Le Baobab

A dining room adorned with portraits of African-American luminaries suggests that Le Baobab, named for an African tree, has a handle on its roots. Senegalese standards such as thiebou diene (fresh fish stewed in tomato sauce with carrots, eggplant, cabbage and cassava root) and soupou kanja, a lamb stew thickened with palm oil, are spooned over ample, nutty rice. For dessert, thiakry (couscous mixed with vanilla-scented sour cream and bits of pineapple) may sound unfamiliar, but it’s as comforting as tapioca pudding.