While I was here for my job interview a while back the heat had me on the lam. I was holed up in my hotel, trying to avoid a stroke, and found an article in D discussing Dallas' Ethiopian restaurants and how the volume here compares to New York and Los Angeles.
The D.C. area, where I grew up, has scores of Ethiopian restaurants, supporting the largest African-born population in the States. D.C.'s little Ethiopia is under the pressures of gentrification but remains strong. A small cluster of restaurants remain as more expensive restaurants assert themselves.
I lived about six blocks from my favorite location, Dukem. A life spent covering burgers and Reuben sandwiches requires some temperance, and I went there to indulge a vegetarian meal now and then under the guise that it was healthy, or at least better for me than a basket of deep-fried chicken wings.
D goes on to list 14 area restaurants that make for a good guide for those wanting to explore Ethiopian fare. I tried two of them before deciding to review Ibex. A third, Kereje, (7015 Greenville Ave), which I tried to visit two weekends ago, has closed since the article ran.
You can read more about Ibex in this week's paper or on the restaurant page, but I'll say this: it's a charmer. The staff is polite, the cooking is solid and the place is dirt cheap. I never spent more than $50 there buying multiple dishes and drinks for up to three friends at a time.