"Zobel is in a house converted to a cafe, sitting on a street between homes that are still homes. Parking is on street but we didn 't have trouble finding a spot nearby. Upon entering it struck me as more tavern than Ethiopian restaurant, but it was both; it 's just that it had more drinkers than diners when we arrived early evening. Only one other table had people sitting at it though the bar was moderately busy. The most memorable thing about the decor were the odd green chairs that seemed to be based on a child 's design, and earned smiles all around when remarked upon. We sat in a booth instead at one of the tables with those chairs. After we ordered, it 's a good thing we were into a lively conversation, as it took forever for anything but the beers to come to our table. Another group of diners came in as we were waiting. We 'd ordered a variety of vegetarian items, which eventually arrived. They ranged from decent to very good, everyone enjoyed the meal a lot I think, even if we remembered better Ethiopian places around the city. One thing we missed was a dish with potatoes we get elsewhere. The basic method of eating at Ethiopian places with your fingers, picking up food with spongy injera flatbread quite simply adds to the enjoyment of a meal prepared so that no forks or spoons are required. Slightly fancier places will provide warm damp cloths so your hands are good and clean, but they skip that here, so make sure you arrive with clean hands! And if you happen to get your hands sloppy, wipe 'em on your pants when everyone 's done."
