I’ll have to try it when I go back to visit my folks this spring.
There’s a bunch of Ethiopian restaurants along Telegraph starting at Ashby and heading south into Oakland. My favorite is Asmara, down by Telegraph and 51st. Good food, good service, I’ve been there several times with friends who had never tried the cuisine and they all liked it (including some people who are not culinarily adventurous).
It’s close to the Benjamin Moore paint store and the statue of the homeless guy.
Well, our date got held off last week due to record snows, but we tried again this week with great sucess! Injera is like eating sponge. Sour sponge. But the tastiness of the rest of the food & the uniqemess of the experience made up for it, at least for me. It was a bit out of hubby’s comfort zone, but at least he gave it a go.
Count me in as a fan of Ethiopian cuisine. I’d say the spices at the restaurants I’ve been to are really like no other cuisine; they’re unique, and I love it. Who cares if it doesn’t “catch on” like Thai or whatever. Ethiopian cuisine is simply unique, and I have greatly enjoyed my experience with those flavors.
Also I’m very fond of injera. By itself, it’s not remarkable. You wouldn’t snack on just it–but it is such a fantastic vehicle for conveying the tastes of Ethiopian spices to the palate.
How was the Miracle Whip on white bread? 
A couple of years ago, my husband and I went to “Spanishtown” in Baltimore with the kids to find a taqueria (yeah, Spanishtown is what they call the area where all of the Mexican and Central American restaurants are). We saw an Ethiopian place and went in, and were pleasantly surprised. We liked it a lot and so did the kids. We tried to return but it had closed down and now we need to find another Ethiopian place.
Ethiopian food, despite its various newnesses, strikes me as a sort of comfort food. The dishes are not very spicy, and made of hearty, basic ingredients (I’m a vegetarian) like lentils, potatoes, spinach, and cabbage. The spices used are tasty. The bread is soft, tangy, and carbolicious. Overall the experience feels to me like a cozy, articially created culinary memory from childhood.
For those living in Chicago, there’s a new place on Lawrence and Broadway called Demera that is pretty good. I went with my brother last week - first time for both of us. The injera was a bit weird and the spices were all a bit strange to me (not in a bad way, just different). But I loved their salad and their coffee. 
I think I’d like to go back and try some different dishes - maybe we just ordered the wrong ones. They were fine but nothing to rave about.
It’s a little further away from you, but my favorite Chicago place is Ras Dashen on Broadway near Ardmore, near the Thorndale Red Line. They have, IMHO, the best food, the best and most helpful servers, and they have live "Afro Middle Eastern Jazz Fusion " on Fridays, no cover. They’re capable of handling rather large groups with little notice, but also great for quiet dates. I’ve brought kids of all ages there for lunch, and they’re indulged with special tidbits from the chef and allowed quite a bit of freedom to move around in a layout that works well to allow it without bothering other diners.
From what I’m reading here, Ras Dashen’s chef may lean more towards the spicy end of the spectrum - I’m shocked that so many people consider Ethiopian bland!
Ethiopian Diamond is about half a block away, and where I used to go until I was persuaded to try Ras Dashen instead. I won’t go back there. They’re not bad, in fact they get a lot of rave reviews which, formerly, I agreed with. But now that I know Ras Dashen, Ethiopian Diamond is just not nearly as good.
Another vote for Asmara. I really like Ye Doro Wat, the spicy chicken stew. And I love love love the tej. I always thought of it as being what fairies drink – being made from honey, it’s sort of like distilled flower essence.
There is still a place on Telegraph and Alcatraz; I looked it up, it is indeed Cafe Colucci. The food struck me as being kind of hybrid but they are popular.
I love Ethiopian food, but have to drive four hours to get it. 
The other weekend, I made some doro wat and a friend who’s into wild fermentation brought over some injera. Came out pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.
Timely thread! I went to Ras Dashen last night–my first Ethiopian food experience. Everything was awesome, but the price was a bit steep. Not a once-a-week kind of deal, more like a special treat. But I’ll be going back, for sure.
You did NOT, did you? So did I! We went pretty late though, must have missed you.
I apologize for bumping such an old thread, but hubby and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary by going to this place… and I remembered this thread!
That’s okay! You had a good reason.
I’ve only had Ethiopian food once, but it was a home cooked pot-luck. Don’t remember what the dishes were called but I really loved them. I’ve never met a cuisine I didn’t like.
Congrats on your anniversary! I had a memorable second date at an Ethiopian restaurant once… memorable because it was the last second date I ever had. Thirteen years later we’re still together, and happily married with three children. So for me, at least, Ethiopian food will always be the most romantic food you eat with your fingers. 
Congrats on your anniversary!
My in-laws are in Plant City, so my wife and I fly into and out of Tampa several times a year. We’ll have to check that place out sometime!
Sadly, our favorite Ethiopian restaurant recently closed after many years - the unlikely-named Caboose Cafe in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, VA. So we’re looking for a new place up our way.
RTF , Hawwi Ethiopian Restaurant up your way has pretty good reviews… The place we went to was VERY good. If you come down here, I highly recommend!
Simpsons did it, Simpsons did it!
