Our Story
In the early 90's we (Phill Vucinic & Joe Alfirevich) along with a group of friends had a get together on top of an old lofted Chicago garage. In traditional Croatian fashion the night ended with an ethnic barbecue of Ćevapčići: a homemade mixture of lamb, beef and pork, garlic and spices. For us this was tradition; for everyone else it was inspiration. The questions flew: "What is this?"; "Why don't more people know about it?"; "Why don't you sell this stuff?" After many similar reactions, a seed was planted and over the next 10 years we have been serving our Croatian barbecue at festivals, concerts, tailgates, parties and everywhere else where friends and food meet. We have been spreading the tradition that is Ćevapčići...
Phill Vučinić, I am a second generation Croatian-American and was born into a family that always celebrated their strong ethnic ties through traditional foods like roasted lamb and pig, stuffed cabbage (sarma), and ćevapčići. I have always acted as an ambassador of my favorite Croatian food. My involvement and experience in performing Eastern European Folk Music and Dance has given me an appreciation for my heritage and has inspired to advocate for our culture and traditions.
Joe Alfirevich, I was born in the Croatian and Serbian neighborhood of the Southeast side of Chicago -- a neighborhood that was a cultural center for Serbians and Croatians for most of the 20th century. You could hear live Slavic music, eat Croatian, Slovenian, and Serbian food any night of the week, and drink in bars that felt more like Eastern European enclaves than American establishments. Being raised in America and surrounded by such a vibrant Balkan culture has cultivated a sense of pride in our culture and of course, our food
