AOL CityGuide
Dig into spicy Ethiopian offerings - By
James A. Stewart
''...
Sharing food is an Ethiopian custom. It's also part of Ethiopian dining in the United States, which makes Abay a great choice for a romantic date or an evening out with friends. The warmly lit dining space offers a low-key vibe, and is tastefully decorated with original Ethiopian art and artifacts.
Spicy dishes such as doro wat (chicken drumstick) and minchet abish (ground beef) are simmered in traditional berbere and other flavorful seasonings; for maximum authenticity, dig in by scooping with injera (flatbread with a sourdough-style taste) rather than with standard utensils. If you can't settle on one dish, try the popular sampler platter for a taste of four. The cuisine, prepared by Ethiopian chefs, has drawn regulars from African nations -- always a good sign ..." >>more
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Ethiopia meets the 'Burgh at Abay in East Liberty
- By Michael Machosky
''...
In the wider world beyond Pittsburgh, there are apparently some amazing things that we're missing out on. At least, that's the attitude I get from other big-city expatriates, who never miss an opportunity to say how much they miss Ethiopian food.
Now Pittsburgh, at long last, has its first Ethiopian restaurant. And, yes, I'll admit they were right -- this is really, really good food. In my book, it's not like getting an NBA franchise, but any little step we can take toward being a big-league city is a step in the right direction.
Right around the corner from Whole Foods in East Liberty, and down Highland Avenue from Casbah and Buffalo Blues, Abay sits behind a tiny sign and slim storefront. Short, stubby handmade wooden stools surround the distinctive bowl-like Ethiopian tables, although there are plenty of traditional tables as well. A few paintings and handicrafts decorate the otherwise spare walls, but the art that matters most is on the table.
The functions of both plate and utensils are replaced by injera , a very soft, thin, spongy flatbread made from a grain called teff . Injera has a fairly neutral, unexciting flavor. Entrees are placed on top, and you tear off pieces of injera to wrap around pieces of your entree ..." >>more
Pittsburgh City Paper
Abay Ethiopian Cuisine
- By
Angelique
and Jason
''.Ethiopian food has long been conspicuous in its absence from Pittsburgh dining, even as other exotic cuisines have arrived. And so we salivated in anticipation as Pitt Law graduate Jamie Wallace, Ethiopian accountant Kokit Adgeh and her niece, Sefanit Yilma, opened Abay in East Liberty's burgeoning southern tier, cheek by jowl with the fashionable Red Room and a stone's throw from newly chic East End landmarks like Whole Foods and Kelly's Lounge.
The simple space derives most of its atmosphere from the colors of the Ethiopian landscape: The vestibule is the deep lapis lazuli of the Blue Nile (Abay is the river's Amharic name) and dining-room walls are warm clay brown. Ethiopian art and artifacts inflect the walls without creating a bric-a-brac feel. The space is deep and the seating is plenteous at everything from two-tops to a round table of Arthurian proportions, though the best seats in the house are the low wooden stools clustered around woven-straw tables in the storefront window. These tables developed in concert with Ethiopia's unique food-service technique, in which an entire party's meals are piled communally atop an enormous round of flatbread called injera . Utensils are superfluous, as diners share the food, tearing off bits of the spongy, pancake-y bread to scoop mouthfuls of meat, vegetable and bean stews....
A little vocabulary goes a long way toward being fluent in ordering Ethiopian. Wat denotes a stew made spicy by berbere , a hot chili pepper paste made with garlic, cloves and cinnamon. Kay wat featured chopped beef simmered in berbere as well as onions and other seasonings. The spiciness of this dish was subtle, with kibae -- seasoned clarified butter, similar to Indian ghee -- offsetting some of the heat of the chili peppers. The rich, almost sweet taste reminded Angelique of beef burgundy.
We've waited a long time for Ethiopian food to arrive, and at Abay, we have been deliciously rewarded. The cheerful, down-to-earth atmosphere creates the perfect setting for a dining experience that is inherently as social as it is gastronomical. We can't wait to plunge back into the Blue Nile ..." >>more
Pittsburgh Business Times
Ethnic restaurants open despite slow immigrant population growth - By Tim Schooley
''... Meanwhile, in East Liberty, near the Whole Foods store, James Wallace works to bring Abay, the first Ethiopian restaurant to the city.
While not Ethiopian himself, Mr. Wallace has visited the country and knows its customs. As a former corporate attorney for such firms as Buchanan Ingersoll PC and Alcoa Inc., Mr. Wallace is partners with Ethiopian natives Sefanit Yilma, a local accountant, and her aunt, Sergut Adgeh, who is moving to the city from Washington, D.C., to serve as chef of Abay.
Mr. Wallace noted that the number of native Africans has grown in Pittsburgh from 1,241 to 2,665 from 1990 to 2000, according to U.S. Census data, largely because of the universities. Still, he admitted it was a relatively small population that would comprise only a portion of Abay's business.
"The target market for the restaurant is the same kind of person who eats other kinds of ethnic cuisines," said Mr. Wallace. "People had wondered if the market was there and if we've developed enough. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think there was a market."
Two restaurants. Two nationalities. Two cuisines. And two very different outlooks on opening a restaurant and understanding who it is going to serve.
Both restaurants illustrate the gradual progress in Pittsburgh's diversifying dining scene, with new ethnic flavors expanding the menu of what's available here. That's no coincidence, suggests Mr. Wallace. In overcoming some resistance for his restaurant, he said he's gotten positive moral support from youth-oriented organizations such as the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project and the Urban League Young Professionals.
"It's just not Pittsburgh. It's a trend that's pretty consistent across the nation," Mr. Wallace said. "For young professionals, diversity and ethnic awareness is something we value."
He also sites industry statistics that reveal that nationwide the restaurant industry has seen growth every year for the past 12 years. Within those statistics, ethnic restaurants are growing even faster, said Mr. Wallace ..." >>more
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Enjoy one of the world's most unique cuisines in Pittsburgh's only Ethiopian restaurant.