GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Croatia: Italy - 2:1  ( photo of 1:1 goal by Olic)

Adriatic (river Po, northwest)

By Benet Koleka

DURRES, Albania, June 9 (Reuters) - An inter-faith campaign to reduce pollution in the Adriatic will be formally launched on Monday, when a declaration urging countries bordering the sea to protect the environment will be signed in Venice and the Vatican.

In the past six days, organisers have cruised the coasts of Montenegro, Albania and Croatia to inspect some of the worst hazards and assess what can be done to eradicate them.

"We come from many nations, ethnicities, faiths and professional commitments to join with the people of the Adriatic in the interest of preserving the blessings of the natural world," Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said in Durres, Albania.

"We are responsible not only for our actions but for the consequences of our interventions," he told religious leaders, politicians and scientists aboard the craft Festos Palace.

Known as the Green Patriarch, Bartholomew is a key figure in the inter-faith campaign to use the influence of religious leaders to protect the environment.

Pope John Paul will sign the declaration on Monday in the Vatican, while Bartholomew will endorse it in Venice.

What will be known as the Venice Declaration will invite "men and women of goodwill" to look to their environmental ethics.

POLLUTION IN ALBANIA

The six-day cruise highlighted shocking pollution on the coast of Albania. A stone's throw from a primary school in Durres, the principal port, yellow heaps of sulphur lay inside the skeleton of an abandoned factory.

Lindane, a chemical banned in Europe for a decade, spread its pungent, pervasive smell over an unfenced area in which squatters have made their homes, using contaminated bricks.

From this site, a dangerous chromium residue, which is invisible, has found its way into the Adriatic, whose tainted fish bring the chromium back ashore to be sold on the market.

The whole area of 300 hectares was declared "one of the worst environmental hot spots in the Balkans" in a 2000 assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Experts said an ideal solution would be to build an insulated and impregnable box around the chemicals, along the lines of the sarcophagus that contains the ruined reactors of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

"When it rains, all the Durres field water is drained in the Adriatic, including the waters that carry the pollutants, and this affects the fish," Albanian environmental specialist Romeo Eftimi said.

"But the people living here do not notice it because this kind of poisoning gives its effects long afterwards."

Albania's deputy environment minister Tatjana Hema said the state "was not strong enough" to prevent people from settling there during its first troubled decade of democracy.

"We are mobilising funds to rehabilitate this hot spot and another one and are working to secure $20 million from donors," she added. The Durres area would need half of that.

Experts said Albania would need help from its Adriatic neighbours Greece and Italy to orchestrate a major clean-up.

Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited.

THE SUBCOMMITTEE ONMULTIGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE NGO COMMITTEE ON AGING

Cordiallyinvites you to

AN INTERNATIONALPANEL AND DISCUSSION

Thursday,6 June 2002, 1:00 PM

777Church Center of the UN, 44^th St. and 1^st Avenue, 11^thFloor

To  p i c

Multi-generationalRelationships from aCross-cultural and

InternationalPerspective

TheProgram will feature panelists representing diverse cultures who will describespecific multi-generational relationships, programs promoted by governmentsand/or NGOs, and advocacy strategies that could promote multigenerationalrelationship in their respective countries, with the view of “Building aSociety for All Ages”

   Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid 2002

P a n e l i s t s

ˇ       MarioViscovich, Croatian WorldCongress

ˇ       MalinFalu, Radio Personality,NOTICIAS 1380AM

ˇ       MylčneBarra, France, Senior Student, Institute of Political Science

atAix-en-Provence/International relations,/Intern Program U.S.A. 

ˇ       GayaneKhachatryan, Armenia,Graduate Student/St. John’s University,

Libraryand Information Science, U.S.A.

