Adventures in Eating.

I had first spin in Ethiopian food last night at Cafe Colucci in Oakland. I had always heard about Ethiopian food, a majority of good things, and I figured that I should at least give it a shot. Who wants another burger and fries?

I let my friends choose from the menu since they were better versed in what was good. We were served a nice tray of an array of foods. It included beef, chicken, lamb, and vegetables, covered in different kinds of sauces, and wonderful mix of spices. It was served with a type of bread, which to me resembled a salty crepe, called injera for eating with your hands. That’s one way to save money! No flatware.

The food, to my pleasant surprise, was fantastic. The mix of flavors was unlike any other that I’ve had. It was very reminiscent of Indian food, Mediterranean, Moroccan, and Greek, but still uniquely Ethiopian. It was fun eating with my hands, totally sharing amongst the five at the table. My only concern was that everyone needed to wash their hands before digging. Being that there was a boyfriend at the table, I was a little worried, but not overly anxious about it.

I was feeling just fine that evening after dinner. Unfortunately, this morning was a different story. My stomach felt like it was in knots all day, and I found myself constantly dashing to the restroom. It would have been better had I been at home. I was at work. I particularly dislike small public restrooms for this reason. You don’t have much privacy in your most personal matters. I personally loathe being in the restroom when someone else is having intestinal issues, I would think the same in the reverse situation. Luckily, I was able to track down some Pepto Bismol chewables. While these aren’t the greatest, it was better than suffering and having to hurry to the restroom in hopes of making it all the way into the stall.

Thankfully, the stomach pains and restroom visits have subsided. In spite of this negative experience, I’m still open-minded about Ethiopian food. Either it was the lack of someone washing hands or we received a bad batch of something. I would definitely try it again.