For the love of kitfo, people travel for miles to eat at Dama Restaurant and Café. Delicious minced meat seasoned with an herbed butter sauce concocted with a perfect blend of spices. Served with small mounds of vegetables and injera to sop up all the juicy goodness. No utensils please. Here you eat like the Ethiopians do. And you don’t just come to eat. You come to talk and sit for a while.

 

 

Meet the Dama clan pictured here: standing from the left are Hailu, Almaz, and Amsale, and seated is Kelem. Married to Hailu, Amsale is soft-spoken, petite and is the quiet force that keeps the business going. Kelem is the undisputed kitchen boss and is responsible for the all-important spiced butter that makes kitfo the most popular dish. Almaz is the baker who creates mouth-watering pastries, cakes and cookies in the café. Then there’s Hailu, the strong yet gentle persona who brings it all together. And they ALL pitch in the kitchen when it gets busy.

 

 

Located at the Eastern end of Columbia Pike, Dama Restaurant and Café sits near the new Air Force Memorial. It’s a great location for those traveling in and out of the city via I-395.

 

“I always wanted it to be more than just a restaurant,” said Hailu. “Here, it’s about friendship and extended families. It’s gratifying. It’s a place where people will come to discuss everything and it energizes me.”

 

 

The Dama siblings came to America more than 25 years ago with the restaurant business in their blood. Their father prepared food for the Ethiopian Air Force. An older sister ran an Ethiopian restaurant on Capital Hill in the 80s, and the Dama family continues to be well known within the Ethiopian community. They give credit to their faith in God for the decision to open Dama Restaurant and Market in 1999. The café – a welcoming sunny place with a great coffee bar shown at the left, was opened in 2002. Their strong family values made it a natural partnership to do it together.

 

When I arrived for our interview, Amsale’s teenage daughter (a budding chef) was behind the pastry counter with Kelem’s daughter. Kelem was deep in conversation when Amsale pulled her away. In a well-worn apron, Almaz was gracious, but was clearly too busy to sit down and chat. Professionally trained at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, Md., Almaz is busy with her next challenge: Re-opening the next-door Dama Diner and turning it into a non-Ethiopian food establishment serving simple foods like wraps, sandwiches, panini and salads.

 

The café is a place to watch a football game (Hailu is a rabid Redskins fan), or relax and have a few sugar-dusted almond cookies with your freshly roasted Ethiopian coffee. Or come for breakfast, one of their busiest times of the day. In the restaurant, feast your eyes and stomach on traditional Ethiopian dishes. The menu at Dama Restaurant is not lengthy, allowing them to specialize in about twenty dishes. The meals they serve are not modified to suit their American homeland, and remain unmistakably Ethiopian. In addition to kitfo, other traditional dishes such as shiro (ground split chick peas with cheese in berbere sauce) and derek tibs (lamb chunks fried with onion and jalapeno peppers) populate their menu. And for less adventurous children, on the menu is an all-time favorite: Spaghetti.

 

 

The Dama family has created a second home for many people. The atmosphere reminds you of being around family friends. Just don’t count on getting a glass of wine. The family agreed early on not to apply for a liquor license. “People come here for the ambiance and the food,” said Amsale. “Because there is no alcohol, people can be themselves, make friends and have great conversations.”

 

What next? They would like to grow and diversify their clientele. They would like to see a more diverse community come in the door to join in on the friendships, conversations and good food.

 

“It’s a great dining experience, and such a healthy family-friendly place to come to,” said Amsale.” In addition to offering traditional exotic foods from different regions in Ethiopia, Hailu reminded me, “We have the best kitfo outside of Ethiopia!” Judging by the clientele, I think many would agree. And if you do too, don’t forget to tell them on your way out, it will make their day.