Meskel

We had dinner at Meskel this evening. It's located on a quiet corner near East 4th St. and Avenue B and appears to be run by one front-of-the-house server and one or two chefs in the kitchen. Meskel bills itself as "home cooking" and the reviews, for the most part, rave about the fabulous flavors. The only negative reviews come from restaurant goers who complain about the service, but I think those complaining about the service might also be the type who ask for silverware in an Ethiopian restaurant or insist on cutting their sushi with a knife and fork. Eating with your hands sans silverware is actually quite a liberating experience. Despite the stress of the day both of us radiated a sort of, "who cares if I lick the remnants of the delicious spicy lentils off of my fingers and soon after reach for more injera and cabbage?" kind of attitude. It was lovely. Meskel was a bit pricey for the portions but the server was absolutely lovely and the atmosphere fantastic so I'm sure we'll be back.

One new topic that came from this evening's dinner conversation was that of world music. The tunes being played at Meskel were great and we can't wait to learn more about the artists. Another new topic that came from this evening's dinner conversation is that neither of us knows how to pronounce Ethiopian food correctly. I simply must learn Amharic.