Even by Serbian standards the komplet lepinja at Irving Park’s Astoria Café & Bakery is a breakfast of epic proportions. But is it a pizza? Is it a pastry? Is it a sandwich?
This wasn’t her first turn at a bakery. When the family arrived in Michigan in 1999, via Germany, Suzi and Tanja both found work at a bakery owned by a Serbian woman. After the woman died Tanja would eventually purchase it. But she says the real chef is her mother, who was cooking and baking long before they fled the war in the former Yugoslavia in 1992.
An arsenal of sweet and savory crepes that cover the plate come packed with fillings like Nutella, hazelnut, and crushed cookies or the Serbian Village—pršuta with kaymak and roasted red peppers. On weekends there’s przenice, thick slices of fresh bread soaked in egg and milk, fried till golden, and served with slices of ham and feta, a savory Serbian response to French toast.
There’s another of her sitting down at a table with recording artist Željko Vasić and his band, who stopped by the cafe specifically for komplet lepijna while on tour, but instead ended up with an epic feast. v
2954 W. Irving Park 773-654-1033 facebook.com/AstoriaChicago