ˇ       EsperanceKayombo, Congo, GeneralBoard of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church

ˇ       CharlesDeMicoli, Maltese Center,Multicultural American Coalition

ˇ       Questions from the Floor

Mo d e r a t o r

       RosaPerla Resnick

Or g a n i z e r s

Subcommittee onMultigenerational Relationships

Stradun - Dubrovnik

Hi. I'm the music professor from southern Illinois who wrote in some
months ago because I had an opportunity to go somewhere, and had decided
on Dubrovnik. I just wanted to let you know that, even though most
people here and my family as well, thought I was crazy -- this turned
out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.
I did my homework. Lots of reading -- history, culture, etc. -- so I'd
know what I was seeing. And I started learning some of the language and
was fortunate enough to find a language class, which was a BIG help! So
by the time I actually boarded the plane, I was "loaded for bear." To
say I had a fulfilling experience barely touches the reality, but I'll
try. This, in part, is from a letter posted to a Flute List.
Dear Flute List:
I have just come back from a city that defies description -- Dubrovnik,
in Croatia. It sits by the Adriatic sea, surrounded in back by
mountains. The part known as the Old City (stari grad) is completely
enclosed by a medieval defense wall on which people may still walk, for
a spectacular 360 degree overview of the entire area. The old city is
completely pedestrian. It is filled with shops, places to eat or have
coffee, etc.etc. It is also filled with medieval and Baroque
architecture, museums, and many churches with the kind of art works
usually found only in museums. Past and present merge beautifully,
neither crowding the other out.
Many places were damaged in the war (the wall didn't help when they
were shelled from a mountain top for three weeks), but the sounds of
reconstruction are everywhere and the people have come through their
ordeal with remarkable aplomb. 
This has been a shipping and trading center for at least a millenium.
Cargo now is tourism, but the old harbor still brings in ships of all
sorts and ferries go to neighboring islands (one of which houses a
spectacular botannical garden) for a very reasonable price.
Musically, I felt that I had hit the motherlode. I was NOT there during
their annual Festival -- and I still went to a concert or performance of
some sort EVERY DAY. I heard the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, the
Sorkocevic (Sorko-CHEY-vich) Quartet, several chamber groups, was
traditional folk dancing and ballet and modern dance, heard tamboritzen
music, new music from young Dubrovnik composers, and even a children's
chorus that sang -- among other things -- an Arcadelt madrigal. I even
went to the music school and heard their excellent graduation concert.
Accomodation was outrageously good. For the same price that in America
would put me in a Motel 6 room, I had in Dubrovnik an apartment -- yes,
an apartment -- with an amazing view of the old city, the mountains, and
the Adriatic from each of the TWO terraces. My hosts, Mario and Marija,
lived downstairs and were the soul of kindness. They actually picked me
up at the airport, and sometimes Marija would bring up a homecooked dish
of something just because she thought I might like it. I did! Although
restaurant prices were extremely reasonable, I didn't have to eat out a
lot. Between the local bakery, the daily farmer's market, and the
wonderful cheeses -- my midday meal was usually bread, Trappist cheese,
and Dalmatian figs. At restaurants I learned about seafood! Don't be
afraid -- if it's not moving, EAT. By the way, you can drink the water
straight from the tap here without any worries. And coffee drinkers will
be in heaven.
Through my hosts, I was introduced to Dive (JEE-va) Franetovic, a
flutist in the Dubrovnik orchestra. An excellent player, she is also one
of the nicest people and most artistic souls I have ever had the
extraordinary good fortune to meet. I had brought some flute music of
composers that I thought might not be commonly known in Europe, and a
few days later she responded with a wealth of Croatian flute music which
I am having the MOST wonderful time with! I also met Dive's
extraordinary family -- parents, grandmothers, and 5-year-old brother
Rokko.
I could go on and on, and would love to. But in short I have never felt
so safe or so relaxed in any city area. For a female traveling alone,
that is an enormous plus. English and German are second languages, and
it is quite possible to get around without learning any Croatian.
However! Although I've always had a weakness for Slavic languages, this
one is really beautiful. It flows like music. And if you do take the
time to learn even some rudimentary Croatian, the floodgates open and
you will meet more people, discover more things to see and go to, and
have a much more enriching experience. (It is lovely to make a lunch
order in Croatian and have the waitress smile and say, "Bravo!")
I had actually planned on seeing some other areas on the coast but
there was so much in Dubrovnik that I never actually left. The last
night of my stay, I went to hear one last concert -- the quartet -- play
in the beautiful little Saint Saviour church. Their encore was an
arrangement of the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria and I was having a real hard
time trying not to break down, as I realized how hard it was going to
be to get on that plane the next day and face Wal Mart and Burger King
again. It was my prvi put (first trip) there, but I have a strong feeling that
it won't be my last.

