During his phone conversation with Seven Days this Monday, Dalibor Vujanovic took breaks to speak to customers asking for foods from Germany, Russia and Greece. He promised them that the cake mixes, sausages and cheeses would arrive soon. Such is life at the new A Taste of Europe, which closed in Winooski and reopened in a larger space in Colchester on April 15.
Vujanovic says that his new store, across from Costco, is already “much busier than it used to be” in its old location. Though the 3200-square-foot store has room for far more merchandise than the old one, including Bosnian smoked meats, German spaetzle and candies from around the world, part of its appeal may be the prepared food.
Vujanovic and his family owned Euro Corner, a café on Burlington’s Main Street that closed last year. Much of its menu has migrated to Colchester. Sandwiches are made on the fluffy Bosnian lepinja bread that the family also sells at Healthy Living, City Market/Onion River Co-op and Shelburne Supermarket. They can be filled with Eastern European meats and cheeses and American favorites such as BLTs and ham and cheese.
Chef Anela Nurkanovic, a Healthy Living alum, fills a hot bar with “healthy international food” such as stuffed cabbage and grape leaves. On opening day, fare ranged from chicken in paprika-tinged tomato sauce to American chop suey and Middle Eastern chickpeas.
According to Vujanovic, the prepared grub will change daily, and so will the food on the shelves. “I’ve had a lot of customers requesting new things,” he says. “I’m getting Scandinavian, British and Dutch food soon. Whatever people ask for, I’ll probably get.”
This article appears in Apr 20-26, 2011.
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