Midtown Lunch

When I launched the L.A. branch of Midtown Lunch back in February one of my very first lunch trips was to the area of Fairfax known as Little Ethiopia.  The lunch I had at Rosalind’s was great, and I especially liked how even though everything was under $10 and ordered as individual lunch specials, the food still came out family style.  But as we left I couldn’t help but think we might have chosen wrong when I noticed the $9.99 all you can eat Ethiopian buffet sign across the street at Rahel’s.  “100% Vegan” is never something I enjoy seeing, but if there is one thing that will overrule the words vegan, or healthy, or salad bar, or pork-less,  it’s my four favorite words in the English language (when strung together): “All You Can Eat”.

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I still remember the first time I ever had Ethiopian food.  I was a college freshman in Boston and I’m embarrassed to admit it but as an 18 year old who grew up in the Live Aid 80s, I was surprised to find out there was even such a thing as Ethiopian food (lord help me, I never claimed to be bright.)  I never took advantage of Little Ethiopia (the section of Fairfax between Pico & Olympic) during my first L.A. stint 5 years ago, but in New York we lived in Hell’s Kitchen- which with 2 Ethiopian restaurant around the corner from each other could have been considered the Little Ethiopia of NYC.  (A third opened just before we moved, further strengthening the neighborhood’s claim to the title.)

Anyway, none of those places really qualified as a Midtown Lunch (mostly because of price), so I was excited to hear that most of the restaurants in L.A.’s Little Ethiopia offered under $10 lunch specials.  And when a couple of new food friends invited me to Rosalind’s last week I jumped at the chance.

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