Marathon Ethiopian

Last Saturday night, I went out to dinner with a few friends at a place that is pretty much right around the corner from the home of Cooking Comrade. It wasn’t the easiest place in the world to find. It shares the building with a laundry mat, and is hidden somewhat in the middle of a fairly full part of the city. From the outside, there isn’t much of a sign to know you’re in the right place.

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On the inside, its pretty humble, but the moment you walk through the doors, you know you are in a truly amazing place. The second I walked in with my two room mates, we were greeted with a handshake and a warm hearted smile. Almost immediately I knew this was a place I wanted to come back to. The whole atmosphere was inviting. We had a reservation for a big group of us, and they had not pulled some tables together for us, but there was a hand written note welcoming us and letting us know that everything on the menu was available.

After our entire party arrived and we ordered, it didn’t take long for our food to show up. We had each ordered a plater of food, thinking in our American way that we would need to. What came to the table was something completely amazing, though. I believe it would only be the slightest of exaggerations if I said we were served on aluminum sleds. These plates were incredibly huge.

The food itself was phenomenal. If you are not familiar with Ethiopian cuisine, it can be a really new experience. There is no flatware involved. They serve everything on a large piece of bread that is probably best described as a combination of a crepe and a pizza crust. The traditional way of eating it is to tear off chunks of your bread and use it to scoop up the food. The amazing delicious food.

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The food was great and the atmosphere was amazing. That alone makes this hidden gem of Kansas City a great place to eat, but the enormous portions combined with a reasonable (less than $10 per plate) price tag, and this place is pretty much a don’t miss. If you’re in Kansas City, and you enjoy eating, then make a trip over to the east side of town and eat some truly amazing food.