After my Bulgarian lesson last week, A. picked me up and we went to check out this new restaurant Alegre.

On the way, I asked A. how he heard about Alegre. He told me: reading the internet.  <em>Oh</em>.

Thanks, internet, for this find!
<a title="Menus at Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085769458/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8085769458_7e33233442_z.jpg" alt="Menus at Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>
From the street  Alegre looks like a cute narrow restaurant but once inside you realize the restaurant make an "L" shape and turns the corner making it rather large. Even though it's large-ish, it still feels cozy.

Inside, the lighting is great and the decor is modern without feeling fussy.  Black is the predominate color in the interior and it makes Alegre feel cozy and warm. It was perfect for early fall.
<a title="Decore in Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085769847/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8085769847_e750ebbbb8_z.jpg" alt="Decore in Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>
When the hostess seated us, she explained that the photos lining the wall were all taken my customers and that we could bring in our own photos on a flash drive to add to the collection. The hostess was warm and friendly which I thought was a nice contrast to many restaurants in Sofia.
<a title="At the bar in Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085768640/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8324/8085768640_582d49b441_z.jpg" alt="At the bar in Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>
The photo thing struck me as a little odd but A. told me that while the restaurant's name is Alegre. They're using this whole tag line: Alegre, a restaurant for travelers. I don't really know what this means but it does sound nice.
<a title="Menu at Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085773167/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/8085773167_ea03f2a4bf_z.jpg" alt="Menu at Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a><a title="Monthly menu at Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085770230/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8194/8085770230_773a1da79e_z.jpg" alt="Monthly menu at Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>
We ended up with Bulgarian menus which is fine for A. but more of a challenge for me especially when the font on the menu is more cutesy than functional.  We went for the specials which this month are Latin American dishes. There were salads, appetizers  main dishes, a soup and dessert to choose from. We decided to share some dishes and ended up ordering the guacamole and chips (described on the menu as guacamole nachos), empanadas and a dish with beef and veggies in a smoky yet not very spicy sauce served with rice.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085767122/" title="Two dishes at Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8085767122_12a81653e9_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Two dishes at Alegre restaurant in Sofia"></a><a title="Chips and guacamole Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085768283/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8085768283_9edb4c223e_z.jpg" alt="Chips and guacamole Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>
A. and I both liked the food but agreed that it wasn't really Latin American. Thee food was missing the necessary heat and flavors to make it really Latin American but it was still good food. Everything was well made, the ingredients were fresh and while the flavors weren't exactly what we expected they were significantly different than anything we'd eaten recently.
<a title="Empanadas at Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085767553/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8054/8085767553_c0f38c56c8_z.jpg" alt="Empanadas at Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>
After eating empanadas for the first time in ages, I couldn't stop thinking about them. I found myself dreaming up different empanada fillings--the first, spicy pork, garlic and pepper, tofu, followed by, eggplant with a spicy tomato sauce, oh and there was also, sweet potato and pulled chicken. So this past week, I gave making my own empanadas a go. I have to say it went pretty well but I forgot to take any pictures to prove it. I guess you'll just have to trust me.
<a title="Dinnner at Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085765078/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8184/8085765078_f5b166fbdc_z.jpg" alt="Dinnner at Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>
Anyhow back to Alegre, I like any restaurant that inspires me to go home and cook. I also like any restaurant in Sofia with service as good as their's--the servers and hostess were attentive without hovering at the table. They were there when we needed them and scarce otherwise. <em>Perfect</em>.
<a title="Inside Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085764348/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8054/8085764348_ea9f2f3cf9_z.jpg" alt="Inside Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>
If you want to check out Alegre yourself, you can find it at  <a href="http://www.programata.bg/?p=71&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6871" target="_blank">29B Hristo Belchev Str.</a>
<a title="Outside Alegre restaurant in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8085764807/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8194/8085764807_8e4d905c5a_z.jpg" alt="Outside Alegre restaurant in Sofia" width="640" height="480" /></a>