ethiopian traditional home decor

>> announcer: the following kqed production was produced in high definition. ♪♪ >> must have soup. >> the pancake is to die for! [ laughter ] >> it was a gut bomb, but i liked it.

in private moments about the food i had. >> i didn't like it. >> you didn't like it? oh, okay. >> dining here makes me feel rich. >> and what about dessert? pecan pie?

sweet-potato pie? >>> hi, i'm leslie sbrocco. welcome to "check, please! bay area," the show where regular bay area residents review and talk about their favorite restaurants. now, we have three guests and each one recommends one of their

favorite spots and the other two go to check them out to see what they think. this week, marketing engineer cathy conley enjoys the view, the indoor and outside seating, as well as the menu at this two-for-one location. with a casual pub upstairs and a

large dining room below, this historic spot sets a tranquil scene. and recruiting manager, drew bradbury assesses the personnel at any restaurant. for him, refined service from a professional staff make his chosen romantic,

special-occasion place, the ideal selection. but first, maria arega travels from her home town to san jose, to a place that even her mother-in-law approves of. the ethiopian food is shared with family and friends at traditional basket-weave tables,

where you dig in with your hands. it's in san jose on saratoga avenue, and its called zeni ethiopian restaurant. [ crowd alking ] >> this restaurant is named after the owner and the chef, zeni.

zeni is a likable, generous, and skillful woman. i'm married to her, and it's family-owned and operated. here at zeni, the food is authentic, and it's prepared the way it's prepared and served back home in ethiopia. we're taking the food to the

customer. we are not making the food to feed the customer. that's the main difference in zeni's cooking. most of the other restaurants, the misunderstanding is the way. because if you've been cooking, it's made to order.

and most of the items are cooked when the order is placed. that's why it is a time trap. ethiopian food is applicable for a large audience -- vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, meatatarian. because basically ethiopians are by nature vegan or vegetarian.

they use all produce, the legume and crops, to make their bread and their stock. our customer mix here is quite like that. especially over the weekend, it's like united nations. >> now, maria, this is authentic of an ethiopian restaurant as

you're gonna find, in your opinion? >> i think so. in all of the bay area, i think this is the most authentic and the most fun to go to. it's got the great decor. it has the traditional tables, called the mesob that you can

sit at, and everybody eats communally, which is nice. brings everybody together. >> and your husband's ethiopian. >> he is, yes. >> so you would know an authentic place. >> so i think i would. i've had a crash course in the

culture of ethiopians, and it's great. they have a very rich culture. and the food i think is an underserved cuisine. i think everybody should try it. might be a little bit uncomfortable at first because you eat with your hands and you

eat from the same plate, which we're not used to doing. but after you do it for a while, it's really great. one of my favorites, which i know a lot of people will be scared to try, is the kitfo. and it's the raw beef. and it's served spiced with a

clarified spice butter. you can get it cooked a little more, but it changes the flavor. but don't be scared of it. it's really, really good. >> i was scared of it. >> i know. everybody is scared of it. >> i was kind of tentatively

saying, "what's that one?” >> and i'm a huge meat eater. >> and you know what? i was scared of it for years. i really would watch everybody eating it and think, "okay, i think i'm gonna stay away from that one." >> it's just a pile of

carpaccio, right? >> that's my go-to dish. that's the one i love. >> and when you went, drew, what was your experience? had you been to ethiopian restaurants before? >> i'd only been once before, and so i am not an aficionado on

ethiopian cuisine by any means. but i will say that i found it to be authentic. i did. and i found that i liked the decor. it certainly brought things from their native country there. it was obvious.

they were all handmade. so the injera is the bread. they put it in this big pot. >> and you kind of use it as a spoon. >> exactly. it's all hands. but i like that a lot. i like that you're eating with

your hands. totally different than anything else. i found the lamb -- i had lamb, and i had chickpea kind of mashed up with some olive oil. chickpeas were delicious. lamb, not so great. underseasoned with some

vegetables. and i feel that it's easier to do a better job of lamb than they did. so i felt they kind of -- >> was it lamb on a bone or was it -- >> no, it was cubed. boneless.

