When shrimp-and-grits staple Mama Joy's bowed out of Bushwick, it made way for a restaurant with roots touching even farther south: Ethiopia. Founded by Sam Saverance and Ethiopian expat Liyuw Ayalew, the wandering vegan pop-up—running in North Brooklyn since 2011—hosted African lunches out of Mama's vacant space starting in July 2013 and has since moved in permanently. The brick-walled joint honors Ethiopia—widely hailed as the birthplace of coffee—with traditional coffee ceremonies and live Abyssinian music. Java is made in a jebena pot and infused with cloves and cardamom, served with snacks like ambasha bread or cooked barley. Those looking for heartier options can dig into vegetarian plates, served on a bed of injera bread, like misir wot (red lentils in berbere sauce), keysir selata (sautéed and chilled beets) and shiro (garlicky ground chickpeas). Along with pureed juices (mango-avocado-papaya), beverages include Ethiopian beers (Castel, Harar), tej (honey wine) and cocktails, such as a whiskey-spiked Shai spiced tea.
