On our lamb combination plate we ordered Ybeg Dey Wat, which consisted of tender bone in lamb cooked in a mild and traditional Berbere sauce. The second was Ybeg Alicha. This was a wonderful blend of lamb cooked in white onions, garlic ginger and a traditional Ethiopian liquor sauce.

Eight months ago, Milwaukee welcomed a new flavor to its dining scene, a restaurant that offered something different from the standard fare: Ethiopian Cottage, 1824 N. Farewell Ave., was opened on Feb. 14 by owner Yigletu Debebe and his wife Almaz Bekele. Their goal was to not only bring the authentic flavors to Milwaukee, but an authentic slice of Ethiopian culture as well. Sitting at a table, which was actually more like a three foot basket, we were excited to take a look at the menu. Our server, Almaz filled us in on the traditional manner of eating. “The injera is almost like a buttermilk pancake. You tear off pieces to fit in your hand, and scoop up the meat,” she explained. To try as many items as we could on a small budget, we ordered the lamb combination ($13.50) and the vegetarian combination ($12.25). When the food arrived to our basket, there were no plates to be had. The food was laid out on top of a large, circular piece of injera. The injera came out on a large metal pan that almost looked like a deep-dish pizza pan. Almaz explained the ingredients to us. To the right were our vegetarian entrees. Kick Alicha consisted of split peas cooked in a mild sauce of onions, garlic and ginger. Yesmir Wat was a spicy combination of red lentils simmered in spicy onions and an authentic homemade sauce. The last of the vegetarian combination, Dinch Alicha, was especially delicious. Large cubes of potatoes and carrots were cooked in a very mild sauce of garlic, ginger and other spices. A pile of collard green accompanied these vegetables. Vegetarian entrees were very mild, easy to eat, and reminiscent of many traditional Moroccan dishes. It was difficult to pick up some of these with the injera because of their soupy texture. The collard greens would have been a nice accent if they were not so heavily salted. On our lamb combination plate we ordered Ybeg Dey Wat, which consisted of tender bone-in lamb cooked in a mild and traditional Berbere sauce. The second was Ybeg Alicha. This was a wonderful blend of lamb cooked in white onions, garlic ginger and a traditional Ethiopian liquor sauce. Each lamb dish was tender, the way it should be after the slow cooking process with the bone still in the shank. At Ethiopian Cottage, the problem for some diners may be the “utensil” – in this case the injera bread. Very spongy in texture (it wasn’t like anything I had ever tasted before) and virtually flavorless, the injera paired well with the flavors of the food. After a while, it got to be too much. Besides the food, the restaurant itself was very authentic. Hand-stitched tablecloths lay on tables and the curtains were adorned in the traditional red, yellow and green colors. Handwoven baskets were tacked to the walls and original art depicting Ethiopian culture were beside them. Our entire meal cost less than $30, with drinks and tip included. Ethiopian Cottage is not a place for the feeble of stomachs. It is, however, a great place to bond over food, all while eating with your hands.

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