If you crave something off the beaten path yet still affordable and tasty, try the exotic flavors of Ethiopia available at Ibex Ethiopian Restaurant. One of only a handful of Ethiopian spots in the area, Ibex serves the spicy, hearty and simple dishes of a cuisine little known to Southern diners. This is a place of the exotic smells and customs of another culture, where diners can attend a coffee service ceremony where beans are roasted, then paraded through the dining room before being ground. Ethiopian dishes are simple, strongly spiced (though not always spicy-hot), and served in a communal style where all diners partake from the same plate. Diners share a spongy piece of 'injera,' the Ethiopian flat bread made from teff, an African grain. Into the middle of the injera your server pours your meal -- stews, curries, ragouts or meats that you can eat with torn-off chunks of bread. -- Jennifer Saylor (Photo: Bryan Gupton) AOL Cityguide
PRESS & REVIEWS
Ibex Ethiopian Restaurant , 3200 Monroe Rd., 704-333-1818. A tasty berbere is used as the base for the piquant dishes. The 12-seat mesab room where the coffee service ceremony is held becomes a buffet at lunch; the main dining area is sparse. Ethiopian beer available. $$
