IT’S A SAUCE OF PRIDE
Owner of No Fork delights in bringing taste of Kosovo to Bx.
I’m always scheming to try a cuisine I haven’t yet had, and there’s no better place in the world to indulge that habit than New York. While aimlessly wandering around the Bronx’s Little Italy, all of my go-to pasta and pizza havens were packed. So I wandered a little off the beaten path and found a Kosovar eatery, called No Fork.
No Fork was opened by Veton Sinani in June 2021. Following in the footsteps of his father, who ran restaurants for 40 years back home in Kosovo, Veton began helping his dad at just 12 years old. His eyes light up as he tells me about working with his father, particularly when he mentions a special sauce on a type of sandwich that could be found only in Kosovo. When he came to New York at the age of 21, he kept searching for that sandwich and its familiar sauce to no avail.
That search sparked a new dream — to open the first U.S. spot to serve his favorite Kosovar sandwich. Veton tells me it was important to him that he establish the business in the Bronx because he felt the community would support it. And because his location is so close to Arthur Ave., he added pizza to the menu.
After hearing the excitement in his voice as he recounted No Fork’s history, I simply couldn’t wait to try the store’s signature sandwich. It’s served hot, with toasted bread stuffed with smoked beef prosciutto, mozzarella and that signature house-made sauce. At $12.99, it’s a steal; it’s massive, filling and served with fries.
Despite being jam-packed with toppings, the sandwich is a light bite while still being incredibly satisfying.
The sauce immediately reminds me of the special sauce from In-N-Out; it’s the same color, has a slight tang, and is versatile enough to put on just about anything savory.
I wanted to try other menu items, so I ordered a sausage pide — a traditional Turkish flatbread — and the Fork-et About It pizza, made with beef sausage, beef prosciutto (there are no pork products served here), mushrooms and mozzarella. I am a sucker for pide and hadn’t had one since my Istanbul trip back in 2022, so out of all of the dishes I ordered, I was most excited about this one.
Luckily, it lived up to my expectations. The pide at No Fork is a cheese lover’s dream. The dough is crisp, and it’s topped with tons of salty hunks of feta, stringy melted mozz and a healthy sprinkling of oregano.
As for the pizza, don’t expect a classic Italian pie by any means. The crust is thin, crispy and completely covered in sesame seeds, which add a nice nuttiness. I may or may not have shamelessly eaten a slice out of the box on my subway ride home.
So if you’re a curious cat like me, and you, too, have ever wondered, “What do people eat in Kosovo?” a visit to No Fork in the Bronx is in order.
● Address: 612 Crescent Ave, Bronx, N.Y. 10458
● Phone: (347) 654-5807
● Hours: Saturday-Thursday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m.-12 a.m.
● Prices: Sandwiches $10.99-$12,99; 12-inch pizzas $10.99-$14.99; Samuna $10.99-$12.99; Turkish pide $10.99$11.99; Sides $3.99-$7.99
● Takeout and delivery available; no reservations.
Have a suggestion for a great hidden dining gem in your neighborhood? Reach out to Kaitlyn with your recommendations at nomannomad.net@gmail.com.