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Alem Ethiopian Village
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Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant
The first thing you notice is the aroma of spices. It’s a striking and pleasant welcome upon entering any Ethiopian restaurant.
Ethiopia developed a unique civilization in the highlands of the Horn of Africa and fended off invaders for centuries. It was the last African nation to fall to European imperialists and was ruled by foreigners for less than a decade. Ethiopia can also be proud of a unique and healthy cuisine along with its history. In the last century, Milwaukeeans had to drive to Chicago to partake. Now, we can choose from two restaurants—Alem Ethiopian Village in Downtown and Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant on the East Side.
Both inhabit pleasant and simply laid-out rooms decorated with carved, woven and painted artifacts representing homeland scenes and Ethiopian Orthodox iconography. Their menus include many of the same dishes, including lamb, beef, chicken and cooked vegetables often served in the form of a spiced stew called wat.
The heart of an Ethiopian meal is the injera—a spongy, flat bread with a slightly tart flavor that traditionally serves as the plate holding the wat and as the eating utensil. Just break off a piece and scoop. The injera can also temper the fieriness of the hotter dishes. The spices at both Alem and Ethiopian Cottage range from mild to hot. Eating with injera can be messy for the uninitiated, but no worry: Forks are available.
Alem has the advantage of a lunch buffet for those unfamiliar with the cuisine. A vegetarian can thrive in this environment with choices that include collard greens, red lentils, split peas, cabbage, cold lentil salad and a carrot-and-potato wat.
Ethiopian Cottage no longer has a lunch buffet, but it serves several combination entrees that allow a wide sampling of its menu. The platter of beef, chicken and vegetables is an extraordinary experience. The tenderness of the beef and chicken (the meat falls off the bone) testifies to a long simmer in flavorful spices. The combo is a delightful mélange of colors, textures and tastes and includes a boiled egg; feta cheese; a salad of tomatoes, onions and lettuce; cabbage; peas and red lentils. Arranged across a plate of injera, the individual dishes are hot and cold, spicy and mild, crunchy and soft.
Alem Ethiopian Village and Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant are comfortable places for lingering. On a cold day, a pot of aromatic Ethiopian tea is just the thing. Or, how about a glass of tej (Ethiopian honey wine) or a bottle of Ethiopian beer? Alem and Ethiopian Cottage offer a glimpse into the culture and hospitality of East Africa and shareable meals that don’t stint on flavor.
