Zagwe's Restaurant, LLC

Excellent food, great people. Everything that should be gluten free is. I'll be coming back!

Arriving at opening on a quiet Thursday, my group of three found a close parking spot on the street and were seated in a aide room with rustic-looking but surprisingly comfortable wooden benches and tables. Eden (pronounced Eddin), owner and wife of the head chef, took our orders and answered our questions about the menu: vegetarian/vegan family-style platter and kitfo meat dish. They were out of the shiro (chickpea stew), so they doubled our portion of the tasty and popular tumtumo/misir wot (red lentil stew). Before the food arrived, server Marin asked if we’d like it all on one platter, or have the kitfo separate. We chose all together, and the vegetarian in our group simply avoided that section of the wide, injera-covered tray. With Ethiopian cuisine, you can clean your plate by eating it: the crepe-like injera, made of teff and thus gluten-free, serves as the base upon which all the dishes are places, with more rolls of injera separating them. Unroll a bit, tear it off, and use it to scoop up a pinch of the entree. When you’ve consumed the rolled pieces, you can tear off bits of the base, now steeped in the flavors of your meal, until you are full or you’ve cleared the tray. Marin kept our water glasses filled, something I appreciated a great deal because I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food. None of the dishes I sampled were too spicy for me, and all were uniquely flavorful. If I had to choose only one, I’d opt for the gomen (collard greens and spinach). The meat eaters enjoyed the kitfo and also got the dorho wot (chicken stew) to try. The staff are happy to explain the ingredients and spices, if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions. The family-style platters are a great way to sample all the offerings, and they easily feed three or four people — so bring friends or family! After we ate, we had a chance to chat with Eden about her plans for an injera-making class she will offer in coming months. Because the sourdough bread is fermented, she said it might be a two-part class. We also hope she will consider cooking classes!