>> oh. >> yeah, i know. >> and she's going, "you shouldn't have ordered that. i'm sorry." cathy, what did you have when you went? >> we had a variety of the beef, the chicken, and the lamb.

and i ordered the kik alitcha, which was a vegetarian dish, and it was described as split yellow pieces with onion and garlic. so when i ordered, i had to go, "well, what is the split yellow pieces of?” and it turned out to be -- it turned out to be peas.

and everyone agreed that was the best, and it was great that a piece of meat then the peas, that it was a nice moderating, 'cause some of the meats were a little spicy. >> yeah. >> so i found that the bread overpowered the meal entirely.

so i don't want to impugn the entire nation's cuisine. i want to be careful, not do that. but for me, the bread was foremost, in the forefront, and should have been more, you know, mixed with food. >> and maybe, maria, i mean,

what should people order when they go to get a true experience of this restaurant? >> well, you know, it's funny, because the true experience is having a lot of bread. they do -- i mean, some of them are a little -- even a little much for me, because they have

dishes, firfirs and fitfits, which are a dish mixed with more injera, so you eat it. [ laughing ] so you eat injera with more injera, and it's a lot, and you want to take a nap afterwards, which is why they drink a lot of coffee.

>> or you can have beer. >> yes, i had beer, actually. so the harar is the local beer in the country. and usually, when you order a beer from a distant land, it just doesn't hold up even to the worst beer in this country. but i found the harar did.

i found it to be flavorful, light, bubbly, and so much so that i had another one after the one i ordered. >> it offsets the spiciness of the cuisine? it helped you? >> it did. with the injera, it was a gut

bomb, but i liked it. sorry. >> i thought it was an adventure. i thought that was fun. my only problem was it just took so long to get service that i was ready to eat the table by the time --

>> how long was it before you got your menu and got served? >> it was an hour till we got in, and then another hour till we got food. >> wow. >> and when we finished, it was another half-hour till we could get the bill and --

>> okay. >> so i must have gotten lucky. i went there on a weeknight. and i had a great time. it was prompt and efficient, and we got our check, and everything actually went quite perfectly. >> and there's a special coffee service that they have at the

restaurant, isn't there, maria? >> there is. it's their traditional coffee ceremony, where they roast the coffee, where they roast the they roast from green beans, and it's poured into small cups like tea cups. they light incense.

and everybody has wonderful it's worth going there for the coffee, also, the coffee ceremony, for other people to experience that. i get it at home, but it's really great. i would definitely try it. >> all right, this is your

restaurant, maria, so give us a quick summary. >> so, if you want an adventure in eating, an ethnic adventure, i say go to zeni. the food is good, it's delicious, and it's fun. >> and, cathy, what about you? >> the food was good.

it made me want to try ethiopian restaurants again. but i'm not sure i would go back unless they started taking reservations, 'cause it was just a long wait. >> okay, and drew? >> authentic -- not for my palate, but i'm sure that from

the recommendations, it's the real deal. >> all right. if you would like to try zeni ethiopian restaurant, it's on saratoga in san jose. the telephone number is 408-615-8282. it's opened for lunch and dinner

every day but monday. reservations are only for 10 or more. and the average tab per person without drinks is around $20. >>> set overlooking the oakland estuary, this historic landmark serves up american fare on not one, but two levels.

you can visit the restaurant or the pub. it's in the embarcadero marina in oakland, and it's called quinn's lighthouse restaurant and pub. >> here at quinn's, we're very fortunate because of the type of building we have.

between the upstairs and downstairs, we have a neighborhood restaurant, friendly, actually without a neighborhood. and it attract a wide variety of people all of whom somehow are comfortable with this scene, this experience.

if you want to throw peanuts on the floor upstairs, have at it. if you want to have a quiet dinner downstairs, welcome to you. on wednesday night here at quinn's, we have half-price imported beer night. very popular.

