Eat Great Cheap 2015Named after the fossil hominid discovered in Ethiopia, Lucy does things a little differently than most of its competition. An appetizer of kitfo—the tartare-like raw beef—arrives in sandwich form, stuffed into a crusty baguette with lots of spiced butter. Another house specialty, giro giro, features red-wine-marinated morsels of tenderloin in a flame-lit pot, further ignited by green chilies. The traditional line isn’t lost—many families gather over blankets of injeraladen with richly flavored stews, while live African music plays on a stage most nights. An evening at Lucy calls to mind its inspiration’s Amharic name, Dinknesh. Translation: You are marvelous.
Cuisine: Ethiopian
Where you can get it: 8301 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring; 301-589-6700
Also good: Lentil or beefsambusas (stuffed pastries); vegetarian combination platter; yebeg alicha (lamb with onions and black pepper).
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
