By Stefanie Gans and Rina Rapuano
Makeda
Alexandria | Ethiopian | $$
At an Ethiopian restaurant, it is of the utmost importance to find as many ways as possible to eat injera, the sour, spongy bread-like creation unique to this part of the world (count Eritrea as another injera-eating country). First up: kategna. Injera is spread with the vibrant-earthy spice blend beberbe and lots of butter, toasted and cut into triangles. It has everything going for it, with a crunchy outside and slick, buttery, slightly spicy interior.
The main course arrives in little puddles on a giant sheet of injera (with extra injera rolls served in a basket): lentils, collards, string beans, cabbage, potato, with attention paid to the meatless bites as much as to the haunting, savory sauces cloaking chicken drumsticks and tibs, (diced cubes of beef). Everything here is cooked soft to the touch, best to be able to scoop up with the injera, because injera is the bread, the spoon, the knife, the fork. Did we mention injera? // Makeda: 516A S. Van Dorn St., Alexandria
This post originally appeared in our November 2019 issue’s 50 Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
