100 Very Best Restaurants: #96 – Chercher
The vegetarian deluxe platter at Chercher. Photo by Scott Suchman
One of Washington’s greatest culinary treasures is its wealth of Ethiopian restaurants. What makes this homey rowhouse dining room stand out? Owner Alemayehu Abebe draws both East Africans and newcomers alike for a vegetarian sampler with garlicky collards and berbere-spiced lentils splayed around a wheel of injera. But Chercher is just as known for it soulful meat stews and kitfo, a minced-sirloin tartare traditionally served raw with a mild white cheese and hot chili powder. A bottle of St. George, the Budweiser of Ethiopia, is an ideal complement. Inexpensive.
Also great: Doro wat; beef tibs; beets; string beans and carrots.
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Executive Food Editor/Critic
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 Logan Circle.
Food Editor
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.
Food Editor
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.