Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant

A One-of-a-Kind Dining Option in Milwaukee

Jul 16, 2007 Kelly Whitt

Eating at the only Ethiopian restaurant in Milwaukee provides not just a meal but an experience.

Directions

The Ehtiopian Cottage is located on Farwell Avenue just off Brady Street in a busy entertainment area north of downtown Milwaukee. From downtown Milwaukee, take Prospect Avenue (32) north. At E. Kane Pl., take a left. Then take a left onto Farwell Ave (it is a one-way street.) The restaurant will be located on your left. From Interstate 43, take exit 73 A and head east on Juneau Avenue. When Juneau crosses Prospect, turn left and follow the rest of the directions above.

The Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant is the first in Milwaukee to serve an all-Ethiopian menu. The owners are the husband and wife team of Yigletu Debebe and Almaz Mekonnen. Almaz does all the cooking while her husband Yigletu serves as host.

Two dining options confront you just inside the door. You can sit at traditional table seating around the walls of the dining room, or try Ethiopian-style seating, which is placed in the middle of the dining room. In this authentic type of seating, the table is a large and colorful woven basket called a mesob. Stools around the mesob provide seating and act as a place to set your drinks.

Regardless of your seating choice, your food is served to you on large metal trays and a basket of injera. The injera is a bread that is a mix between a tortilla or crepe and a spongy sourdough. The injera is made from a grain called teff. Teff is very expensive because it is grown and shipped from Ethiopia. However, one entrepreneur in the northwest United States has found a region with a similar climate and has started growing teff there.

The injera will be your plate and your silverware for your meal. One piece of injera is between the tray and your dollops of Wat (the stew). Rip pieces of the injera off and use them to scoop up your Wat. If you need help with your form, Yigletu is happy to give you advice.

Menu

The Entree selections run between $9.95 and $13.50. The four divisions in Entrees are Beef, Chicken, Lamb, and Vegetarian.

For beef, there are three choices, plus a combo plate. Key Wat is lean, chopped beef simmered in niter kibe, berbere, onion, and a combination of spices. Alicha Wat is a more mild choice, with the beef simmered in onions, garlic, and ginger. Tibs is a marinated beef sauted with onions, garlic, peppers, and a little rosemary.

For chicken, there are two choices plus a combo plate. Doro Wat is a spicy chicken drumstick, thigh, and hard boiled egg simmered in berbere sauce. Doro Alicha is similar but a more mild chicken dish.

For lamb, there are three choices and a combo plate. Ybeg Key Wat is bone-in lamb in the berbere sauce and spices. Ybeg Alicha is the same but more mild. Ybeg Tibs is marinated lamb with onions, garlic, peppers, and rosemary.

Seven options plus a combo plate are found under the Vegetarian listing. Yemisir Wat is red lentils simmered in a spicy sauce. Kick Alicha is split peas in a mild sauce. Shero is a seasoned chick pea flour in a mild sauce. Gomen is collared greens simmered in onions and garlic. Tikel Gomen is cabbage, carrots, and onions is a mild sauce. Dinch Alicia is potatoes and carrots simmered with onions, garlic, ginger, and spices. Atkilt Wat is a curried vegetable stew with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and more.

Recommendations

After the four main entree lists is A Tase of Cottage, which provides choices with an overview from each category and one with the vegetarian choices. This is the best choice to get a real feel for Ethiopian food. Insider tip: Some of the best flavors came from the spicy beef, the potato stew, and the hardboiled egg in the chicken dish. But they were all tasty, and mixing creates new delicious combinations.

Drinks

Try a traditional drink to pair with your meal. The Ethiopian beers are Bedele, St. George, and Bate. The Tej is a honey wine that is yellower and sweeter than your typical white wine. Desserts are also drinks (and better for your waistline). Try the tea or buna (coffee).

The bottom line is, the food is great, the experience is unique, and it's an intimate way to share a meal with family and friends.

The copyright of the article Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant in NE U.S. Travel is owned by Kelly Whitt. Permission to republish Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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Comments

Sep 1, 2008 10:21 PM
Guest :
This past July I visited my son in Milwaukee. On a whim, we popped into this restaurant for lunch. We were greeted by a beautiful and gracious young woman in an atmosphere that was both spartan and compelling. The restaurant was immaculate. The food, incredible. I had never before tried Ethiopian cuisine; my son had eaten it once before. We both ordered the Doro Wat. I didn't know what to expect - I was perplexed that there were no utensils of any kind. I learned that the injera is the utensil - easy to get the hang of, delicious, and quite fun. The chicken was tasty, and the side dishes were flavored with an intriguing spice blend. This cuisine provides a unique experience (eating with our hands is proper!!) and textures and flavors that are different enough to be compelling, and familiar enough to be enjoyable. My son agreed that both the ambience and meal were exceptional. We were relaxed, and enjoyed our food at a leisurely pace. I live in San Diego, and will soon sample the local Ethiopian cuisine. I can only hope that it is as good as the Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant in Milwaukee!
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