“Cooking everything with respect will lead to amazing tasting experiences.”
— Arefaine Rede, Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
“I’m in favor of liberalizing immigration because of the effect it would have on restaurants. I’d let just about everybody in except the English.”
— Calvin Trillin (born 1935), American writer (from the New Yorker magazine)
International cuisine continues to expand, bringing flavors from most corners of the planet into Louisville’s neighborhoods. Since I’m old enough to remember a time when canned La Choy Chow Mein, Chef Boyardee Pizza and the occasional hard shell taco were as good as it got, there simply cannot be too many world choices.
That’s why I was delighted to see this recent profile of Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant (554 S. 5th St.) at Louisville Public Media.
Louisville restaurant offers informal course on Ethiopian dining and hospitality, by William Padmore and J. Tyler Franklin
Abyssinia has been serving Ethiopian cuisine in downtown Louisville for more than a decade. The owners emphasize the experience of Ethiopian hospitality along with good food.
I step into Abyssinia on a sunny afternoon with my recorder and an empty stomach.
Arefaine Rede, who goes by Mike, welcomes me inside with a warm smile. He grew up in Ethiopia, and one of the first things you notice when you take a seat is that the African influences fill the restaurant. The walls are covered in artwork, landscapes and knick-knacks, all brought over from the continent.
