Seattle Weekly
Where Cabbies Eat
If there's a line of taxis out front, you can bet the food is good.
By Liza B. Zimmerman
"... As a relative newcomer to Seattle, I always wondered what culinary surprises lurked behind restaurant doors here with rows of taxis outside. So I took a little time to find out, chatting with drivers on the day and night shifts, and hopping a ride to some of their favorite joints.
There are approximately 1,200 cab drivers in King County, according to Terry Davis, acting director of the county's Cab Drivers' Alliance. Almost all of them are male, with the exception of about five women, and they hail from 10 to 12 different countries, he estimates. "Most of the cab drivers are not really overweight," notes Davis. The reason becomes clear when you hear about the great ethnic eats they are digging into.
... The nearby Cafe Selam is a favorite of Fasika Moges, a driver who is also an accomplished painter (he shows his work at Columbia City Gallery). Moges goes to Selam for foul, a favorite cabbie breakfast dish. Spicy fava beans covered with scallions, tomatoes, onions, and hard-boiled eggs ($6), this luscious dish is often available all day. Selam's beef kitfo ($8) is spicy, and its beef tibs ($8) are succulent. They can be sampled with a glass of traditional tej (honey wine) for $3.50 or a Bedele Light beer for $3.25. Owner Abebu Wondem says she gets about 20 cab drivers a day, who come mostly for the tibs and her famous foul..... >>more
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