Querido Niño Dios,
I'm going to make it easy on you. What I'd really like this Christmas is for an Ethiopian restaurant to open in Miami. It doesn't even have to be amazing; I'll settle for decent. As long as there's one that will boot the closed-for-years Sheba from the first five pages of Google search results for "Ethiopian restaurant Miami."
I know in some ways we have lots of variety. There are plenty Caribbean and South and Central American restaurants. We even have a few decent Indian, Japanese and Chinese eateries, though not as many or as authentic as some of us would hope. And in the past year, you sent us a wave of modern, Asian-inspired restaurants like Sakaya Kitchen, Gigi, Chow Down Grill, American Noodle Bar and Pub Belly. Thank you, but for next year could we have a little variety?
Obviously there aren't many Ethiopian residents in our town but perhaps you can help me find Sheba's old owners. They left the Design District and promised to reopen in Hollywood, but we haven't heard from them since. (Or at least I haven't). Or maybe you can whisper a little message of encouragement into the ears of the people behind Kafa Café, the also short-lived Ethiopian joint on Northeast Second Avenue, whose old space will be filled by the better-for-vibe-than-food Tapas y Tintos.
All I want is for that spongy, delicious ingera and richly flavored awaze tibs to reappear somewhere on Miami's food map. Please? I think I've been pretty good this year.
