METRO ACTIVE
Zeni Philosophy - By Stett Holbrook
''Ethiopian restaurant celebrates communal pleasures of eating
 IT'S IRONIC that Ethiopia, a country many Americans associate with poverty and bloated bellies, has given us one of the world's most generous and satisfying cuisines. At Ethiopian restaurants, everyone eats off the same platter, a practice that, I think, reinforces the simple pleasure of eating good food in the company of friends and family.
Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant, named after co-owner and chef Zeni Gebremariam, tops my list of Bay Area Ethiopian restaurants. Aside from the fine food, part of the pleasure of eating here is the bonhomie that pervades the meal. Abe Feki, Gebremariam's husband and co-owner, says communal dining in Ethiopia helps stretch sometimes meager food stocks and ensures everyone gets something to eat. It's also a powerful way to maintain family bonds, he says.
Zeni is usually filled with Ethiopian expats and a mix of ethnically diverse diners who know they've found something good. A palm-thatched bar serves surprisingly potable Ethiopian wine as well as beer and cocktails. The dining room is divided in two. On one side is the typical, Western-style table-and-chair setup. It's pleasant enough, but through an archway is an exotically furnished room that makes the other side look black and white in comparison. Here, you sit on low stools or fur-covered chairs around a colorful, straw basket table called a mesob..." >>more
THE MERCURY NEWS
Spicy Ethiopian fare. - By Sheila Himmel
OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH CUISINE HAS APPEAL FOR ALMOST EVERYONE
When members of the Bay Area Vegetarians organization were looking for a South Bay restaurant to hold their monthly meeting, they picked Zeni Ethiopian.
When Lynbrook High School in San Jose sent students to visit food writer Carolyn Jung, students whose normal lunch is fast food, we picked Zeni.
And when a young couple needed a dinner out, they picked Zeni, where they sat on stools close to the floor with their baby close at hand.
Zeni was a huge success in all cases, since it is one of the South Bay's most inviting Ethiopian restaurants.
An estimated 25,000 people of Ethiopian descent live in Santa Clara County, with businesses concentrated along San Jose's West San Carlos Street. That is where Zeni Gebremariam founded Gojo restaurant eight years ago. Her lush, vibrant cooking built up such a following that when she moved to a larger space, she gave the place her own name. >>more
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