I Love Ethiopian Food!

Eric and I stopped at Tajitu, a new Ethiopian restaurant in Frederick, MD. Thru the door we noticed normal dining room tables and chairs, a bar, and then some colorful handwoven straw lidded tables called mesobs circled with stools. I pointed us in the direction of the mesobs. Hooray!!! NO sports TVs or loud music...just how I like it!

The service was super friendly and helpful to us newbies as we had no idea what to order or what to expect. The server removed the lid on the mesob and brought us some hot towels to wash our hands with which felt quite refreshing. We ordered a couple of Ethiopian stout beers called Hakim stout. Eric wasn't impressed with it but I loved it. It poured light with tan head and the slightly sweet taste combination reminded me of caramel, scotch, slightly roasted, milky, buttery and chocolatey. Certainly not a typical stout, but I liked it for what it was...and I even drank Eric's beer.

We weren't sure what to order so we asked the server for assistance. He recommended a vegetarian sampler and lamb tibs. MMM, sounds great! The meal came on a large round platter that sat inside the concave mesob. All of the food was placed on top injera, a large (~20 inch in diameter) spongy sourdough flatbread which is made from fermented teff flour. We also were served a basket of rolled injera. There are no forks or spoons. You tear off a piece of injera, and holding the piece in your right hand, you scoop or pinch up some of the tasty food. Yum!!

Our vegetarian sampler consisted of Yemisir Wot (lentils cooked in traditional spicey pepper sauce with blend of spices), Tikel Gomen (cabbage cooked in vegetable oil, onion, fresh garlic, ginger roots, and a blend of Ethiopian spices and potatoes), Fosolia (Green beans, carrots and onion sautéed in exotic herbs), Kinche (Crushed wheat salad like tabouli), and a couple of other things I can't remember. The lamb tibs (small hunks of boneless leg of lamb sauteed with rosemary, onions and green peppers) arrived sizzling hot. There were also 3 additional side dishes! We went through 2 baskets of injera and finished the entire platter of food. It was a wonderful experience and I hope to visit Tajitu again soon.

The prices were reasonable, and because we ordered so much, our check was about $70.00. We were a bit shocked as we usually try to never spend more than $50.00 when we eat out, but this was totally worth it. The food was terrific and the experience memorable. If you're ever in Frederick, MD, check this place out!
http://www.tajitu.com/