T's Place (5/19/08) Offers Friendly Fare with Ethiopian Flair

Twin Cities residents are visibly twitchy these days. After several late snows and unseasonably cool weather, we've finally had some sunny spring days and the lilacs are just starting to bud. Yet this year, unlike most, we still haven't had the luxury of walking outside sans jacket and feeling warm sun against our skin.

Which may be one of the reasons I found T's Place so refreshing - this restaurant is the antidote to anything glum and ho-hum. The walls of this East Lake eatery are a deep persimmon hue, the original molded ceiling glows with gold, popular Amharic songs beat from the speakers, and the cheerful waitstaff all flash thousand watt smiles.

We were seated immediately and started with a round of Meta beers, a popular lager from Ethiopia. They were light and refreshing, almost fruity but not as blatant as a Blue Moon or a shandy. My fellow chow hound ordered a dish with cubed lamb, garlic, turmeric, and jalapeño peppers, which came beautifully plated on a platter with two rounds of injera bread, rolled in half, flanking the main dish. The flavor was complex and not for the faint of heart since that jalapeño gave it quite a kick.

My meal included a bowl of spiced ground beef and a bowl of a creamy yet tart sauce with chopped spinach, each flanked with rounds of injera bread. For my western palette it was an unusual combination of flavors, but after one bite I was hooked. I had injera bread once before at Fasika and wasn't a fan, but T's Place really takes it to another level. T's bread was delightfully light and spongy, slightly sour (just as it should be), and was the perfect vehicle for sopping up those ground beef juices.

We also ordered a roti appetizer, which consisted of a fried flat bread and a curry-like sauce with steamed vegetables. I could feel my hips getting wider with each bite, but the crispy bread and heavy, robust curry might tie with macaroni and cheese as the ultimate comfort food.

This restaurant embodies several of my favorite things about the Twin Cities: a penchant for boldness, dedication to quality, an opportunity to significantly expand your horizons just a few miles from home, and really nice, friendly people.