WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR- M. JAHOVIĆ
GDWNU- Our interlocutor is Saša Milić, the owner of the restaurant "Bubamara" in New Jersey. Saša, when did you come from Montenegro to the United States and how did you adapt to the way of life here?
SM- I came to the United States from Montenegro in 1997. My wife came a year after me, and my daughter in 1999. That tells you how difficult it was, first of all, to get together again and function as a family, and therefore to adapt to the conditions and way of life here.
GDWNU- The restaurant is named after a ladybug. What are the reasons for naming your restaurant that way?
SM- I gave the name ladybug thanks to my daughter, more precisely, it is related to her. Here I met a man who helped me a lot and helped me adapt to this system. He meant a lot to me and my family, and he spent a lot of time with his daughter. He took her to school, studied especially English with her, because she was only 6 years old when she came to the USA from Montenegro. Once while he was with her, a ladybug landed on his hand. He then asked my daughter what her name was in our language. She called me a ladybug, after which he told her that she was his little ladybug. That's what he called until his death. When, after a few years, we decided to open a restaurant, we decided to call it ladybug in memory of him and all that he did for us. In Montenegro, the ladybug represents luck, so I'm sure that the name of the restaurant also brought us luck.
GDWNU- How was it for you in the beginning, when you first arrived here?
SM- In the beginning it was challenging. During this period, I was engaged in construction here. And I did that for many years. Even today, I am engaged in construction, as a side job. While running a restaurant is a real pleasure for me. Our restaurant business is a family business. By the way, while we were in Podgorica, we were engaged in a similar activity, more precisely we ran a cafe, me, my brother and parents. It was called Semerlin and it was one of the most popular cafe-bars in Podgorica at that time. I was also very young then, I was only 17, 18 years old. That's what drew us, and you see, we reached the USA and are engaged in catering.
GDWNU- Your father was born in Podgorica and was a keen soccer player?
SM- That's right, we are a football family. My father played for Buducnost, he played as a center forward during the 60s and 70s. He was one of the most famous football players, and for a time he also played in Macedonian Vardar. I am really proud of him, and even today everyone knows who Vlado Milić is. My older brother also followed in my father's footsteps, who also played for Budućnost from Podgorica, and was a member of the youth national team of Yugoslavia together with Pixi. I also played football, but due to starting a catering business, I stopped playing football and dedicated myself to the family business.
GDWNU- The guests at your restaurant here in New Jersey are people of various nationalities and that is one of the successes of your business?
SM- That's right, and all of that was preceded by a lot of work, effort, and investment. In the beginning, of course, it was difficult, as it always is. My vision was for this restaurant to be a recognizable place for all people primarily from the former Yugoslavia, Europe and the whole world. I think we managed to achieve a lot of what we envisioned. It is interesting that in the restaurant we play music from our premises, foreigners who are our regular guests always tell us that even though they do not understand the songs they listen to at our place, they like the music.
GDWNU- On the walls of the Bubamara restaurant there are pictures and photos from the former Yugoslavia. What is the reason?
SM- Those photos are a symbol of a bygone era, which we all remember for good and success, and unfortunately that time will never return. When I was young, I visited the whole of Yugoslavia, and I have the best memories of Podgorica and Sarajevo and its Baščaršija, and Belgrade and Mostar and Plitvice and Zagreb and Split.
GDWNU- You also have the famous Fića with Podgorica license plates. Where did she come from?
SM- In Podgorica, during one of my stays, I saw three boys. That's when I came up with the idea to bring one of the pictures to the USA and of course to use it as part of marketing for the restaurant, because I was sure that it would be interesting to our guests and I was not mistaken. I bought that card and along with it and the photos I presented the whole of our former homeland in a specific and interesting way. And fica was also a symbol of a good time in Yugoslavia. I've never driven a fica, but a fica is a fica.
GDWNU- Do you expect this restaurant to become iconic and for this business to last for generations? Are you planning to open a bakery?
SM- This is how we plan for the restaurant to last for generations. As for the bakery, the idea was born about two years ago, and I got support for that idea from relatives who also live here in New York. That the idea came to me because there is no bakery of ours in New York and here in New Jersey and I am sure that our pastries and delicacies would be very tasty and interesting to people here. I also imagined it to be authentic in our own way and in our style and spirit.
GDWNU- I know you often go to Montenegro. Do you feel nostalgic, how much do you miss your birth lump?
SM- There is nostalgia and of course the lady misses my country, the place where I came from. And that's natural. I can't handle my thoughts and I have some plans to return to Montenegro, but who knows, those are some vague long-term plans that may or may not come true. After all, America is a country that has given us a lot, and we have been here for a long time and we are related to it. My family and I certainly go to Montenegro often, two to three times a year, and that's how we cure nostalgia.
GDWNU - your workers come from all over the Balkans, but you also have Americans among your employees.
SM-Guests of our restaurant are, I repeat, from all over the world, predominantly from the Balkans, but there are also some from the Middle East, South America, and the whole world. That's how I hired workers, who provided me with good working conditions, but also the opportunity to meet someone from their region, the former Yugoslavia, Albania and talk to them in their own language.
GDWNU- Our attention is certainly captured by fica, which is completely authentic and represents a pearl?
SM- Thank you, I definitely plan to register it on the history plate and take it to Time Square.
GDWNU- In your restaurant, is international or local rana from Montenegro served?
SM- 90 percent of our offer consists of domestic hrtana from Montenegro, and it is prepared in our own way. There are home-made kebabs, ushtipci, priganice, Podgorica popeci, Njeguš and Durmitor steak, pies and burecs.
GDWNU- Thank you for this conversation and hospitality and we certainly extend an invitation to all our readers to visit the Bubamara restaurant in New Jersey and enjoy the great atmosphere, authentic space and exceptional food that we also enjoyed.
SM- Thank you too, it was a pleasure and please come again.
