Ethiopian Diamond: A perfect dining gem in Rogers Park
From the deliciously spiced "watt" or stew entrees to dessert and coffee, the Ethiopian Diamond proves to be one of the city's best ethnic restaurants. Located on north Broadway in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, "The Diamond" should be on your list of places to dine if you're a foreign food foodie.
Large and bustling, this eatery provides not only wonderfully different food but also has live music on Friday evenings. Though seating is for more than 100, the long draperies and warm colors finishing off the decor make The Diamond warm and inviting
All of the entrees are served on silver trays lined with injera, the thin, pancake-like Ethiopian bread and set in colorful, circular servings. The vegetarian choices--Kik Alicha (split peas cooked in a mild sauce of onion, garlic and ginger), Gomen (chopped collard greens simmered in onions and garlic or Yatkilt Watt (string beans, carrots and potatoes cooked garlic, onion and ginger sauce) for example, are all vegan.
Meat "watt" include Yebeg Tibs (cubes of lamb marinated in garlic, sauteed with green pepper and onion), Doro Watt (chicken legs marinated in lemon juice and ginger cooked in a homemade spicy sauce. There are several beef, shrimp and seafood watts to choose from as well.
The traditional way to eat watt is to tear off small portions of the injera and use it to pick up the food. The injera is made from self-rising wheat and teff flour. Diners frequently eat from the same plate to signify "bonds of loyalty and friendship." If you wish to express that dear friendship further, participate in gursha, described on their menu, by placing food in the mouth of another diner from one's own hand.
Menu choices allow you to order small portions or choose a combination of entrees for two. There's a full bar and a dining tip--try one of the Ethiopian beers with your meal to cap off the blend of spices. Service is excellent and this is a restaurant where diners linger over their food as talking and friendship is indeed the order of the day.
While Ethiopian Diamond isn't inexpensive--entrees start at $10, it is important to remember that this fare is made fresh with each order. Rogers Park is fast becoming an ethnic dining hub and Ethiopian Diamond is one jewel you won't want to miss.
Posted by Lori Rotenberk
