Colorado Springs gets new spot to enjoy Ethiopian dishes | Table Talk
Rahel Estifanos and her husband, Estifanos Dagne, have opened Taste of Ethiopia Restaurant & Coffee Shop, 3680 Citadel Drive North.
Rahel, as a young girl from a large family in Ethiopia, acquired her cooking skills helping to prepare family meals. And thanks to that training, she has embarked on restaurant ownership.
The couple spent more than eight months refurbishing the restaurant into a modern space with an East African influence. The menu is extensive and the dishes have all the familiar flavors of authentic Ethiopian cuisine. Think an appetizer of ayip ($6.99), house-made fresh cheese, to spread on Ethiopian bread. Follow this opener with traditional doro wat ($27.99), an entree of bone-in chicken, which has been braised in spicy berbere sauce and topped with a hardboiled egg. Rolls of injera, a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, are offered to use for scooping up the flavorful doro wat.
Be sure to try the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, which includes a jebena, a traditional small coffee carafe. Excellent flavored coffee arrives at the table in the small coffee carafe, with a smoking bowl of incense to the side. The incense adds an air of magic to the ceremony. You can’t help but feel like you’re partaking in something sacred and cherished as you see the smoke from the incense engulfing the room. Enjoy the ceremony with pastries from The French Kitchen.
Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 Tuesdays through Wednesdays and 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Details: 719-574-6867, facebook.com/tasteofethiopiaco.
New sandwich option
Ron and Christen Sanders, husband and wife franchise owners of Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, recently opened a third location at 1286 InterQuest Parkway.
“We were supposed to open this store first,” Christen said. “That was in 2020, but the location we had here on InterQuest was delayed and we had to open the first shop on Cheyenne Boulevard and the second place on Powers. Ron is an Air Force Academy graduate and he wanted to have the first shop out here near the school. It’s been a long four years, but here we are now.”
Of course, the oven-roasted turkey is still made fresh daily, but the big news is having an American Wagyu sandwich on the menu.
Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop has brought back the American Wagyu French dip to the menu.
teresa.farney@gazettedev.gazette.com
“It was introduced last year,” Christen said, “but it was hard to keep up the supply demands. Now with an arrangement with Snake River Farm’s beef, we are able to keep up (with demand). It’s a very popular sandwich.”
The sandwich is featured as American Wagyu French Dip with Swiss cheese, mayo and a dash of black pepper. The piping hot au jus sauce on the side amps up deliciousness.
Hours are 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sundays. Details: 719-698-7123, capriottis.com.
Fat Tuesday event
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, 11 S. Tejon St., is offering Louisiana-style food and drink specials for Mardi Gras 3:30-9 p.m. Feb. 13. Food specials include hush puppies or gumbo ($5 each), blackened catfish ($19), chargrilled oysters ($19 for six), crawfish jambalaya fried rice ($16) and locally made king cake ($7). Sip on a Nola-style cocktail like a Sazerac ($15), French 75 ($14) or Vieux Carre ($15), or go big with a 24-ounce Hurricane cocktail for $20. Hours are 3:30-9 p.m. Details: 719-357-4554, jaxfishhouse.com.
Last-minute Cupid help
Here are a few options for romantic procrastinators to jump on to celebrate Valentine’s Day next Wednesday.
• Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, 11 S. Tejon St., is offering a four-course menu showcasing seafood 3:30-9 p.m. Feb. 14. For $90 each (plus tax and tip), you get a choice of sea scallop crudo, steak tartare or blue crab dynamite, then choose from a fennel and pear salad or lobster and crawfish bisque. Entrée choices include swordfish, filet mignon, shrimp mafaldine or roasted winter squash. End with chocolate for two. Cocktail or wine pairings are available for $50 add on. Details: 719-357-4554, jaxfishhouse.com.
• Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, 7587 N. Academy Blvd., is offering special double chocolate brownie pancakes Thursday through Feb. 14. The brownie buttermilk pancake is topped with chocolate ganache, fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Live it up and pair it with a mimosa. Hours are 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 6:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Details: 719-694-1360, snoozeeatery.com.
• Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, 1765 Briargate Parkway, is offering its Cherry Chocolate Shake for $5 ($2.50 savings) on Feb. 14 for dine-in or online orders. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Details: 719-418-6845, baddaddysburgerbar.com.
• Tapateria, 2607 W. Colorado Ave., famous for its 100% gluten-free menu, is offering the El Día de San Valentín Menu with seatings at 5 and 7 p.m. Feb. 14. For $89 (plus tax and tip) you get five courses with wine pairings. The menu includes oysters on the half shell with mini vodka martini, shrimp soup with Abadia Albariño, salad with Txakoli Primo Zarautz, grilled duck breast with Evodia Garnacha and chocolate flan with Cherie Sparkling Rose. Reservations required at 719-471-8272.
contact the writer: 636-0271.
Rahel Estifanos has opened Taste of Ethiopia Restaurant & Coffee Shop with her husband, Estifanos Dagne.
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery is offering special double chocolate brownie pancakes as a Valentine’s Day special.