Flutistically yours, Suzanne Lord

Not in the letter, but to you all in the Midwest Croatian Connection,
PUNO HVALA for putting me in touch with all the wonderful people who
made this trip and this experience possible. 
Suzanne Lord

Izvor/Source: www.hrvatskicentar.at 

Starting June 20, SkyEurope Airlines will be offering low fares to the Dalmatian coast. For 46 Euros, tourists can fly to Split and Zadar. Flights will go to Zadar twice a week and to split 4 times a week. Because Bratislava is so close to Vienna the new airlines is hoping to get Austrian passengers. Even for Burgenland Croatians in Austria and Hungary, Bratislava is an attractive alternative to Vienna. 

SkyEurope Airlines is a typical low fare airlines, which are currently a trend. They only offer minimal service such as not serving food to the passengers. They also have smaller aircraft, which saves them from the high taxes incurred by planes in congested airports in the larger cities. 

Flights for Split leave on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while flights to Zadar leave on Thursdays and Sundays. The fares are partially lower than a train ticket or the costs of driving in a car, and the airlines' slogan is "Just one hour to the sea." Reservations are possible via the Internet. 

Od 20. junija poceto nudja "SkyEurope Airlines" lakocijene lete na dalmatinskuobalu. Za 46 Euro moru turisti letiti u Split i u Dalmaciju. Letit ce se dva pute(Zadar) do cetire pute (Split) u tajednu. Pokidob je Pozon jako blizu Beca, racuna novalinija, da more vabiti i cuda pasazirov iz Austrije. I za Gradiscanske Hrvate iz Austrije i Ugarske je Pozon atraktivna alternativaBecu. 

SkyEurope Airlines je tipicna lakocijena linija, ke su momentano jako u trendu. Nudjaju samo minimalan service, tako na primjer ne serviraju jilo zapasazire. Nadalje imamju samo manja letilisca u programu, tako da moru sparati visoke
takse za preopterecena letilisca u veliki gradi. 

Leti za Split idu pandiljkom, utorkom, cetvrtkom i subotom, a za Zadar se leti cetvrtkom inediljom. Stroski su dijelom nizi nego karta za vlak ili stroski za auto, a lini vabi s izrekom "Za jednu uru namorju". Rezervacije su moguce i pomocu interneta.

http://www.skyeurope.com 

Op-ed

We left the language from the Gradiscanski Hrvati website as it is.

nb

	Veleposlanstvo Republike Hrvatske u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America
	2343 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20008 Press office,  Phone: (202) 986 9476       Fax.: (202) 588 8938 E-mail: press@croatiaemb.org               www.croatiaemb.org

PRESS  RELEASE

We are pleased to inform youthat Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Ivica Račan and Minister ofForeign Affairs Tonino Picula will visit Washington, DC June 5 – June 7.

Croatian Prime Minister IvicaRačan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tonino Picula will hold a meetingwith Dr. Condoleeza Rice at the White House on Thursday, June 6. During the stayat the White House, Croatian delegation will meet President George W. Bush.

Prior to visit to the WhiteHouse, Croatian delegation will visit the Capitol Hill and meet with severalsenators.

