Plan B

Today I planned to go to Aladdin for lunch; it's one of my favorite restaurants in Addis and the one I chose for my last night in the city last time I was here. When I go out with my Japanese colleagues, we almost always share our dishes (a hard habit to get them to break), so today I thought I'd sneak over there by myself with a novel under my arm and pig out on my own! On my way over, I took a back road and passed by a soccer field with about half the neighborhood crowded around as spectators. There was a great game on, which I assume was just amateur level, but they were pretty darn good; a couple times I had to suppress a jeer at the opposing team's defense line. However, my grumbling stomach got the best of me and I continued my trek to Aladdin... only to find it closed for lunch on Sundays.
Plan B, I headed down Bole Road to try and find Loti, a French restaurant that had an interesting review in my guidebook. Just across from the JICA office, I walked into the nondescript building and took the elevator up to the third floor. There was a sign that showed Loti Bar to the left and Loti Restaurant to the right, and I headed to the right. The place was empty except for a distinguished-looking, French-speaking African family of four at the far end of the restaurant. I took a table and perused the menu. The prices were a bit on the high side, but I figured if I was going to splurge on a lunch, now was the time to do it. I ordered the roast leg of lamb, a glass of merlot and a small bottle of water (it was a bit hot outside on the walk over).My dish arrived under a silver platter cover, which the waiter removed after placing the plate in front of me, revealing an eloquent looking meal. The lamb, which was prepared slightly rare but cut easily, was covered in a rich sauce and accompanied by steamed carrot, spinach and zucchini and a rice pilaf shaped into a little plateau. I tried to savor every bite, but it didn't take long before I was patting my lips with my napkin, and the afternoon was still young so I asked for the dessert menu. Ten minutes later I had a plate of four miniature choux a là creme and an delicate cup of espresso. The dessert wasn't quite as exquisite as the meal was, but struck a fine balance with the bitter sips of espresso and the view of the city from the large window in front of me. I sat back and read a few more pages of my book before paying the check and heading back to Chez Glo, very full, very satisfied and now wondering where I will go for my last dinner in Addis on Wednesday night.