If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably know that I absolutely love Balkan food, especially the food in Kosovo. And while I’m thousands of miles away from Kosovo at the moment, I can still enjoy some authentic Kosovar food at home in Florida. Join me as I eat homemade Kosovo food in America, including byrek, tavas, and more!
When I traveled to Kosovo back in October of 2020, the cuisine blew me away. The food there is hearty and rich, and full of lots of meat and dairy but also incorporates fresh vegetables and spicy peppers. It’s also super fresh!
An awesome subscriber of mine named Tony Shoshi reached out to me to invite me to his restaurant, Shoshi Café. He offers authentic Balkan food in Fort Lauderdale, a city just north of my hometown of Miami. I couldn’t wait to meet Tony and eat some delicious food!
Immediately, Tony served me some coffee and raki. I love raki, but it was a little too strong for me! In addition to selling everything from Albanian to Greek to Kosovar cuisine, he also makes fresh juices, homemade cakes, and more. He also sells artichokes, tomatoes, pepper, oils, and more.
In the kitchen, he made a 7-cheese and meat byrek in a cast iron pan. He layered the cheese, meat, and dough in the pan and added garlic, salt, and pepper. It was like a fancy flija. Then, he cooked it in the oven on low for 15-20 minutes.
Then, he made a Shoshi sandwich with a chipotle aioli, whole wheat bread, cucumbers, lettuce, avocadoes, onions, roast beef, tomatoes, and lemon vinaigrette. You can have this sandwich with either roast beef or pastrami! I had to take a bite right away. It was crunchy and creamy!
Then, he made some quinoa with cucumbers, carrots, apple, spinach, and rice with lemon vinaigrette. Next, he prepared peppers with cheese, as well as a meat-and-pepper tava with ribeye and sirloin steak. Tony followed that with cornbread with roasted peppers and tomatoes and onions, a BLT with turkey bacon, and more!
Meanwhile, our 7-cheese byrek was ready! Out at the table, we had a full-on Balkan feast. I got some Hamptons juice that included kale, ginger, carrots, and cucumber. Tony’s kindness and hospitality were off the charts.
The juice tasted like greens and was very healthy-tasting. Then, I jumped on the byrek, which was the best byrek ever. I loved the grass-fed beef, the flaky layers, and the seven cheeses. It included Italian, Greek, and Albanian cheeses. And was like a cross between a pizza and a burger!
Next was the ribeye, sirloin, and filet mignon tava. I loved the onions and peppers. It was slow-cooked, so the meat was super tender and practically melted in my mouth! I followed that with creamy tomatoes and peppers with yogurt and cheese. It took me back to my time in Kosovo!
Then, I added the cheesy peppers to some cheesy bread. The goat and feta cheese were unreal. Next, I jumped on the Shoshi sandwich. The roast beef was unbelievable, and it had a sweetness to it as well. I loved all the different fresh elements in it!
The cornbread with tomatoes, onions, and peppers was a unique fusion of flavors. It’s based on Tony’s grandmother’s recipe. Next was a Bosnian baked dish stuffed with potatoes. It was filling and went well with the tomatoes, onions, and peppers.
The cured filet mignon with onions, garlic, and parsley was on another level. It was so good, I had to take it home with me. It was the best filet mignon I’d had in my life! I followed it with some byrek dipped in yogurt.
I wanted to eat more, but I was super full! Massive thanks to my boy Tony for inviting me out to Shoshi Cafe for some homemade Kosovo food, including byrek and tavas. He was so friendly and hospitable and really made making this episode such a fun experience. If you’re ever in Fort Lauderdale, be sure to pay him a visit!
I hope you liked coming with me to Shoshi Cafe to have Kosovo food, including byrek and tavas, in America! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures around the world!
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