There Deta Lekic herself welcomed us, pouring me a strong coffee in a glass mug and, once I was warm enough to take off my coat, propelling me back into the little kitchen where—never mind the “more”—she made pretty much one thing only: Macedonian pita (aka burek or borek), flaky phyllo stuffed, coiled into a spiral, and baked until golden brown. Her dexterity with the fragile dough convinced me this was not a thing to be tried at home, at least not mine. But by then her hospitality had made the storefront seem like her own home.
It was February 15, 2003, the day of the largest global protest in history, with crowds of between ten and 30 million people worldwide demonstrating against the U.S.-driven war in Iraq. In Chicago, 3,000 people filled the Devon Avenue strip to oppose what Barack Obama, then a state senator, had termed “a dumb war . . . a rash war.” It was below freezing, with gusting winds that added to the chill, and after several hours of mostly standing around, I was as cold as I can remember ever being. Afterward, a couple of us made our way to Deta’s Pita & More, a tiny cafe in West Ridge, on the far-north side.
