Eat Great Cheap 2018Shrimp is a rarity on local Ethiopian menus, but it appears in tomatoey stew with onions and jalapeños at this Crystal City restaurant. It also happens to be one of the best dishes on the Ethio-Eritrean menu. You’ll likewise want to sop up the veggie combo, particularly the spicy red lentils and yellow split peas with a caramelized sweetness reminiscent of Thanksgiving yams. Also good: Potato-and-lentil or beef sambusas; meat lovers’ combo, including beef tibs and beef zigny (a brisket-like stew).
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
