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| - Ethiopian bread (injera) perplexes me, but based on my limited experience, Merkato has some de-lish perplexing bread. Seriously, I have not come to terms with the spongy, cool texture of the bread or the fact that I have to use it as my utensil, but I grant that perhaps my taste just has not evolved. After all, some things just take time and repeated exposure. Right?
Beyond the bread, which I really can't fault them for given that they didn't invent it, Merkato is quite brilliant. I went with some of my favorite artists last night. It was their idea, and I must commend them for that. It is located in a semi-abandoned strip mall that also houses Bagelmania. When we pulled up we knew we were in good hands because the lot was filled with cabs. Generally, you can always follow a cab to a cheap, succulent meal.
The interior is not fancy, but it is welcoming. The artists in the group really dug the lighting behind the bar. We were greeted promptly with a smile. Service was a little slow, but I did not mind as we were talking. I actually appreciated the casual, kind service because I in no way felt as if we were being rushed out of there. These servers were so nice, like mom-nice. No attitude at all.
We only ordered two dishes, a vegetarian sampler and a chicken entrée. I was expecting the server to push us into a third item, but she simply smiled and said: "Yes, that is a lot of food." All of the dishes were flavorful. I especially liked a cool lentil salad and a slaw dish (beware: that one is spicy). They were happy to bring us refills of "the bread", and with just two dishes, we all three had enough. The total was like $20, and that included a beer! If you are on a budget, you better consider adopting a Merkato diet, as this is a little money for a lot of kibbles.
Other bonus points: They are open until 2am, and Tuesday-Thursday they have live music and dancing.
I am not sure if I love eating with my hands, or if I am a total convert to Ethiopian food, but I have a feeling that if you are a hands-on person with a thing for Ethiopian, you'll be in finger-licking heaven here.
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