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| - Sections of Central Avenue in East Charlotte are fertile grounds for an incredibly rich selection of ethnic restaurants. This area has been changing for years and its development is, for me, one of the things that make Charlotte a more interesting place to be. Queen Sheba is one of these eateries, recommended by a friend. My daughter and "go to" restaurant companion drove out of our way to try what we knew was going to be something different. I used to do business in the Middle East and Northern Africa so past experience with this region's cuisine gave me some idea of what to expect - some kind of flat bread, no utensils, lots of fragrant spice though not too much heat - but I had never eaten Ethiopian food so we were excited.
We got there way early around 5:30 and the place was empty except for a few obvious regulars collecting empty Corona bottles at the bar. I know in Egypt dinner doesn't even begin until well after 10:00 pm so I expect the place livens up later. The décor is pretty plain and simple, with a large screen TV playing whatever soccer game is on, plastic covers on the tables and low lighting. Our server however could not have been more gracious and welcoming and allowed us to pick a booth that suited us.
Injera, as far as I can tell, is some sort of sour dough pancake, very spongy and in this case it was served cold with all of our dishes. As I said, there are no utensils so this flat bread is an important aid to scooping up the various stewed puréed and chopped dishes put before you. The taste of the Injera is slightly sour and provides a terrific counterpoint to the spicy dishes with which it is served. We started with an avocado salad which turned out to be a delicious chunky guacamole in an Injera burrito. The ingredients were fresh and the serving large. Two of us shared it as a really good appetizer. The beef combination was served on a large circle of Injera on an aluminum platter about 2 feet across and consisted of raw chopped beef, sautéed beef tips, collard greens, green beans, a pumpkin purée, mashed yams and feta cheese crumbles. It was plenty for two but my companion wanted to try the lamb so she ordered Ye-Beg Tibs which were small bits of lamb sautéed with onions and mild peppers along with a small green salad and served on a large round of Injera.
Everything we were served was very good. This was especially true of the avocado salad and the vegetables. Flavors of the main ingredient were allowed to take a front seat and while I am sure that it was pumpkin or winter squash that I was eating and some sort of yam, the flavors were completely new to me. The collard greens served as a clear reminder of the African roots of some Southern US staples.
We would definitely go back. The combination platters are quite enough for two, especially if you split an appetizer and want to leave room for dessert which we did not try. Prices are very reasonable and the family setting is very welcoming.
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