Los Angeles Times
To Fairfax and on to Ethiopia
By Gayle Pollard-Terry, Times Staff Writer
''
There's a block-long section of South Fairfax Avenue that transports passersby to a distant land. In Little Ethiopia, the lively conversations are in Amharic and the pungent smells are from spices uncommon to most American palates. Be ready to pass the injera bread.
If you open, they will come. Restaurant-goers, that is.
In search of greater foot traffic, Gebre-Mariam moved his restaurant, Rosalind's, onto Fairfax south of Pico Boulevard in 1988. Then Bernahu Asfaw, head of the Ethiopian Business Assn., bought the second restaurant. Messob is also on the strip between Whitworth and Olympic.
Two became four, and four became more. Today, 15 Ethiopian businesses, including restaurants, markets, a clothing store, hair salon and a travel agency, line the busy street...." >>more
Los Angeles Times
Food Section
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As long as anyone can remember the short stretch of Fairfax Avenue south of Olympic has been a center of ethnic restaurants. For decades, the block was an Eastern European stronghold; later it became a Sunday-night Chinese restaurant district, before that moved west to the southern border of Beverly Hills.
A few years ago, South Fairfax coalesced into something like the Ethiopian equivalent of Mulberry Street in Manhattan or Greektown in Detroit, an enclave where an Ethiopian could buy vegetables and dinnerware, get her hair done and stop for a cup of Ethiopian coffee-but also a tourist-friendly strip lined with restaurants that all essentially serve the same things. On Fairfax, the sweet musk of cardamom, smoldering incense and roasting coffee overpower even the high burnt-meat stench of the local Carl's Jr..." >>more
wcities.com
Named after the Ethiopian communal serving basket, this place prides itself on creating an intimate atmosphere. Small tables surrounded by embroidered seats are arranged in tight circles to promote closeness. Everyone eats with his or her hands and patrons are encouraged to feed one another. The cooks use traditional ingredients-spiced butter, hot, dried chile paste, fresh hot chile paste, garlic, ginger and cardamom. Dishes include such items as Kifto-beef braised with butter and ginger-and vegetarian items like peas mixed with onions and garlic. Everything goes with the traditional, spongy bread called injera . Large platters of food are to be shared by at least two people.... read more >>
- vegparadise.com
A Los Angeles Vegetarian Web Magazine
We had been to Messob before, but just out of curiosity, we peeked into the other restaurants. Each had a character of its own, but Messob was the only one that was bustling with people. That was reassurance enough! We were escorted to our table by Hirut, a petite young Ethiopian woman with a beautiful smile....
The Ethiopian style of cooking includes a number of well-seasoned stews called wots. The wots are served with injera, a huge, flat, spongy, sourdough flavored pancake. At Messob they prepare two kinds of injera--one made entirely from Ethiopia's native grain called teff, and the other, a combination of teff, barley, corn, and millet. For us veggie folks there were several vegetable wots and a special Vegetarian's Delight. The decision was not difficult. We ordered the Delight, fondly remembering the flavors we enjoyed on our first visit here.
Hirut delivered a large tray filled with 14 mounds of colorful, aromatic vegetable wots placed on top of a layer of injera. She returned shortly with a basket of injera. Then the fun began. Picture this. There are no forks on the table. The Ethiopian tradition is to tear off a piece of ingera and use it to scoop up a little wot. We heard the party at a nearby table request forks, but we decided to pursue the native style. We even partook of gursha, the Ethiopian custom of placing a morsel of food in another person's mouth.
You're probably wondering what was in those tasty 14 mounds of wots, so here goes: There were two mounds of each dish. Yater Alitcha , a delicious soft stew of steamed yellow split peas seasoned with garlic and ginger; Yatakilt Alitcha , a steamed vegetable combination of cabbage, carrots, and potatoes seasoned with garlic, onion, and ginger; Yemisir Wot , a lentil stew in red pepper sauce nicely seasoned; Collard Greens steamed and delicately seasoned with garlic and green chiles; Pumpkin Wot made with chunks of the sweetest pumpkin I ever tasted and seasoned with tasty exotic spices; Salad of lettuce and tomato; and Tomato Fit-Fit , a tomato stew served cold and combined with pieces of injera... read more>>
3rd Street Villager
LA - Free Paper
Little Ethiopia - by Linda Walton
'' Ethnic and cultural diversity is found in any major city in the United States. You have New York's Mott Street for Italian. San Francisco offers Grand Ave for Chinese. Los Angeles is proud to add Little Ethiopia to this cultural mix located on Fairfax Avenue. Although Washington, DC has the largest Ethiopian Community, Fairfax has the only Little Ethiopia in the country. Inaugurated two years ago, Little Ethiopia has miraculously changed from a blighted status to thriving community that guarantees a bright and promising future.
Pico Boulevard borders Little Ethiopia on the South and Olympic on the North. Both sides of the street are peppered with clothing stores, record shops, thrift stores, Ethiopian products, services and restaurants.
Due to the country's history of famine and world relief, Ethiopian food was never considered among the average diner. In the past, with exception to its own countrymen, world travelers, gourmets, or Vegans seeking a reprieve from Tofu; Ethiopian restaurants have been overlooked. Dear reader that was in the past. In the hear of Little Ethiopia is Messob Restaurant. >>more
3rd Street Villager
LA - Free Paper
Ethiopian History- by Linda Walton
'' Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Sub Saharan Africa. In 1974 fossils of the oldest known upright hominid, the 3.5 million year old "Lucy" was found there. The earliest evidence of Ethiopian History was in around 1000 BC when the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon.
Solomon the King of Israel was a wealthy king with a brilliant mind. He exceeded all kings in riches and in wisdom.
When Makeda the Queen of Sheba heard of the wisdom of King Solomon she had a great mind to see him. Her desire to encounter Solomon was ardent enough for her to embark on a 1400-mile journey.
Since camels rarely traveled as much as 20 miles per day, The Queen of Sheba's journey would require at least 3 years travel time each way. Although LA traffic can be challenging, we can experience some of Sheba's bounty just across town at Meesob Restaurant on Fairfax. >>more
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