Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant, Chicago

Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant owner and head chef Almaz Yigizaw, whose name means "diamond," re-creates her grandmother's recipes with ingredients she imports herself. Hailing from Gondar, Ethiopia, Yigizaw crafts award-winning cuisine lauded by Zagat, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times. Though silverware and food-flinging trebuchets are available upon request, visitors typically deliver morsels of food to their mouths with swatches of injera, a spongy flat bread with a mild, slightly sour flavor. Meats such as beef and lamb characterize Ethiopian stews, while lentils and peas take center stage in vegetarian dishes, which are free of honey, animal oils, or self-aware zucchini. On busier days, cooks perform a multistep coffee-making ritual, ultimately pouring out freshly brewed joe alongside burning incense. Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant has locations in Edgewater and Rogers Park.