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Showing posts from October, 2021

Zenebech

Had this on the "to visit" list long before Covid.  There was a fire that shut it down for months on end, they re-opened, and then the plague hit.  And so there was a certain amount of anticipation in finally being able to go there.   Much like my tour of Columbia Pike I got a veggie combo and Sambusa.  The Sambusa was outstanding.  Complex, layered textures and flavors with a delightful dipping sauce made it something to savor.  There was crunchy, soft, spicy, warm, sweet and a slight tang.   The veggie combo was more so-so.  Portions were small and some items had nice seasoning but nothing stood out as being memorable.  I tried getting the standards.  There was the Atar, a yellow split pea dish.  It was listed as mild but was so mild that I tasted only the split peas and none of the ginger or turmeric.  I got the Mesir, a spicy Berbere red lentil dish.  It had nice heat and was, as usual, one of my favorite pic...

Ruthie's All-Day Diner

This new addition to Glebe Road has been a darling of the local food critics and a favorite of some friends and family but I have to say that a recent visit made it clear it is neither veg-friendly nor a particularly good choice for those wanting to eat healthy. The menu online doesn't reflect what is on the actual menu and on the day I arrived the only sort-of healthy option on the menu was the yogurt.  I paired this with Hash Browns, figuring I could count that as both my carbs and fats for the day.  The other options were either loaded with sugar or had meat. As we sat there a large truck drove up to the back.  After getting my food I realized this must have been delivering the food.  For a diner they offer no fresh eggs and it was clear that the kitchen was mostly about reheating pre-made food or adding water (for things like the oatmeal).   My yogurt with "strawberry, local honey and granola" was a cup -- much like what you buy at DCA before flying....

The Ethiopian Restaurants of Columbia Pike

Inspired by articles of women-owned restaurants in the area I decided, a while back, to Goldilocks style it and try out three of the Ethiopian restaurants of the Pike, each owned and run by women.  The choices were:  Dama Pastry and Restaurant (1505 Columbia Pike), Bethel Cafe (3045 Columbia Pike) and Meaza Restaurant (5700 Columbia Pike).  A note:  Dama and Bethel show up with different names on a Google search -- Ethio and Ayana respectively.  The "Greens and Teff" vegan Ethiopian appears to have vanished or merged with Bethel/Ayana (???)  In any case, I got a veggie combo at each location and a Sambusa at Bethel and Meaza.  Each dish came with roughly the same items -- a salad option (often shredded cabbage), yellow and red lentil mixes, a veg option (potatoes and carrots or a dark greens dish), and cabbage.  All offered an extra piece of Injera (wonderfully squishy fermented Ethiopian bread) in addition to the Injera the food was on.  ...