we sell a lot of beer, and we make a lot of new friends with it. we started serving peanuts in the early '80s, and it was a gag at that time. and then it was so successful that we just stayed with it. and in the beginning, we saw it

as a commercial venture, and we tried to charge for them, and that didn't go over too well. 'cause we spent more time on trying to collect money than -- so we said forget it, you know? and it's so popular, it's such a strong identity for us. let's just make it part of the

upstairs atmosphere, and we never looked back. >> okay, cathy, are you a pub girl, or are you a downstairs one? and do you go for the sea shanty band, the pirates? >> it depends on the mood. like, after an a's game, going

to the pub is great, but if you're saturday night and want to watch the sun set, nothing like sitting at the white-tablecloth restaurant and having your meal served to you not on peanut shells. >> that's right. because there's really -- it is

two restaurants in one. there's the downstairs main dining area. and then the upstairs is a pub that you can throw your peanut shells on the ground. >> and they do. >> they only sweep once a week. >> yes, i was there on the

sixth day. >> but it is the same menu and same kitchen for both. so you can get the same quality of food and quantity of food. just what kind of atmosphere do you like? but the pub also has outside dining, too, so on a nice, sunny

afternoon, there's nothing like sitting out on the bay, having a nice meal, having your beer or wine -- they have extensive beer and wine lists -- and just enjoying the whole reason we live in the bay area. i like the dinky doo seafood stew, which is like a chipino,

but i has rice and spinach in it. i like the clam chowder. i like everything. it's mainly seafood and pasta, but i've never had a bad dish there. >> hearty fare. >> you know, i'm with cathy.

i felt that, you know, the food was reliable. the chowder, i got to tell you, awesome. i know. >> she's not agreeing. >> i don't want to be the naysayer here. i really don't.

i tried -- i tried, tried to like it. but the chowder to me had no flavor. >> really? >> it was creamy. >> and that was it. it stopped right there. >> i'm shocked.

>> i liked it because it had lots of clams instead of being mainly potato chowder, as you find at a number of restaurants. >> i agree. you know, just because people put cream in it, they call it chowder, but i thought they nailed it.

>> and were you in the pub area? >> i was. i went upstairs because i prefer that environment. and the peanut shells were there were a lot of them. i actually had a very positive experience at the restaurant. i liked just about everything.

i started out with the chowder and a little bit of clams and then went right down the middle with the cheeseburger and fries, because, you know, it tells a lot about a place. >> well, you're in a pub, too. >> that's exactly right. i'm not looking for soul.

and i found it to be wonderful. i liked that it was a charming atmosphere with a, you know, captain's feel and stuff like >> right. i agree. >> too many peanut shells, though. >> i mean, it's historic.

it's an 1890s lighthouse redone as a restaurant. >> and that comes across. it's all wood, and the service is wonderful. people are very nice. price is fair. and i had a german beer that just turned my head around for

sure. so much so that i went searching for it the next day. >> bodo eichler, the gm of the restaurant, really is german and really into beer, incredible beers, and he actually does -- they have 50 beers, and he does a beer pairing.

i don't know if you saw the beer pairing. >> oh, i didn't see that. >> yeah, he pairs the cuisine with beers. >> that's great. but i went looking for that same beer that i had. i looked at another restaurant

in san francisco, which i will not name. it was literally twice the price that it was at quinn's. >> we sat outside, and i loved i loved being on the estuary. you could see downtown oakland. it was beautiful. >> and you had your kids?

>> i had my kids, and they loved the peanut shells. they couldn't believe that you could actually throw stuff on the floor and it's okay. they loved it. but food fell really short for me. >> and what else did you have?

>> so i had a seafood newburg, which i have had before. and the way it was described was a creamy lobster-based sauce with seafood on savory rice. and when it came, it was a tomato base, and i thought, "oh, that's completely not what i expected."

and the flavor of it -- i'm sorry to say, i'm so sorry -- but it was like rice-a-roni. and it was overpowering for the whole dish. the one good thing i can say was it was full of seafood, and the seafood was cooked pretty well. it was, you know, tender, not

overdone. it was really good. >> did you find your service prompt and friendly? >> no. no, we didn't. now, we may have come at an odd time. it was about 4:00.

our server was very nice, but in between, you know, it would take 10 minutes to come out, and then he'd go back, and then -- i mean, i loved it for the pub. i would go there for the pub, the view alone, it's beautiful. >> as you said, after an a's game.

