Grand opening Ethiopian restaurant

[Ocklawaha]

Tell you what, I'm as you know, an American expatriot who often lives in Medellin, Colombia. My Colombian friends would die if they read this, but top off this meal with coffee from Kenya. If you like coffee, and you like a rich but sweet taste that doesn't overpower, your in for a treat. In fact it's the only coffee that I've ever drank outside of my adopted Republic that I love, also the only one I've ever tasted with a natural sweetness.

FYI...  FUN FACT FROM THE OLD HIPPIE: Did you know Florida has it's own wild, native coffee? You can often find it deep in the shade cover, along the beaches, where the woods are windswept and cool. (and full of rattlesnakes) It's a very pretty plant and quite nice to grow your own, just get it indoors when the temps drop.

OCKLAWAHA

[danno]

The effects of this low rainfall were exacerbated by lack of adequate government preparations, as well as the increasing drain on government revenues by various insurgencies. In the north, the insurgency of the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front and the government's counterinsurgency was the ultimate cause of the famine, though the failure of the short rains in 1984 was the proximate cause.

In the south, a separate and simultaneous cause was the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) insurgency. In 1984, President Mengistu Haile Mariam announced that 46% of the Ethiopian Gross National Product would be allocated to military spending, creating the largest standing army in sub-Saharan Africa; meanwhile, the allocation for health in the government budget fell from 6% in 1973/1974 to 3% in 1990/1991. Although an estimated death toll of over one million from this famine is often quoted, this figure has been challenged due to "scant empirical evidence". Nevertheless, the magnitude has been well documented, and in addition to hundreds of thousands of famine-related deaths, millions of people became destitute.

I doubt they did know Stephen, at least not the date or the cause. This is Jacksonville, and one of the things that pisses me off about my hometown north, is a sort of Hooterville, attitude. Even funnier because then the usual minds behind these thoughts, will dismiss it as a "Southern Thing." They're little realizing that a large part of the old South was much more traveled and educated then any other part of our country.

Bottom line, Ethiopia, a World War II occupied allied country, beat the shit out of the great Fascist Dictators Italian Army, with wit, spears, arrows, and knowledge of the land. By the time the Italians, got help from Germany, and marched into the capital, it had been a costly campaign! One of the Worlds Great Leaders of the twentieth century, as well as one of it's great Christian religions came from Ethiopia.

No one in the States has even seen a large sectional disaster such as that famine, Katrina, was just a taste of one. Now imagine a COUNTRY, the size of Louisiana and Mississippi, having to deal with Katrina by themselves... How big would it have been then? They'd still be dragging the bodies out and starving!

Jacksonville, broaden your vision, become a WORLD CITY, go down to JaxPort and board a freighter for Africa or Asia or South America. Walk the walk, smell the scents, taste the flavors and you will find a new degree of liberating freedom! Trust me!

SMILE 

OCKLAWAHA

Spent a month last year in Zimbabwe helping at a care point for AIDS orphans. So some of us are aware of the problems faced in Africa past and present.

[blizz01]

Now I can't get We are the World out of my head!

[thekillingwax]

We'll certainly be going there. When the ethiopian place was here before I didn't want to go alone because it's certainly a kind of social meal but the fiance and I will be going there for sure now.

[sandyshoes]

The food on the plate looks delicious, no doubt.  But back to the meat issue - I'm not going to get ground guinea pig or something, am I?  (I'm serious, in Peru their meat mainstay is guinea pig as is dog meat in Korea - both per Food Channel specials).  I worked for a pizza joint once that was owned by a veterinarian...we always wondered about the origin of our pepperoni -

[Ocklawaha]

The food on the plate looks delicious, no doubt.  But back to the meat issue - I'm not going to get ground guinea pig or something, am I?  (I'm serious, in Peru their meat mainstay is guinea pig as is dog meat in Korea - both per Food Channel specials).  I worked for a pizza joint once that was owned by a veterinarian...we always wondered about the origin of our pepperoni -

Do you eat rabbit? Would you eat rabbit? Well...

Guinea Pigs are not from Guinea, they are also not pigs. They originated in the Andes, domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as Cavia aperea. The Cavy plays an important role in South American, especially as a food source. So what are you waiting for?

OCKLAWAHA

[sandyshoes]

I would not, could not,
eat a hare
Nor a dog, nor pets
Anyhwhere

[Ocklawaha]

I would not, could not,
eat a hare
Nor a dog, nor pets
Anyhwhere

I won't eat a pet either, but in the Andes, they are rather wild and raised for meat like we raise rabbits. When they serve you and you know they don't have much, you wouldn't want to insult their generosity... The farther one is out in the country, the less insults to the natives...if you want to live. 

OCKLAWAHA

[sandyshoes]

I get your point; however, I won't be traveling to the Andes stirring up feelings of ill will amongst the natives...and, yes, I realize guinea pig is not actually from Guinea nor is it a pig, duh!    Guess I'm just not the most adventurous gastronome.  Carry on.

[Juker777]

They need to get consistent with their open times.  I have checked to see if they were open for lunch and unfortunately not.  I have learned to call ahead first.  Their phone number is 904-721-1001.  Give them a try...........