Lalibela

Light streams in through the windows of this tranquil family affair in Little Ethiopia. Chef/owner Tenagne Belachew and her daughters are congenial fixtures in a simply adorned setting that feels like a humble abode. They are content to let the food do the talking and offer a dazzling selection of vibrant Ethiopian classics with vegetables and meat alike arriving on oversized silver platters lined with injera. Best shared with a group, the "veggie utopia" offers immediate insight into their talents, spotlighting lentils astutely seasoned with berber and turmeric. Finely chopped kitfo is something of a house specialty and the spicy Somali variation, made with lean prime beef flecked with onions and jalapeños, is especially enjoyable.