Mesob

A new Ethiopian restaurant and the only one in the immediate area-you can dine overlooking the bustling sidewalks of Montclair's eclectic Bloomfield Avenue. Otherwise, sit in the softly lit dining room bathed in warm earth tones and decorated with Ethiopian tapestries and leatherwork from Eritrea. A bar at the center of the restaurant is a work of art unto itself, topped with translucent leather scrolls lit from within. Mesob offers only the finest in quality lamb, prime beef, tender chicken, vegetables, seafood and freshly baked Injera (bread) All dishes are traditionally prepared with the freshest ingredients. We believe you'll taste the difference and hope you enjoy your dining experience. Mesob. Handmade wicker hourglass-shaped table with a designed domed cover. Families sit round the Mesob on low, comfortable divan stools about eight inches high (called berchuma). Meals are family-style on one large platters one or two pieces of Injera are placed on the bottom, while various stews are spooned on top in small mounds. Injera. Both plate and utensil, injera is a large, crepe-like bread upon which a stew is served up upon it. Injera is made with teff, a tiny, round grain, indigenous to Ethiopia. Teff. Teff is the most common cereal crop used to make injera. Teff is a tiny, round, khaki-colored grain closely resembling millet. Its scientific name is Eragrostis, teff. "Teffa", the Amharic word for "lost", is so named because of teff's small size. It is the smallest grain in the world and often is lost in the harvesting and threshing process because of its size. Three thousand grains of teff weigh one gram.