Life in the District
lifeinthedistrict.com
Etete -
Ethiopian dining with a contemporary flair - by Jason M. Novak
"... While I've only tried a handful of Ethiopian restaurants in DC, one thing they've all had in common aside from cheap, good food seemed a mild disregard for decor. Then along comes Etete...
Located at the intersection of 9th and U, Etete is a recent addition to the Shaw neighborhood. It has an unexpected contemporary flair, and seems almost loungey in a way, though that could have been the mood lighting throwing me off. There's not much space available in Etete, but what space exists is put to good use. The majority of tables line the right-hand side of the establishment, while two or three interesting wall-mounted half-tables line the other. (Though they look cool, they seem barely big enough to hold the standard injera-lined tray, so I recommend you grab a regular-size table if you can.) A small full-service bar at the back with space for four or five bar stools serves up Ethiopian beer and wine in addition to regular bar selections.
The service, too, was among the best we've experienced ... especially when compared to some of the cantankerous waitresses we've come across at other similar restaurants. The waitresses were attentive, and some among our group remarked how they could tell this was not just a family-run restaurant, but a happily family-run restaurant... " more >>
Washington Post
Washington's Little Ethiopia
A New Cluster of Restaurants Brings Exotic (Yet Inexpensive) Appeal to Ninth and U St
By Walter Nicholls
"... Last November, brothers Yared and Henock Tesfaye surprised their mother with a gift -- her own restaurant. They gave it her nickname: "Etete. " It's at Ninth and U streets NW, in the Shaw section of Washington, an area with a growing ethnic identity. Some folks call it Little Ethiopia.
"This neighborhood is our place, a place we can be proud of," says Yared Tesfaye, who helps out in the dining room when not working his other two jobs, as real estate agent and parking attendant.
The brothers, who arrived from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in 1994, chose modern decor for their mother's restaurant because "we want to bring a lot of people, not just Ethiopians, but tourists to this block," says Yared Tesfaye, 25. Their mother, Tiwaltenigus "Etete" Shenegelegn, has cooked for 15 years at Ethiopian restaurants in D.C.
The Washington region, with its 200,000 people of Ethiopian descent, has the largest Ethiopian population outside of the country itself, according to an unofficial estimate by the embassy. With the addition of Etete, which specializes in vegetarian meals, 10 Ethiopian restaurants now are clustered at U Street east of 13th and in the 1900 block of Ninth Street. Each has its distinct ambiance and fans.
The new enclave has twice as many Ethiopian restaurants as Adams Morgan, where Ethiopian entrepreneurs began opening food businesses in the late 1970s. The exotic and inexpensive cuisine attracts not only fellow countrymen but especially students and tourists. Meals are a communal, social activity, and there is no need for a knife and fork. Ethiopian is all about finger food.
Diners gather around a single, circular platter covered with a soft, 16-inch pancake or bread called injera . Spicy stews, seasoned vegetables and pureed legumes are artfully placed around the pancake. Additional injera are served alongside. That's when it's time to tear a section of the bread and use it to gather a mouthful from the assorted offerings. When the underlying pancake, soaked with sauce, is consumed, the meal is considered complete. ... >>more
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Named for the chef, Etete Tesfaye and owned by her son Yared, the restaurant's decor is a departure from most of the other Ethiopian restaurants in Washington, featuring a sleek interior and plasma screen TVs.