This one-day festival is your only chance to try these decadent pastries and sausages

There are no Croatian restaurants in Tacoma, but for one day — and only one day — the Slavonian American Benevolent Society Hall in Old Town will become one.

The organization’s Konoba — a Croatian word for a hosted event in which participants try their best to eat their way into a food coma — will be from 3-8 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 19). Admission is $10 plus the cost of food.

The society’s summer food festival will serve diners cevapcici, kajmak, ajvar and a host of other foods and decadent pastries that come with hard-to-pronounce names.

In addition to Croatian wine and beer to wash down the food, live music and dancing will be performed.

The one-day fest raises money to maintain the historic hall and also funds the society’s Croatian cooking and language classes.

The food served at Konoba will range from items typically served in a Croatian home to Croatian street food, said Mary Sudar, a member of the society and one of an army of volunteers hosting the festival.

Barbara “Barica” Lucich is another volunteer and also a Croatian pastry aficionado. She described a lineup of decadent pastries local diners won’t find in bakeries anywhere near here.

“Everything has cinnamon and cloves or anise, even if it’s a pinch in it because it gives that authentic taste we’re used to with Croatian food,” said Lucich.

Consider Croatian pastries to be something like the sassier cousins of Italian pastries.

“We don’t say who stole whose recipes,” Lucich joked.

Here’s a deeper look at the sausages and pastries that will be for sale at the event, plus navigation notes.

Navigating the fest: Attendees will exchange cash or credit for tokens that can be traded for plates of sausage, boxes of pastries or beverages (tokens keep the lines moving quickly because no change has to be made). Be sure to check out the historical and cultural displays downstairs. Members will be on hand to talk about Croatian culture.

Seating: Last year’s event took place in the upstairs portion of the hall, but this year’s fest will be held downstairs and upstairs. Find pastries, a cappella singers, cultural displays and seating downstairs. Upstairs, find more pastries, plated food and entertainment. Find the handicap-accessible entrance in in the alley.

Croatian sausage plate: Last year’s festival — the society’s first — featured a plate of cevapcici that will return this year for a bargain price of $5. Grilled sausage (cevapcici) is a mixture of seasoned ground beef and lamb that resembles a tasty mini-kebab. Served with warm pita, kajmak (a cheese spread) and ajvar, a red pepper relish that’s mildly spiced. Organizers tripled this year’s order so they wouldn’t run out like last year.

Croatian kielbasa: Also for sale upstairs will be a kobasice plate for $5. The Croatian sausage is made by Seattle’s Bavarian Meats.

“We’ll be serving it on a small bun with Croatian-style coleslaw with vinegar and oil,” said Sudar.

Pastries: An assortment will be available for $5 and larger boxes might be available for an extra charge. They’ll also sell povitica and walnut bread from the Strawberry Hill bakery.

Here are the pastries that will rotate through the pastry boxes:

Cvite: An anise-flavored cookie that looks like a Mexican wedding cookie but is softer and more pliable with a feathery-soft texture. The recipe is Lucich’s grandmother’s, who would instruct the grandchildren never to use a machine when making the cookie, often with a raised knuckle to convey she meant it.

Hrustule: “It’s like a dough you cut out like pie dough. You tie it into a bow or a knot and you deep fry it, then you let it rest and then you put powder sugar on it,” said Lucich.

What makes it Croatian? The flavoring is some kind of spirit, such as brandy or whiskey, “and a little anise, because there’s a little anise in everything.”

Baklava: “It’s made by everybody in Eastern Europe,” explained Lucich. The Croatian version served last year was buttery soft with a very sticky texture.

Biscotti: Expect a broad selection of the double-baked European cookie, including a rosemary version and probably a fig version, too.

“Somebody always shows up with one with almonds and walnuts in it,” said Lucich.

Strudel: What makes a Croatian strudel different? The thickness, explained Lucich.

“Germans use a heavier dough. With Croatian strudel, you almost have to see through it when you pull the dough.”

Slivovitz cupcakes: These are a mini version of a traditional Croatian plum brandy cake. It’s a recipe adapted from Sudar’s family recipe.

Tortes: Expect a wide range of tortes, from chocolate to apple.

Oblatne: This is a wafer sheet cookie layered with crispy shells and luscious fillings.

Medena pita: A layered, honey bar cake.

Breskvice: These are known as peach cookies.

Beverages: Croatian beer and wine, plus shots of plum or pear brandy, coffee and water.

Entertainment: Downstairs, a cappella group Dave and the Dalmations will perform traditional klapa music. Upstairs, The Makedonians, John Morovich and Sinovi and Dromeno will perform. There will be plenty of room for dancing.

Croatian Konoba

When: 3-8 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 19)

Where: Slavonian American Benevolent Society Hall, 2306 N. 30th St, Tacoma.

Cost: $10 admission.

Information: 253-627-6878,slavhall.org

This story was originally published August 15, 2018 at 12:00 PM.