Todd Kliman the Governor of DC Foodies...

So on Tuesday at 11 a.m., I participated in another chat with Todd Kliman, Editor of the Washingtonian Food Section. I wanted to write in and follow-up with him about my experience on U Street. I didn't get to hit any of his recommendations but I did talk about my visit to Etete. Read below.

Alexandria, VA:

Todd, I wanted to follow-up with you about where I went to dinner before Justin Trawick's show at the 9:30 club. I did research Oohhs and Aahhs, but I agree that it would have been a better place for an after show treat. I made a reservation at Etete. The Ethiopian place off of U Street. I think the it was an amazing experience. I remember reading somewhere that you thought the service was very good. I think you described it as family-like... anyways... my experience was pretty awful when it came to service. We had to wait for a long time and most of the time, I just got tired of waiting and I had to get up and find my server. I was not very happy about that. It took so long for the waitress to come over to us, I had to go find her to tell her that we were ready to order and this is after a 30-40 minute wait. Also ... I had a hard time picking something from the menu that didn't have jalapeño or green peppers in it (I'm allergic). But I got the Yefem Tibs as my entree and I loved it. Next time I go back I know to order more things from the menu to try. I will not order, however, the tomato salad. The dressing was such a disappointment. It came right out of the bottle... like a Kraft Italian. I tried the Sambusa (Lentil) and loved it. It reminded me of empanada's a little bit... Do you have another suggestion of where I can try more ethnic foods but won't run into the Green Pepper or jalapeño problem? Thanks. Always a Pleasure. Lisa

Todd Kliman:

Lisa,

Thanks for the update. And I'm glad you had a good time at Etete. It's interesting: I've never had a problem with the service there, but I've also never gone there before trying to make a show.

If you're looking for other good ethnic spots ... shoot, we just published a whole issue of them, essentially, in June's Cheap Eats. One that's in the city and doesn't go in for jalapenos is Malaysia Kopitiam. The food's consistently tasty, and there's a lot to choose from. Give it a go.

And, of course, there are always kabob houses. The area is full of them, and there's a lot that's good.

My favorite is probably Ravi Kabob (either I or II, both in Arlington). You'll run into the "jalapeno problem" if you order the terrific karahi, but if you stick to the skewered meats, you shouldn't have any worries. Fantastic stuff. Really, this is some of the best eating you can do in the entire metro area. And you can afford to do it often.