Balcanico — Restaurant in Darien

I’m no stranger when it comes to Serbian food, since I have been to one Serbian restaurant and now 3 Serbian style cafés. The location can be easily missed if you don’t look closely, but it’s between J&C Modern Way Dry Cleaners and D’Pelos Salon. When you walk in, you order at the counter. They have 5 tables that you can sit at if you choose to dine in. I decided to go with some of their traditional bakery items like burek and mantije. I also ordered prosciutto cotto calzone. The owners were very nice and helpful. One of the owners offered me a piece of mantije to sample. Prices were extremely reasonable, they definitely give you a generous amount of food for your money.

-burek (meat) 5 - they have 3 different kinds, meat, cheese, and pizza. It had a flaky crust and the meat was very tender. If you have this for breakfast, it is filling but it’s good if you’re in a hurry. -mantije (meat) 5 - kind of a miniature version of a burek but bite size. Crust is crunchy with a plentiful amount of meat in each piece. This was one portion. -prosciutto cotto calzone 5 - you will have to be patient because it does take a little awhile to prepare and cook. I loved the big pieces of prosciutto and I like how the pesto just oozes out with each bite. The crust has a tasty, cheesy taste from...

I've been waiting for this place to open ever since I saw the menu posted so I was thrilled when I walked by and saw that it was! I was starving! I ordered the Power Bowl and my Good Lord it was AMAZING!! The freshness and quality of the ingredients were incredible. The flavor combination, superior and it was soooo satisfying! It had the perfect amount of each ingredient with the ideal size of each. I'm super picky about my bowls and usually have to cut pieces down to size. No work here! Generous portion size for the price too. I don't mind paying for quality, I just don't want to get ripped off!😉 It puts the quinoa bowl I've been obsessed with at Panera to shame. It's lovely inside and the Chef/Owner is so nice!! I can't wait to try all the salads and work my way over to the pizzas! Welcome to the neighborhood...

If you enjoy baked goods, simple, supreme sandwiches, even delectable desserts, you MUST experience this lovely new cafe! For me, the star dishes are MANTIJE, BUREKS, (meats/cheese/*potato pies) & pizza but there is something fabulous for each palette! There is such an immense variety of American fare food, with a European special touch, as well as ethnic traditional foods from the Balkans. Everything, especially the different types of dough/breads/crusts are made from scratch each day (until they sell out, so go early). Ranging from POWERBOWLS, CUBAN to CHICKEN AVOCADO SANDWICHES, you will always have something new to try. Unless you develop so many favorites, that it becomes too hard to choose...you just have to keep going back! The owner is very pleasant & accommodating, you'll walk in and out...