Description
As New York's only Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant, Massawa provides a tempting reason to make the trek to Morningside Heights. And anyone who does will be rewarded with service that's friendly, if slow. Start with sambusas, small pastry shells filled with ground spiced beef or vegetables, and the Eritrean dish ful, a rich stew of fava beans with tomato, berbere, onion, and yogurt. While ful is categorized as an appetizer, the whole menu is rife with stews--from beef and lamb to seafood--as well as a broad vegan selection often made with lentils, potatoes, okra, and greens. Especially recommended are Duba, a pumpkin stew with berbere, tomatoes, and rosemary, and the lamb dishes. All the stews are spread out over injera and scooped up with the huge spongy flatbread. This is messy, communal eating. Meanwhile, individuals can sit at the bar and enjoy an Ethiopian beer and a chat with the restaurant's regulars. --Diana Clarke
