Ethiopian food
I finally got around to trying the new Ethiopian restaurant/bar today. The last time I had Ethiopian food was in Phoenix, and it was phenomenal. This was good but not great. I wonder if it’s because they’re spreading their efforts too thin. It’s trying to be an ethnic food joint and a sports bar at the same time; along with your typical injera and berbere dishes, they also serve mozzarella sticks and Philly cheese steak sandwiches.
It was pretty good. Denny and Kaspar and I split several dishes: a chicken and egg berbere dish (mother and child reunited, doncha know), a beef berbere dish, and a spinach dish. It also came with some kind of yam and cabbage concotion, lentils, and lots of injera, a spongey flatbread. The other person with us, our coworker Steve, got the aforementioned Philly cheese steak. He said it was good.
It’s a nice addition to the downtown landscape. If they really want to blossom in the exotic food realm, though, maybe they should have a more indicative name than “David’s Place.”
I love the unassuming name. I’ve now heard reviews from three people who’ve been there. One was a burger-n-fries kind of guy who (surprise!) didn’t like the Ethiopian dishes, the other was a couple with lots of international experience (they weren’t overly impressed), and then there’s you and Denny. No one’s come out and called it terrible yet, which is good, and I have to admit I like the idea of eating Ethiopian food at a place with Bud Light neon signs in the window.
It was certainly not terrible. It was good. I ordered something that claimed to be hot, though, and it was nowhere near as hot as the stuff I had in Phoenix. I was hoping to break a sweat at lunch. But it was pretty flavorful overall. The veggies were a little bland, but the meat dishes were good.
This is in Iowa City?
Yes, it’s on Linn and Washington. There’s a big black sign that says “David’s Place.” You’d never guess it was Ethiopian from the outside.