Making Memories

Choosing to eat at a restaurant is never just about the meal. It is about making memories and visiting with our friends. As one of Google’s top local reviewers, I go to several San Diego area restaurants, where I amuse all my friends by taking pictures of their dishes before they eat.

It is difficult to choose one local restaurant to review. After all, I am a foodie who likes food from different countries and I care about all the local restaurants. But out of all the restaurants I love, there is one Ethiopian restaurant that stands apart: Addis.

A true homage to the capital of Ethiopia, Addis offers a genuine cultural experience, not only through authentic decorations and ambience, but with true flavors not altered to accommodate American tastes. Most importantly for me, Addis brings back a rush of memories from my childhood.

“But when from a long-distant past nothing subsists, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered, taste and smell alone, more fragile but more enduring, more unsubstantial, more persistent, more faithful, remain poised a long time, like souls, remembering, waiting, hoping, amid the ruins of all the rest; and bear unflinchingly, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection.” - Marcel Proust

As a child, I read In Search of Time Lost by Marcel Proust. At the time, I did not understand the impact these words would have on me. Now, when I enter Addis and order my favorite dish, I am transported into the memories of my teenage years.

Elham, Iman and I were best friends. We were the daughters of Egyptian, Sudanese and Ethiopian military attaches in Lagos, Nigeria. I miss sitting on Elham’s table and eating breakfast with my friends as we discussed our ambitious dreams of the future. Elham’s table was small with short legs, but full of food. She made us Firfir which is a spicy hot berbere sauce mixed with pieces of Injera, a soft bread. We enjoyed Fetira, which is flat bread with eggs and spices and Fule (pronounced ‘fool’) – fava beans with olive oil. These same savory dishes are offered at Addis.

My friends and I weren’t the type of teenagers who talked about boys. We would sit at Elham's table and discuss how to improve the conditions for women in Arab countries. We all made promises while sharing food. Elham wanted to end all violence and abuse against women in Ethiopia. Iman wanted to make sure all Sudanese girls go to school and be financially independent. I promised to raise my future boys to respect women. I guess I was less ambitious than my friends.

In Arabic culture if you share bread and salt, it is similar to making a blood pact. Last year, I took my boys to eat Ethiopian food at Addis. I sent a spiritual message to my friends. I told them I kept my promise and here are my boys. They are now young adults and they would never disrespect women.

But getting back to Addis. The first thing you may notice, other than the short, round tables and fur-covered seats, is the wonderful aroma of spices and roasting coffee beans. Yes, they roast their own coffee! Native music and art fill your senses to the brim, and you haven't even tasted the food yet. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served, with typical African-Arabic dishes like Sanbusa, and Shewarma, and various kinds of Tibs (chunks of beef or lamb with onions, garlic an spices).

If you are a vegetarian, you are in for a treat. Many of the items on the menu are vegetarian and some are also gluten free, like the Injera bread. They also have the best cooked cabbage and lentils in town. Your food is brought by a server that never seems to have anything but a smile, which really heightens a positive experience. Everything is on one large platter for maximum sharing. Utensils are optional, since it is customary to simply use your hands to scoop up the food with bread.

When you’re done, walk next door to the Ethiopian grocery and pick up native spices you can’t get anywhere else, along with some fantastic, freshly-roasted Ethiopan coffee and sweets.

I will continue to visit Addis and recommend it as the best local Ethiopian restaurant. If you are a local San Diegan or visiting San Diego, you simply must treat yourself to an unforgettable time at Addis. You are sure to relish the experience. Go to Addis with your friends, enjoy a meal you can eat with your hands and create some new memories.