The DC area is home to a lot of restaurants, and among them are hidden gems that many Washingtonians aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's many food players to share with us their under the radar recommendations for Eater's latest feature, Dining Confidential.
Even though for the past two years Ethiopic has snagged a spot on Tom Sietsema's fall dining guide, a neighborhood spot can still feel under-the-radar. H Street resident Michael Hartzer, chef of the scotch-happy Jack Rose Dining Saloon, adores the lively food at this Ethiopian restaurant:
"One of my new favorite places in DC, that is not yet on people's radar, is Ethiopic, on H St. NE, where my wife and I live. It is a warm and welcoming casual restaurant that serves the best Ethiopian food in the city, in my opinion. There are a ton of Ethiopian restaurants in any city, but they usually bring to mind a dark, dingy, small space where the food is sort of over cooked and mild. Not here?the space is bright, new and welcoming.
Everything prepared here is fresh, the vegetarian items are never over-cooked, the meats have great texture, the use of herbs and spices is done with a deft hand, and the crispness of the skin on their whole fried fish (only a $5 add on) is addictive. The service is also excellent. I love that they welcome substitutions on their sample platters and that when something is advertised as spicy, they really mean it."
· All Previous Ethiopic Coverage [-EDC-]
· Previous Editions of Dining Confidential [-EDC-]
Ethiopic [Photo: Yelp]
