MESOB
RESTAURANT

Dine overlooking the bustling sidewalks of Montclair's eclectic Bloomfield Avenue. Otherwise, sit in the softly lit dining room bathed in warm earth tones and decorated with Ethiopian tapestries and leatherwork from Eritrea. A bar at the center of the restaurant is a work of art unto itself, topped with translucent leather scrolls lit from within and writ with characters of the Ethiopian alphabet.

New Jersey Tables
njtables.com

''... Mesob a new Ethiopian restaurant and the only one in the immediate area-you can dine overlooking the bustling sidewalks of Montclair's eclectic Bloomfield Avenue. Otherwise, sit in the softly lit dining room bathed in warm earth tones and decorated with Ethiopian tapestries and leatherwork from Eritrea. A bar at the center of the restaurant is a work of art unto itself, topped with translucent leather scrolls lit from within and writ with characters of the Ethiopian alphabet. The family owned and operated restaurant serves only the finest quality meats and freshly baked injera (a spongy, Ethiopian flat bread). You'll find the food here is distinctive and exotic as the ambiance. And be sure to stop in for the new tea and coffee bar, open all day, featuring teas from nine African countries, select appetizers and desserts. ..." >>more

''... Until they opened Mesob in November, Berekti and Akberet Mengistu had never even worked in a restaurant. But having grown up in a family of 10 children, the Ethiopian sisters have plenty of experience cooking for a crowd, which is what they hope to attract when Mesob holds its grand opening tomorrow through Sunday.

Ethiopian cooking is all about family-style eating. Most of the dishes are rich, thick stews, long-simmered and served on spongy sourdough crepes that double as plates and, when torn into pieces, even as spoons. Scoop it up with fingers and a piece of the crepe, called injera, and you have an Ethiopian meal.

Mesob, which is pronounced with a short e and a long o, is named for the round wicker tables, with their decorative dome-like covers, at which Ethiopian families traditionally dined. Patrons can sit at mesobs near the front windows, or at regular tables. Wherever they sit, they will hear recorded Ethiopian pop music, improvisational and rhythmically intricate, playing softly in the background..." >>more

AOL CityGuide

' Montclair residents will be forgiven if they require more than a new exotic restaurant to arouse a feeling of novelty. But the Ethiopian restaurant Mesob represents something genuinely different. The space engages the senses immediately upon entering..." >>more