New Times - The Pitch
African Queen
The spicy Addis Ababa Ethiopian Café seduces us like Sheba snagged Solomon.
by Charles Ferruzza
"...
The cuisine of Yemen and Ethiopia are very much the same, says Mekedem Belete, owner of the one-year-old Addis Ababa Ethiopian Café . It's all characterized by liberal use of fragrant spices -- perhaps many of the same ones that Makeda brought with her to Israel, where, according to the Ethiopian epic Kebra Negast , she announced to Solomon: "We worship the sun, for he cooketh our food."
Eating at Addis Ababa is a communal affair. Most dinners arrive on one big, silvery, round tray arrayed with various mounds: a dollop of amber split peas, yekik alcha watt , fragrant with ginger and garlic; a heap of stewed collard greens -- not bitter but deftly seasoned with ginger and a hint of jalapeño; and the terrific, burgundy-colored lentil stew misir watt , which packs a wallop thanks to the berbere (a kick-ass blend of red chili peppers, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander and fenugreek).
There's a novelty to eating without utensils, and the staff at Addis Ababa makes a pleasant ritual out of the process. Before dinner, a vinegary salad arrives in a plastic bowl, accompanied by a fork. Then, in preparation for the tactile part of the meal, servers bring two steamy hand towels to the table. With freshly cleansed fingers, Carol and I could pry off the triangle-shaped slices of griddle-baked injera from a neatly piled stack brought with our platter. The bread, which unfortunately isn't served warm, has a vaguely sourdough taste and an off-putting grayish-purple color.
I hadn't been particularly hungry before sitting down to eat, but the seductive aroma of the food on the platter -- spiked with ginger, garlic, rosemary, cloves and onion -- was so intoxicating that I devoured the stuff. By the time we'd finished half of the tray's contents, Carol and I were exhausted..." >>more
The Kansas City Star
A simmer in Addis Ababa - Ethiopian cuisine has an appeal all its own
By Lauren Chapin
 "... Several times a year, readers on the prowl for an Ethiopian restaurant call or e-mail for help. A couple of weeks ago, a former military man who lives in Iowa called because he couldn't remember the restaurant's name. He and his military buddies, once stationed together in Ethiopia, wanted to reunite over dinner. After all those years, they still craved the nondescript- looking fare with its addictive flavors.
Belete, in this country for 18 years now, opened Addis Ababa a year ago after soliciting promises of help from his wife and extended family.
Even though other Ethiopian restaurants have operated in Kansas City before, many diners have yet to experience this robust cuisine. Belete includes a brief ``dictionary'' in the Addis Ababa menu that explains key Ethiopian ingredients such as teff, injera, berbere, watt and kebbeh.
Long after I was full, I continued to pick. I grabbed one more green bean, another chunk of tender lamb, another mouthful of lentils. Swearing off another bite, I leaned back in my chair, cradled my beer mug and sipped to soothe my palate. But then I got another waft of garlicky beef, and I was at it again.
The cuisine seduced me, and it was easier to surrender than to resist. With luck, more of us will be seduced by the slow-simmered dishes with the intriguing flavors. And, like the dieting diner, give in to the goodness and eat two heaping plates of food... " >>more
Constant Struggle - Blog
Thirteen Months of Sunshine
Kansas City is a barbecue town. It's a steak town. It's the world headquarters of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar®, also known as "America's Favorite Neighbor®" and "The Worst Place in America to Get a Salad®." I know something about this last part because I am a vegetarian. Being vegetarian in Kansas City is kind of like being Jewish in Salt Lake City. You can survive, of course, but it isn't always easy. Kansas City does have several ethnic restaurants that stray from the Midwestern meat-and-potatoes formula. One of the most recent additions to the list of interesting vegetarian-friendly restaurants is Addis Ababa Cafe on 39th. If you aren't aware that Addis Ababa is an Ethiopian restaurant before you walk in the door, you will certainly figure that out when you sit down. The tabletops feature posters hoping to lure tourists to Ethiopia with its "Thirteen Months of Sunshine." I don't know about that, but I do know that the food at Addis Ababa is excellent--and inexpensive. My dining companion and I split a vegetarian combination platter that was about $13. It was a good way to sample several Ethiopian dishes, including collard greens, lentils, split peas and green beans, all prepared with spices that might seem unusual to the typical Applebee's patron but will reward the more adventurous..." >>more
|