From 12:00 to 1:15 pm onJune 6, 2002 Prime Minister Račan will give a lecture at WoodrowWilson International Center for Scholars on Croatia and Euro-AtlanticIntegration

Afterwards, Croatian PrimeMinister Ivica Račan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tonino Picula willmeet with the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell at the U.S. Department ofState.

Also, Croatian Prime Ministerand Minister of Foreign Affairs will meet U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft,U.S. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans and U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary PaulWolfowitz during their stay at Washington DC.

Besides political, Croatiandelegation will hold numerous economical meetings, with leaders of U.S. Chamberof Commerce, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Business Council forInternational Understanding as well as The World Bank and The World MonetaryFund.

On June 7, 2002 at 3:00pm, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Ivica Račanand Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Tonino Piculawill hold a news conference at the National Press Club. At the conferencethey will discuss Croatia’s political and economic situation and progress, itsaspirations to join NATO and expected relations with the Alliance after theupcoming Prague summit, as well as inform the public about their meetings.

In his talks, Prime Minister Račanis expected to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including U.S.support for Croatia’s integration into transatlantic and European institutionsand its contribution to security and stability in Europe as well aspossibilities for U.S. investments in Croatian economy.

####

Mediacontact: Alan Vojvodić, (202) 986 9476, press@croatiaemb.org 

Thomas Golubic

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/printedition/calendar/la-000037886may30.story 
http://www.supermusicvision.com 

May 30, 2002 

CLUBS
New Sound for Old Movies
DJ Thomas Golubic reinterprets classic films by adding a modern score

By LESLEE KOMAIKO, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

One of L.A.'s freshest nightlife events--a mix of classic films and progressive tunes served up by DJ Thomas Golubic--was born of questionable manners and small revenge. Thank goodness for bad behavior.

Several months ago, Golubic, one half of the music supervision team for HBO's "Six Feet Under," was enjoying a quiet night at home when three friends dropped by. Not only were they uninvited, Golubic recalls, "they were not in their right minds." He didn't want his unexpected guests driving, however, so he plopped them down in front of the TV. Darren Aronofsky's dark 2000 film, "Requiem for a Dream," a favorite of his, was just beginning.

"I thought I should turn the sound down and put some music on to freak them out," Golubic says. He ended up DJ-ing through the final credits, basically rescoring the film while his friends watched and listened. "The next day one of my friends called and said, 'Dude, that was amazing.' So I thought let me try this thing and see if there's any validity," he says. The result is Synchronize, a free monthly--sometimes bimonthly--event in the plush, spacious lounge at West Hollywood's Moomba. Unlike Golubic's impromptu effort at home, these are musically scripted affairs; he spends hours masterminding in advance. "Most of the creativity is in how I move from one track to another," he says. The other difference is that in the club he layers the dialogue over the music.

Synchronize debuted quietly in March with, appropriately enough, "Requiem for a Dream." Then came "Blade Runner." Earlier this month, Golubic rescored Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey." About 100 people, most in their late 20s and early 30s and mainly musicians, industry people, FOTs (friends of Thomas), or some combination thereof, showed up.

"It's a wonderful change of pace from the multiplexes," said Amy Rosen, a music supervisor who attended the screening with a group of friends. "I hate the prices, the lines, the noise like crying kids. This is closer in spirit to when our parents went to the movies, like an event."

But this is not an ultra-hush Writers Guild-style screening environment. The lights are dimmed but not dark. Candles flicker on the tables. There's the occasional shake, shake, shake of ice on metal from the bar as well as the chatter and laughter of friends and couples who consider the film more atmosphere than focal point. People wander out to the parking lot for a smoke. But the majority of the audience sits quietly transfixed, sometimes grooving in their seats to the music, sipping martinis, cosmos, or red wine.

"It's an interesting take, especially for things you've already seen, because it puts a new perspective on it musically," said Kyle Schember, who was there with his Rockstar bandmate Ryan Stuit. "And honestly," Stuit said, "where can you order a New York strip and watch a movie at the same time?"

