By Tonia Moxley
The Roanoke Times
Jan. 20, 2007
BLACKSBURG — The sight of customers eating her food made worthwhile for Haregewin Bekele the two years of dogged work, fearful tears, long hours and constant prayers it took to open the New River Valley’s first Ethiopian restaurant.
In fact, feeding people “is like a drug to me. I love it,” Bekele said.
The opening of Excellent Table Ethiopian Cuisine adds another choice to the growing list of locally owned ethnic restaurants in the New River Valley that includes the rustic Italian food of Ceritano’s in Blacksburg; the Thai choices at Cafe de Bangkok in Blacksburg and Thai House in Fairlawn; the Japanese entrees at Kayo in Christiansburg; and the Korean specialties of Kal-Bee in Pembroke.
A devout Christian and member of the Bridge Worship Center in Christiansburg, Bekele credits her faith for helping her through the years of struggle.
She started in 2004 with $29 and some teff flour — the grain from which injera, the traditional Ethiopian bread, is made. In those days, she made it in small batches at a Radford church kitchen and sold it to local stores such as Annie Kays and Oasis World Market.
It took time, but eventually Bekele saved enough money to buy a cooking pan, then a second and a third.
In 2005, her home kitchen was certified for commercial cooking and Bekele began making the complex sauces of Ethiopian cuisine to sell at the Blacksburg Farmers Market. Each batch required four hours of mincing onions, garlic and ginger by hand, then simmering them with combinations of dozens of freshly ground spices her father sent from Bekele’s native Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city.
Her hard work was rewarded when the products caught on with customers, who could use them to make an exotic dinner in 15 minutes. On most market days, Bekele sold out of sauces and bread. That response convinced her Blacksburg was the right place for an Ethiopian restaurant.
There were setbacks in opening the store, however. She had to wrangle with contractors, bankers, and health and building inspectors. In some ways, the obstacles made the accomplishment of opening her first business that much more satisfying. But they also changed her.
“I have more sympathy now for people than I ever have,” she said. “I don’t want to fail. I have faith that God is not going to fail me. But now I understand that people can try very hard, and fail.”
The restaurant’s name comes from Psalm 23:5, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” God prepares a table for everyone’s life, set with a banquet of opportunities and dreams, Bekele said. And it’s up to each person to choose from that “excellent table.”
Fellow Bridge Center member April Johnson stopped by the restaurant Wednesday to congratulate her friend with a big hug. Johnson said she eats Bekele’s food nearly every day and that it has helped her lose weight.
The meat, poultry, seafood, lentils and vegetables simmered in flavorful sauces and eaten with injera are low-fat and low in carbohydrates, Bekele said. Since opening last week, some days have been slow, but business is gradually building as people find her little storefront.
The restaurant at Draper Road and Roanoke Street is simple — only 400 square feet with a kitchen, buffet table and cash register. There are no tables or chairs for customers, who must carry their food home.
But that didn’t seem to bother most people who stopped by Wednesday. Jim Thorson moved to Blacksburg on Monday and stumbled onto Excellent Table two days later.
The Virginia Tech graduate student, who has sampled Ethiopian food in Portland, Ore., and Atlanta, couldn’t believe his luck.
“I’m really excited. This is great. And it’s cheap,” Thorson said. “I’ll probably be back for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow.”
If the carryout business does well, Bekele said she plans to open a sit-down restaurant somewhere in Blacksburg.
Graphic: Excellent Table Ethiopian Cuisine
Serving carryout meals from $5-$11
Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and 4:30-8:30 p.m.
119 N. Main St., Blacksburg, 951-1094Injera and teff
Graphic: About injera
Injera, the traditional bread of Ethiopia and some parts of Eritrea, is a spongy flatbread made with fermented teff flour and used as an eating utensil to scoop up meat, fish and vegetables cooked in highly spiced sauces.
Teff, a round grain similar to millet, is the smallest cultivated grain in the world. It grows primarily in the highlands of Ethiopia and is high in protein and minerals. But unlike wheat, teff contains very little gluten, making it preferable for people on gluten-free diets.
SOURCES: exploratorium.edu and ethnomed.edu
Copyright The Roanoke Times 2007
Tags: Blacksburg, Ethiopian food, restaurant, Virginia Tech