Our last trip was a grand finale, indeed. We left Manhattan and journeyed to Jackson Heights, Queens, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world. Once in Jackson Heights, we were guided by a fearless man named Jeff. We decided to do a comparison of Taco Bell and Taqueria Coatzingo.
First up, Taco Bell. This joint was hoppin', and we treated ourselves to many items. Tacos, burritos, garditos, double-fried-crazy-chulapas, etc. Taco Bell is cheap, and the menu is very clear, and if you're in a hurry, it might not be a bad idea. However, I must say, the food was rather bland, in my opinion. The salsa was watery and tasted mostly like ketchup.
Next, we went to Taqueria Coatzingo, and this place was a very authentic hole-in-the-wall. We had many of the same dishes, and the dishes here were fresh, warm, flavorful, and delicious. There was fresh and wholesome guacamole, and I almost fell off my chair I was so happy.
In the end, I decided to climb one more fence as a swan song. Unfortunately, it was an electric fence and I received quite a shock. My hair was all over the place, and for the remainder of the day I kept convulsing and waves of electricity pulsed through my body, revealing my inner skeleton. Bzzzz!!!!
I would now just like to give a "shout out" to all of my new friends. It's been an honor heating with you!
Farewell! (for now)
-Professor Van Shmackelpop
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
Professor Van Shmackelpop here. Here to tell you all about all of the amazing Ethiopian food we ate on Saturday, May 19, 2012. This was the first time we got on the Subway, and let me tell you, I was a little nervous! I generally get around town on horse and buggy, so I was apprehensive about taking the train with a bunch of youngsters! But they were great shipmates. We got off a few stops early and walked the rest of the way to the restaurant, which is on 135th Street. A gorgeous day it was.
I must say, we were around City College, and there were many parks with fences. Now, I do love climbing fences, so I left the group for a moment to climb the fence. Hot pancakes, though, I fell and hurt my ankle! I limped as fast as I could to rejoin my friends.
Abyssinia is a pretty new Ethiopian restuarant, and the owner is practically the nicest lady you will ever meet! We sat down and they kindly gave us complimentary sambusas, which are very much like Indian samosas, with a slightly different spice profile. Soon, the main event arrived.
For those of you not as cultured as I, Ethiopian is served on top of a spongy, slightly sour bread called injera. It's like a cross between a crepe and a dosa. The food itself is slightly reminiscent of the stews of India, but again, the spice profile is diferent. Very little cumin, tumeric or coriander is used. There are extreme amounts of onion, garlic, and peppers used. We had all sorts of vegetable stews, and also some stewed meats such a beef tibs (they call their cubed meats "tibs") and lamb. There was also chicken on the bone, which I greedily pulled. Quite a few times I needed to push people away and at one point I chased someone, but then I remembered about my poor ankle and I fell over! I was able to calm down and we all had a good laugh at my obsession with the chicken and subsequent possessiveness.
It really was a lovely time, and the food was so amazing. At the end, we were escorted back into the kitchen, and the owner showed us how she makes the injera. Also, there were bags of the teff flour, which is the flour used to make injera. Apparently, teff is now grown in the United States, and is exported to Ethiopia. The tables have turned!
Thanks to Abyssinia for such a great time and providing discounts to the children. It's all about the kids!
Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
268 West 135th St. (Frederick Douglass-Adam Clayton Powell Junior Blvds.), Manhattan
212-281-2673
I must say, we were around City College, and there were many parks with fences. Now, I do love climbing fences, so I left the group for a moment to climb the fence. Hot pancakes, though, I fell and hurt my ankle! I limped as fast as I could to rejoin my friends.
Abyssinia is a pretty new Ethiopian restuarant, and the owner is practically the nicest lady you will ever meet! We sat down and they kindly gave us complimentary sambusas, which are very much like Indian samosas, with a slightly different spice profile. Soon, the main event arrived.
For those of you not as cultured as I, Ethiopian is served on top of a spongy, slightly sour bread called injera. It's like a cross between a crepe and a dosa. The food itself is slightly reminiscent of the stews of India, but again, the spice profile is diferent. Very little cumin, tumeric or coriander is used. There are extreme amounts of onion, garlic, and peppers used. We had all sorts of vegetable stews, and also some stewed meats such a beef tibs (they call their cubed meats "tibs") and lamb. There was also chicken on the bone, which I greedily pulled. Quite a few times I needed to push people away and at one point I chased someone, but then I remembered about my poor ankle and I fell over! I was able to calm down and we all had a good laugh at my obsession with the chicken and subsequent possessiveness.
It really was a lovely time, and the food was so amazing. At the end, we were escorted back into the kitchen, and the owner showed us how she makes the injera. Also, there were bags of the teff flour, which is the flour used to make injera. Apparently, teff is now grown in the United States, and is exported to Ethiopia. The tables have turned!
Thanks to Abyssinia for such a great time and providing discounts to the children. It's all about the kids!
Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
268 West 135th St. (Frederick Douglass-Adam Clayton Powell Junior Blvds.), Manhattan
212-281-2673
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)