping sauce. As a fellow diner said, “I could bathe in this cheese.” (Though we wouldn’t recommend it.)
As for the rest of the experience, service was great (especially for a packed opening night) and the wine selection was impressive. Expect to see traditional American fare mixed with a few southeastern European surprises on the menu.