Many of the artists featured in the Synchronize rescores can also be heard on Golubic's weekly late-night radio show, "Swing Shift," on KCRW-FM (89.9). "2001," for example, included tracks from Groove Armada, David Sylvian and Holger Czukay, Brian Eno, Radiohead, Rinocerose, Sigur Ros, Royksopp and DJ Spooky. "I try to avoid music with lyrics because I really don't want the lyrics to distract you," Golubic says. "And I try not to use music that was available at the time the movie was made."

Among the "2001" audience members who made it to the end of the often contemplative, nearly 21/2-hour film was Vickie Curea, a psychotherapist who'd seen it several times before. "I was totally surprised and pleasantly so," she said. "I thought the way he interpreted many of the scenes in the film, he heightened the sense of fun and absurdity." She also appreciated the comfy couch she and her friend scored by arriving early. "I think that anybody that's a fan of movies and eclectic music would groove on something like this. I don't know if it would hit in Fargo, but it would in Chicago."

Tonight, Synchronize will feature "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" is slated for next month with accompaniment from electronic composer George Sarah and a live string trio. Among the films Golubic is considering for later in the summer are "Barbarella," "Mad Max" and Jacques Tati's "Playtime." He wants to do Wim Wender's "Wings of Desire" down the line and the Hong Kong action flick "The Heroic Trio."

"I choose films that have a very distinctive visual storytelling approach," Golubic says, "films that are not dialogue- or narrative- based." He also gravitates to films that have good music to begin with. After all, where's the challenge in reinterpreting a mess?

Synchronize, tonight, 9 p.m., at Moomba, 665 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood. Also June 20, July 25 and Aug. 22. (310) 652-6364. 

Copyright 2002 Los Angeles Times

Bio
After many years of producing desperately romantic and unsolicited mix tapes for a host of bewildered young women, Thomas has recently parlayed that otherwise fruitless ability into a career as a radio and club DJ and as a music supervisor for film and television. 

Thomas first cut his teeth at eclectically-minded Los Angeles radio station KCRW (89.9 FM), where since 1998 he hosts and programs "The Swing Shift", an ambitious late-night radio show exploring the outer limits of new hip hop, funk, soul and jazz. He also programs the electronic music backdrop for revered Los Angeles spoken word artist Joe Frank and his KCRW radio program "The Other Side".

Following in the footsteps of fellow KCRW DJs turned music supervisors Chris Douridas and Gary Calamar, Thomas began working with veteran music supervisor G. Marq Roswell. This film & music boot-camp experience yielded contributions as music coordinator on the rock-heavy "Varsity Blues" (with a soundtrack certified Gold), the soul and r&b sound to the Denzel Washington film "The Hurricane", and the contemporary pop and country of the Kevin Costner film "For Love of the Game", among others. 

Striking out on his own, Thomas music supervised "Shadow Hours", collaborating with composer Brian Tyler to create a highly modern dark electronic soundscape deeply blurring the lines between score and source music. The film came and went with little fanfare, but the film soundtrack garnered quite a bit of attention for both Thomas and Brian and the innovative approach and compelling music has subsequently been used to temp a number of new films.

Seeing a strong collaboration potential with old mentor and friend Gary Calamar, the two formed SuperMusicVision as a partnership in early 2000. The duo worked together on a PBS documentary and an independent feature prior to landing the coveted job of music supervisors on the celebrated HBO drama "Six Feet Under". The show, created by Academy-Award winning "American Beauty" scribe Alan Ball, has become an enormous ratings success, comparable to the HBO hits "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos". The show garnered almost universal praise in the press and has now been nominated for the Golden Globe "Best Drama", "Best Actor" and "Best Supporting Actress" awards.

The show turned out to be the pair's most creatively rewarding project, allowing them to bring the full breadth of their eclectic music tastes and knowledge into the texture of the challenging and ambitious show. A soundtrack deal was brokered with Universal Records, and remixes of Thomas Newman's haunting title theme have been commissioned with some of the most exciting new artists in hip hop and electronic music. The "Six Feet Under" soundtrack album will be in stores in March 2002 to coincide with the start of the second season.

