Cheap Eats 2008

When you walk into Sonya Damtew's red, yellow and green cafe, the first thing you'll notice is the traditional coffee-ceremony area, strewn with animal hides, carved stools and, often, sweetly smoking sticks of incense from the ceremonies, which E'Njoni holds every day from 4 to 6 pm. But there's more here than coffee: Fuul ($5.95/$6.95) is the house special—a traditional savory African-Arabic hash of fava beans, red onions, chile peppers, tomatoes and feta drizzled with olive oil and served with French bread. Other standout dishes include the beef injerito ($8.95/$9.95)—a blanket of injera topped with spicy sautéed rosemary-rich beef, and West African peanut soup ($2.95/$3.95 cup, $4.95/$5.95 bowl), which packs a nutty kick with sliced jalapeños and red bells in a puréed peanut stock. (LC)

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.