A Sioux Falls woman will draw on her Balkan heritage as she opens what she calls a “one-stop charcuterie shop.”
Sladjana McCord has hired a contractor to prepare the vacant store at 1524 S. Sycamore Ave. for Modern Meze, which will offer small plates or large trays featuring specialty meats and cheese and other offerings such as fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and sweets.
A meze (pronounced muh-zeh) is a small assortment of various foods served before any meal in countries such as Serbia and Bosnia, McCord said. But it’s more than an appetizer—it’s an attitude.
“It is a cultural ritual and an invitation to slow down, connect and create memories,” McCord said. “That simple idea sits at the heart of everything we do. It’s a well-known thing in Balkan culture.”
Her parents, Vlado and Duka Petrovic, hail from the Balkan region, and McCord grew up enjoying meze at home and at church. Her father is at least the second generation in his family to smoke meats and cheeses, and McCord used to urge him to start a meat and cheese store. He would demur, saying he was too old.
McCord had worked for a corporate bank, in the nonprofit world and as a manager for two chiropractic offices in Sioux Falls before deciding to stay at home with her three children a couple of years ago. She pursued other interests, such as putting together charcuterie boards with decorative displays of meats, cheeses and other items…