>> and it's very popular for sunday brunch, too. and the one other thing, for value, they don't really advertise it on the menu, but for desserts, you can ask for a sliver. >> yes. >> so you can get half a slice

of key lime pie and pay half the price instead of having the big portion and then feeling compelled to eat the whole thing. >> all right, it's your restaurant, cathy. give us a quick summary. >> well, i like quinn's because

it's very good food, huge portions -- i always leave with a doggie bag -- excellent service, and a view to die for. it used to be a lighthouse. it's right on the water. >> and maria? the atmosphere was wonderful. maybe before a game, after a

game, for the pub. i would go for the pub. for me, the food didn't quite cut it. >> okay, mr. chowder. >> for great chowder and comfort food and a cozy environment -- are you ready for this one? quinn's wins.

i couldn't resist. >> if you would like to try and pub, it's on the embarcadero cove in oakland. 510-536-2050. it's open for lunch and dinner every day with brunch on sundays. reservations are recommended in

the restaurant. >>> romance descends from the rafters of this old chapel turned italian restaurant. elegant and refined, with dishes and service to match, drew returns with pleasure to this delicious, spiritual and positively civilized spot.

it's on sacramento street in san francisco and it's called acquerello. >> i guess they come here for a complete italian experience. we are here to help them and guide them in the right direction. the wine list is extensive.

at the moment, we have 1,200 selections, of which 75% are italian. we do focus on italian wine. that's really my passion. >> here at acquerello, i think we really embody all of italy's best features on a food sense, whether in indigenous

ingredients, methodology, preparation of regional specialties, adherence to a philosophy of -- which means the best ingredients before you even start cooking whatever you're cooking. i'm really excited about our cheese cart.

we represent at least nine different regions, and giancarlo has all of the wines that accompany them the best. i feel especially blessed that i have a handful of diners who've come in for more than five years or so have never seen a menu. they simply let giancarlo choose

the wine. they let me choose the food. and they sit back and enjoy. i love food. i love cooking. i think it's truly part of who i am. i can't imagine not having that part.

>> now, drew, i'm fascinated. you've been in the bay area more than 10 years. >> 10, 11 years. and you've been to acquerello 9 or 10 times. >> indeed, indeed. >> it's a favorite spot. >> it is.

i go there when i feel like i need to kind of get out of the hustle and bustle and have a fine-dining experience. so there are plenty of fine-dining experiences to be had in san francisco, but not often ones that are as quaint and as civilized as acquerello.

>> well, it's michelin-starred, been there about 20 years, so it certainly is the pedigree. >> absolutely. what was your experience, cathy, when you went to acquerello? >> i think this was one of the best restaurants i've ever eaten at in my life.

the food, the service, was just wonderful. and we made an adventure of it. we took the ferry across the bay. and then the california line cable car is just a block away, so it was a complete adventure. and i just loved it.

i would recommend it in a heartbeat. >> from the moment we stepped in, it was just a magical experience, because you're just attended to. your every need is attended to before you even know you have it.

>> all right, tell me about the food. what did you have? >> we started with the carpaccio, which was great. >> you're all about that, the raw meat, like you were at zeni. >> well, you know, once you have it -- once you have it, yoo can

have it everywhere. you're not scared. you're no longer scared. you can have it everywhere. so i had the carpaccio, and it was great. i have to say that -- i'm going to say that everything was fabulous, so every -- and i

loved all the little surprises. so they put an aperitif on my plate, and i was -- oh, gosh, i love it. and so everything that was -- and things are constantly coming. there's not a moment where you're, you know, just -- you're

not thinking about anything except your experience. >> oh, good. >> and our experience happened to be, like, three and a half hours. and never was there a moment where we were, you know, waiting.

what's coming next? there was always a steady -- >> they have a good team. they do. they do it right. >> you're asked how many courses you want. and i didn't order an appetizer, so they provided me with a

smaller version of the appetizer that one of my friends had. my nephew didn't order the pasta, so he was given the lobster ravioli, a smaller portion than someone else was, so you don't feel left out as everyone else is eating. i had the pumpkin fettuccine and

the lamb chops. dessert, i had the strawberry meringue. and for those who didn't, they built -- i called it a biscotti tree -- they built up biscotti to look like a little tree and provided that to all of those who didn't have dessert.

