SAN ANTONIO — Fourth of July is a time of patriotism and joy in America, and another country shares the same enthusiasm.
Kosovo is a small nation in southeast Europe bordered by Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia. A glimpse of Kosovo on July 4, 2024, shows a town square decked out in red, white and blue.
To learn about the connection, hungry San Antonio residents need only pay a visit to Mare e Monte Italian Ristorante to chat with its owner, Prince Blakaj.
"For everybody that knows Albanians, they understand what we're talking about—the love we feel towards Americans," said Blakaj.
Mare e Monte is tucked inside a shopping center off Huebner Road near Floyd Curl on San Antonio's northwest side. Flying proudly above the door are two American flags.
As you enter the restaurant, book shelves are lined with more American flags. On a holiday when other restaurants may close, Mare e Monte remained open Thursday to celebrate the special occasion.
Blakaj is Albanian and from Kosovo. He moved to Military City, USA, as a thank you to the U.S. Air Force, which saved his life when he was 6 years old.
"[July 4] is a holiday in Kosovo," Blakaj said. "We celebrate freedom today. It's freedom day."
In the center of the dining room hangs the date 1999. Blakaj remains at the ready to share the story behind it.
"Just to make sure people ask me and I let them know what we are about," he explained.
Blakaj said his earliest memories are of war.
"In 1999, we were going through a very big war. I was in the middle of that at 6 years old," he said.
A United States Department of State historical overview explains the series of events leading up to the conflict.
In 1999, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was at war with the Serbian Army. Serbian troops went from town to town ripping innocent civilians from their homes.
"They didn't let us get educated. They didn't let us go to the hospitals. They imprisoned everybody," Blakaj recalled. "People were getting killed, women were getting raped, slaughtered. Massacres everywhere— villiages, cities, everywhere. The U.S. Air Force came in and saved our lives."
In March of '99, NATO launched the air campaign Operation Allied Force.
Blakaj and his family became refugees.
"We needed to be out so NATO could do their job," he explained. "The U.S. Air Force came in with the F-16s and bombed all the Serbian positions."
He remembers the moment when he heard the bombs drop.
"Bombs mean bad, but I remembered the face of my mom and my dad being happy," he recalled. "Those bombs meant freedom."
Operation Allied Force helped pave the way to Kosovo's independence.
Since then, American leaders are celebrated in Kosovo.
"We have a lake that is called Lake Trump because he did something for Kosovo," Blakaj explained as he flipped through pictures of Kosovo on his phone. "This is a statue of Bill Clinton. It's the only place where they love Hillary Clinton and Trump—both the same way."
The statue of Bill Clinton and a road named after former President George W. Bush are located in Kosovo's capital, Pristina. Following the end of the war, Albanians began naming their babies after these American leaders—among them Clinton's state secretary, Madeleine Albright. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also became a popular baby name for his contributions to Kosovo's independence.
Blakaj eventually became a doctor of physical therapy in Kosovo, traveling the world with the Kosovo and Albania National Basketball Federations.
But his heart pulled him elsewhere.
In 2018, Blakaj and his wife, Albina, moved to America.
"Just for the gratitude we have for this country, just to share, to live with people who share these values: the values of freedom."
Mare e Monte opened three months ago. The head chef and multiple servers are from Kosovo as well.
They're cooking flavorful Italian food to thank America in the place where one is most likely to serve those who have served.
Blakaj said he meets soldiers daily who used to be in Kosovo. He holds military challenge coins in his pocket every day as cherished keepsakes.
"This is the coin when I used to be a refugee, Operation Shining Hope," he showed us, grabbing at least five coins out of his pocket. "These were some of the guys that used to surround the camp and made sure we were safe."
On the Fourth of July holiday, Mare e Monte served customers special treats, including homemade desserts. Chef Lorik told KENS 5 they have the most 5-star reviews on Google out of any restaurant in Texas.
But customers might still have one pressing question after hearing Blakaj's story: Why Italian food?
"When I came to New York, I started to work in an Italian restaurant," said Blakaj, smiling. "I was crazy enough to fall in love with that."
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