Located in the Georgetown region of Washington, DC, Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine is an upscale restaurant owned and operated by Zed Wondemu, a native of Ethiopia. In 1969, she left her home country to come to the United States to build her education and has since become an active member of her community and created a successful business and thriving restaurant that is popular both for locals and for visitors and tourists to the area.
The menu is based on traditional Ethiopian cuisine, as the restaurant's name would suggest, starting with appetizers like Kaisa, a mild Ethiopian cheese that resembles dried cottage cheese with powdered collar greens and red pepper blended in. If you are a fan of salads, you may want to try Zed's Ethiopian Potato Salad, with diced potatoes and bell peppers in fresh garlic, lemon, and olive oil dressing.
The seafood dishes are quite tasty, especially the Shrimp Tibbs, sautéed in onions, fresh garlic, tomatoes, and Zed's special sauce. If you aren't into seafood, try the Chicken Infillay (strips sautéed in onions and seasoned with butter and an Ethiopian red pepper sauce called Awazei) or perhaps the Beef Segana Gomen (tenderloin cubes flavored with various spices and mixed with collard greens). Vegetarian meals are also available, like the Red Lentil Miser Watt or the Cabbage with Carrots in Sauce Tikile Gomen (flavored with ginger and garlic). Follow your meal with a nice cappuccino or coffee.
Zed's Ethtiopian Cuisine can also host your private functions in The Upstairs private room, which seats 15 to 40 people, or in the main dining room (with reservations) for groups of 50 or more. Zed's is upscale, and the prices reflect the quality of the meals and service, though they are not outrageous, considering tha the likes of Hillary Clinton, Clint Eastwood, Mike Tyson, Rudolph Guiliani, and actor Chris Tucker have all been spotted here.