>> and chef suzette gresham is known for her biscotti. that biscotti is very, very famous. people come in just to buy the biscotti. >> can i just say that the lobster panzerotti, i think it is, is exceptional.

>> it's exceptional. >> it really is. i mean, it's intensely flavored, and it's perfectly cooked, and it's just exceptional. >> it is amazing. >> i think that one is an outstanding -- and i didn't even order it.

i tasted it. >> it's just house-made pastas. and what are some of your favorites when you go in, drew? >> so it's very funny, because i had the identical meal to you, except i had the butterscotch on the back end as opposed to the strawberry.

>> the strawberry meringue. >> so the lamb was, you know -- not just is, but was this particular time that i went the best that i've ever tasted in my life. so that's not saying -- that's no small thing. my favorite's definitely the

lobster panzerotti. the lamb, the butterscotch. and they have a really unique dessert. it's vanilla ice cream with aged balsamic vinaigrette. it's, like, 30-something years aged. >> i was a little afraid to try

ice cream and vinegar. >> and that's what everybody says, but you taste it. and it's -- >> vinegar can be very sweet. >> it can. but, man, it's perfect. and the wine list i find to bb extensive and fair.

>> well, giancarlo paterlini, who is one of the co-owners, is probably one of the foremost experts of italian wine in this country. so they have a list that's just full of northern italian wines, as well as tuscan specialities. it's really quite a

remarkable list. and as you said, very fairly priced. >> and he will pair anything -- >> -- with any dish remarkably well. >> that's what we did. we said, well, this is what we like.

this is what we're ordering. and he came out with, really, the perfect wine for all of us. >> it was very intimate, but you had your own space. you never felt crowded. you could have your own conversation, and, you know, you couldn't even hear the people

next to you, really. i mean, it's a very small room. >> and you would think that you'd be overheard by everybody else. >> but you're not. and it was great. it was intimate without being crowded.

i loved it. >> it felt like you were in a tuscan in with the colors, the decorations. >> yep. >> while we were eating, i was thinking, "what is the next event where i can come back?” >> exactly, exactly.

>> i think it was worth every penny and more. >> and, cathy, for being one of the most remarkable meals of your life? >> i would agree and, as one of my friends said, dining here makes me feel rich. >> that's terrific.

well, drew, this is your restaurant, so wrap it up for us. >> okay, well, if you're looking for a high-dining experience and a special occasion, even if that occasion is just a regular tuesday, then i think you'll find what you're looking for at

acquerello without any of the hype. and cathy? >> i would go back to acquerello in a heartbeat. this was the best restaurant, the best meal i've ever had. i can't recommend it highly enough.

>> i'd have to agree. it's a wonderful special-occasion restaurant that i think everybody should try. not to be missed. >> if you would like to go to acquerello, it's on sacramento between van ness and polk in san francisco.

415-567-5432. it's open tuesday through saturday for dinner. reservations are recommended. without drinks is around $75. well, i have to thank my articulate guests on this week's show -- maria arega, cathy conley and drew bradbury.

maria chose the ethiopian cuisine at zeni. cathy felt comfortable on the low stools, although the service was just too slow. drew had a fun time, though, and recommends the traditional seating, although he has decided that it's not his favorite

cuisine. cathy's pick of quinn's lighthouse restaurant and pub met with mixed reviews, maria finding the food average and the service spotty, while drew enjoyed the setting, finding the decor everything that you could wish for and the comfort food

satisfying. saving the romantic spot for last, acquerello received rave reviews from everyone. drew's perfect special-evening location was a "dining experience not to be missed" for maria. it made cathy feel "rich" with

the best dining experience she's ever had. don't forget to check our website for the latest restaurant updates. it's where you can find more discussion and add your comments. you can also view this and all

the shows online or download the podcast. and you can learn about the kqed wine club wines we've been tasting and drinking today, like this excellent california roussane and syrah. so please join us next time when three new guests will recommend

their favorite spots right here on "check please! bay area." i'm leslie sbrocco, and i'll see you then! cheers! >> all: cheers! >> whoo! >> announcer: this show is available in high definition,

comcast on demand, and via for additional information on the restaurants featured, to comment, or to apply to be on the show, go to our website at kqed.org/checkplease.

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