Food In The Fort

Updated: Unfortunately, Ethiopian Restaurant has closed permanently.

We both grew up in the Cooperstown, NY area. Now, if you’ve ever been to Cooperstown, you know it’s a very small town surrounded by even smaller towns and lots of fields. Sure, there were a few smallish cities not too far away but in general Cooperstown is the epitome of small town America. Small towns have a lot of advantages, and we both have fond memories of growing up in one. However, if you’re looking for ethnic cuisine, then you’re probably not going to find it in a small town. After all, Cooperstown didn’t even have a Chinese restaurant until the early 1990s (and then oddly, all of a sudden, it had two).

Which is why one of the things we really value about living in Fort Wayne is the large array of ethnic dining to be found. We both love trying new things, plus we’ve found that if you really want to learn about a culture the two most direct routes for doing so are through its music and its food. So, as you might imagine, we were delighted to read about the opening of the Ethiopian Restaurant a few months ago and wanted to visit it right away. As things usually work out though, one thing led to another, and “right away” ended up being four months later. Honestly though, after tasting Ethiopian Restaurant’s food, we’re sad we waited so long.

We finally found our way to E State Blvd and Ethiopian Restaurant a couple of Saturdays back and were happily surprised to find it packed and everybody looked as if they were enjoying their food. Ethiopian Restaurant is a family affair run by Girma and Genet Hussen who were both on hand taking orders, serving, and guiding uninformed diners through the menu. The family atmosphere is appropriate to the Ethiopian eating experience. It’s a social thing, with everyone at the table sharing a communal plate, scooping up the food with pieces of injera bread. Ah, the injera! It’s the defining element in the Ethiopian equation. If you like it (or, in Catherine’s case, want to marry it), it’s the perfect medium for the food and if you don’t like it, well, that’s a problem.

We decided to order the Doro Wat (a chicken dish with a drumstick and a hard boiled egg) because Catherine had had it in the past and knew it was a sure thing, the Yesiga Wat (a sweet beef stew seasoned with ginger and simmered in berbere sauce) and the Gomen (fresh collard greens sauteed with garlic and ginger). Our order was served, as is the tradition, on a large piece of injera along with Tikl Gomen (a lightly spiced cabbage), assorted vegetables and boiled potatoes. Plenty of injera was also provided on the side. Quite frankly, Leo wasn’t wild about the meal. Having never had Ethiopian cuisine before, he wasn’t sure what to expect. While he quite enjoyed the stews and veggies, he just couldn’t find it within himself to love the injera in quite the same way as Catherine does.

Catherine, on the other hand, couldn’t have been more pleased with the meal. After a long hiatus, she had just eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant in NYC and found the Fort Wayne venue to be completely on a par. The doro wat, her standby, was mildly spicy and delicious and the beef dish which Leo chose was unexpectedly good. It was also on the spicy side and very tender. The collard greens, however, were another point of contention. Initially we both found them overly bitter, but they grew on Leo as the meal went on. Catherine though could have done without them.

While Catherine and Leo were divided on the food, they were happily united on the dark and potent coffee.It had a robust, woodsy flair and reminded us of a very smooth espresso. The meal was certainly enhanced by Genet’s artful performance of the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony which involved the burning of copal while she roasted and ground the beans and then brewed the coffee. Not your usual cup o’ joe.

Overall, Ethiopian Restaurant is a place we’d recommend. It’s true that Ethiopian cuisine may not be for everyone, but you owe it to yourself to expand your horizons and give it a try. You also owe it to the community to support and celebrate the wide variety of ethnic food options that are available to us in the Fort. Admittedly, the decor is spartan. Still, don’t be put off by its unassuming appearance. Ethiopian Restaurant provides a window into a rich culture beyond its suburban strip mall facade. Four out of five garlic bulbs.

Ethiopian Restaurant
2805 East State Boulevard
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
(260) 483-9787
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday & Saturday: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
($6.99 lunch special every Tuesday – Friday)

This review was co-authored by Catherine and Leo.

About the author:  Leo is a technologist and writer living in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is a transplant to the Mid West from Central New York and was promised cheaper gas and better winters. He feels somewhat lied to in this respect but otherwise finds the people pleasant. Read more from this author