For the record, ćevapi are ubiquitous in the Balkans. But here in Toronto, they’re less revered, perhaps because they’ve been pretty much impossible to find downtown. At least, that was until Hrvati Bar opened in 2011 and showed Torontonians what they were missing.
Put simply, ćevapi are small sausages, sans casing. They don’t look like much, but they pack a punch. Equally as interesting are the sides they usually come with, such as ajvar (a Serbian roasted red pepper sauce) or lepinja (a Serbian flatbread).
And although Hvarti Bar has long since closed, several other eateries have started serving ćevapi across the city. So Toronto foodies are no longer forced to travel west to Royal Meats, or east to Mak European Delicatessens to get some.
Here are three spots serving ćevapi right now:
Tennessee Tavern
You can always count on Grant van Gameren to bring culturally significant food into the mainstream. His Parkdale spot, known for its eastern European mentality and menu, made ćevapi a household name. The ćevapi here is a mainstay at the beloved restaurant. Outlined inside a decorative cross on the menu, this holy grail of a dish is nothing short of spectacular. For $15.95, get a pair of elongated ćevapi, with all the fix-ins, such as pita, ajvar (red pepper sauce) and kajmak (cream cheese).
Drom Taberna
Queen West’s Drom Taberna is known for representing all Eastern European states from the Baltic to the Balkans. So it’s no surprise that their menu features the all-star Bosnian dish. A little more traditional than Tennessee Tavern’s take, this dish comes with a scoop of white onions and a flatbread called lepinja, which is cooked in a wood-fired oven.
Somun Superstar
The new sandwich shop on Kingston Road is all about these southeastern European sausages. Since 2011, ćevapi spots have started to pop up all over the city; but Somun, the wood-fired bread full of these delicious links, are a little harder to find. Direct from Sarajevo, these pillowy pita-like sandwiches filled with ćevapi are getting more and more common.