Ethiopian Diamond II

There’s not much about Ethiopian Diamond II’s brunch that resembles other brunches—there are no Benedicts, no egg sandwiches, no line waits with couples decked out in Patagonia sportswear. (What mountain are these people coming from, anyway?) But there is coffee—thick, strong stuff that sits, steeping, in cauldronlike pots at the table. And there are pancakes of a sort—injera, the spongy bread that doubles as the vehicle whereby you scoop small mounds of cooked beans, vegetables and saucy meats into your mouth. On Sunday afternoons, many of these dishes are offered buffet-style, though my server repeatedly offered to bring anything we wanted from the kitchen (for no extra charge beyond the $13.95-per-person price). It was a kind gesture, but since I had access to unlimited yesimir wat (spicy, savory lentils), doro wat (ginger-kissed chicken legs falling apart under a spicy sauce) and foul (mashed fava beans, a Middle Eastern staple that here gets punched up with bits of chile), I never had to take her up on it. 7537 N Clark St, 773-764-2200.

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