Thomas has held DJ residencies at several Hollywood clubs, including the Knitting Factory, The Oxygen Bar, Café Luna Sol and Café Des Artistes. He presently spins at various special events around town and hosts SYNCHRONIZE, a live DJ re-scoring of feature films like "2001: A Space Odyssey", old Hong Kong action pictures and even Bollywood musicals. He is also a contributing feature music writer and reviewer for Lotus Magazine. Thomas lives in a rooftop apartment in the Hollywood Hills where, on occasion, he catches a few hours of sleep.

Op-ed

Tomica is from my own experience, very proud of his Croatian heritage. He iswarm, passionate, extremely intelligent and very talented man. His understandingof music was very impressive and I wonder, when I met him, why somebody likethat kind of sensibility doesn't have an opportunity to impact a boring scene ofmusic in Hollywood. And here we go, as we announced earlier on CROWN, Tomica ismusic supervisor for one of the most authentic show on TV today "Six Feet Under".Working with Alan Ball, the best filmmaker on a horizon. Besides his talentsTomica is genuine with people and animals (his two beautiful cats).

Nenad

Soccer World Cup 2002 Japan - Korea

The following excellent review of Trio Restaurant appears in this
week's New York Observer. John Kraljic

I have been in TRIO few times and recommended them many times.. Alwaysexcellent service, charming and unobtrusive host and delicious food. Five stars.Nenad Bach

When's the last time you said, "Let's go out for Croatian"?
Croatian

Now's yourchance.

Dining out with Moira Hodgson
by Moira Hodgson

Where to Go if You're In the Mood for Croatian

The setting is a Murray Hill townhouse. At the entrance is a long
mahogany bar where a handful of men in open-necked shirts are quietly
watching a baseball game on TV with the sound turned off. The strains of
a piano playing "As Times Goes By" drift down a short flight of stairs
that leads up to the dining room: a long room that feels like a
first-class dining car on the Orient Express (except it's twice as
wide). It's done up with dark wood, brocade banquettes, heavy beveled
mirrors, candle-lit sconces, smoked-glass ceiling lamps and small framed
Impressionist prints. The tables, set with white cloths, are decorated
with brandy glasses stuffed to the brim with overblown red roses.

Welcome to Trio, which claims to be the only restaurant in Manhattan
that serves Croatian cuisine. As the pianist struck up "Fascination," we
sat down in a booth under Monet's Water Lilies, near a middle-aged
couple having an animated conversation in Croatian and drinking grappa.

Trio is owned by a Croatian, John Ivanac, who is also the proprietor of
Villa Berulia-a popular Italian restaurant just a block away that's been
going strong for 21 years. His latest venture is a family affair: His
wife Silva is the pastry chef, and his son, John Jr., is the general
manager. Chef James Rich, who was formerly chef de cuisine at
BrasserieBit and executive souschef at Palio, runs the kitchen-he's not
a member of the family, but his grandmother was from Croatia.

Croatia is a strip of land that runs along the Adriatic Coast. Its
cuisine is influenced by a few nearby countries: Italy, Austria and
Greece. From Italy come seafood stews and pasta; from Greece, cheeses
and grilled fish; from Austria, pastries such as palacinka and strudel.
Mr. Ivanac grew up poor in a small coastal village. He left his family
at the age of 16 to work as a waiter on a luxury cruise liner and jumped
ship in New York. In Croatia, his family had produced wine and olive
oil-not exactly a lucrative business in those days-but now the farm
supplies the restaurant with cured meats, cheeses, olive oils and
homemade grappas. There are also some impressive Croatian wines on the
list, priced between $25 and $48, that are well worth trying.

To get in the mood, we started off with a bottle of red Croatian wine,
Dingac, from the Peljesac region, and dalma, a platter of charcuterie
and cheeses from the coast.

