Abyssinian Restaurant, Hartford

Had a very nice experience tonight at the Abyssinian Restaurant on Farmington Avenue in Hartford. Loved the food, the service and especially the price! My wife and I have been in a rut for the last year or so, dining at Max restaurants, Pazzo, Costa del Sol, Chale Ipanema, Porto, J. Gilberts etc. (note that most of these places you can get a reservation on Saturday night even if you call at 2PM the same day – why don’t we plan ahead?).

My son recently moved to Hartford, right around the corner from Churiscaria Braza, so we have been trying out restaurants nearby (he is a vegetarian, so Braza was out). Thanks to some Chowhound posts, we tried Monte Alban. I didn’t enjoy my beef short ribs in green pumpkin sauce that much, but it was a matter of my taste, not the preparation. I would certainly recommend the restaurant and will definitely try it again.

Tonight it was the Abyssinian Restaurant next door. Plenty of meat dishes, but also perfect for a vegetarian. I’m ashamed to admit it was my first Ethiopian dining experience. Our waiter was a member of the family that owns the restaurant. They are from Eritrea, a northeastern African country that gained its independence from of Ethiopia in the 90s. We all enjoyed a lesson in history, geography and culture along with our meal!

Our waiter explained that the food was served communally, and that we would be eating with our fingers using bread to pick up the food. We all requested forks. When the food arrived, we understood the concept a little better. Each “main course” dish arrived in its own pint sized metal container. The waiter scooped a portion of each onto a large flat platter lined with “sponge bread” (thicker than a crepe, and porous). Aside from the “main courses” there were mounds of side dishes on the platter such as cooked cabbage, lentils, spit peas and salad (dinner menu has the same dishes as their lunch menu at http://www.menupix.com/hartford/menu.... ). There were extra rolled up rounds of sponge bread at each diner’s position.

Flavors reminded me somewhat of Indian cuisine. I ordered Yesega Wot, small cubes of beef braised in “berbere” sauce (spicy red pepper). My wife and son went with potatoes and lentils respectively. Surprisingly, we embraced the idea of eating with our fingers. It was less about polishing off what you ordered yourself and more about trying a bit of this and a bit of that. A much more leisurely and interactive dining experience. We all kept finding a little more room for another bite. I must say that every dish I tasted was enjoyable.

Prices were very reasonable. My glass of sauvignon blanc from Oregon was very good at $5, my wife’s shiraz was $5.50. The tab for three of us was under $60! Good chow, good price, good people.

Anyone else tried it lately?