"Let me explain you some dishes," said our charming young waiter, who
told us he was half-Croatian and half-Italian. He was smartly dressed in
a black shirt and dark striped tie. As he leaned over the table to
identify the meats and cheeses he'd just set down, his tie landed
squarely in a dish of olive oil. It was like a skit from Fawlty Towers.
We all laughed as he dabbed his tie with a napkin and started again.
"That must be prosciutto," I said, pointing at some dark pink slices on
the plate. "Great!"

He looked surprised. "You like that! Are you Croatian?"

It was prosciutto, but made from lamb, not pig, and it came from Mr.
Ivanac's estate. It had a rich, meaty flavor, like duck prosciutto. The
platter also held smoked beef; a sausage similar to mortadella (also
brought in from his farm); a mild, creamy feta, manchego and
sheep's-milk cheeses; and black and green olives marinated in garlic and
herbs. It was the kind of simple dish you imagine ordering in a local
cantina at sunset with a glass of the house wine.

But the food at Trio is more ambitious, and the chef casts his net far
and wide. Crab Louis is not exactly a traditional Croatian dish (I
believe it dates back to the 1920's, to some fancy hotel like
Delmonico's). Mr. Rich folds the crab meat into a pink mayonnaise and
serves it with slices of avocado in an updated presentation, on a
radicchio leaf. The grilled calamari took us back to the Adriatic coast:
It's a little tough, but nicely charred and served with a wonderful,
light balsamic sauce. The seafood salad is also fresh and clean-tasting,
mixed with potatoes and onions in a red-wine vinaigrette.

Mr. Rich has altered some Croatian dishes for American tastes, such as
the strukli, turnovers that are normally made with pastry. He uses a
pasta dough instead, to make large ravioli that he fills with a
seductive mixture of goat's-milk ricotta, salt cod, raisins and pine
nuts, and serves with a roasted-garlic beurre fondue. The ravioli were a
bit leathery around the edges, but the filling was wonderful.

Just about every seafood dish seems to be on target here. Poached
monkfish with grilled prawns, braised leeks and pommes maximes is a
terrific combination, even though it comes with what is described on the
menu as "a 25-year-old balsamic drizzle." Roasted whole Atlantic sea
bream stuffed with herbs comes Croatian-style on a bed of melting
braised cabbage. My favorite was the buzara, a subtle seafood stew in a
tomato white-wine broth laced with chunks of fish, scallops, shrimp,
potatoes and clams.

On another night at Trio, we had a different waiter who was not quite as
charming as the one who'd dipped his tie in oil. We ordered a mixed
grill for two that consisted of kielbasa, a Croatian sausage called
cevapcici (a blend of pork, lamb and beef), lamb chops and steak. The
dish was garnished with artichoke chips and a bright-pink coleslaw made
with red and white cabbage marinated in a red-onion vinaigrette, and it
came with three different sauces. I asked what they were.

"Typical Croatian sauce," replied the waiter.

"What's that?" I persisted.

He shrugged. "Mustard," he said, indicating with his finger. "Red
pepper. Brown sauce."

(The red sauce, in fact, is called ajvar and is made with eggplant, red
peppers and roasted vegetables; the brown sauce is bordelaise, and the
yellow sauce is a mustard- tarragon béarnaise.)

Desserts include a feathery strudel (the fillings change daily) and
rozata, a flan made with a purée of strawberries. The palacinka (crępes)
come filled with a berry mousse and were served cold; they were
pleasant, but I prefer them hot.

After dinner, Trio offers a digestif on the house (one of the
restaurant's many nice touches). Of the dozen or so house-made grappas
to choose from, we tasted the "fig," the "home blend" and what our
waiter described as "wild grasses." They were all very good, but the fig
was our favorite.

Trio is a charmer of a restaurant. It's different, comfortable and
old-fashioned in a thoroughly endearing way. When's the last time you
said, "Let's go out for Croatian"? Now's your chance.