We find friendly folks and good East African eats at Safari Grill LEO's Eats with Robin Garr Safari Grill’s Githeri, an iconic Kenyan stew of fried corn and beans.How big is Africa? Africa is so big that you could fit the U.S., China, India, Japan and most of the countries of Europe neatly within its borders and still have plenty of nooks and crannies left for more. You’ve probably seen the colorful map that shows this; it’s all over the Internet.
How big is Africa? About 1.5 billion people live there, or almost 1 out of every 7 humans on Earth. That’s about the same as the total population of Europe, North and South America.
So riddle me this: How come so many of us know so little about Africa? And getting to the point, how come Louisville has so doggoned few African restaurants? It’s only in recent years that we’ve started to get glimpses of real African flavor.
Recently, I’m happy to report, we’re finally getting a taste of the culinary riches of East Africa, thanks to recent arrivals Baraka, on West Oak Street, which I hope to sample soon, and the destination of this week’s dining journey, Safari Grill, in the lovably multi-ethnic environment of Beechmont’s Woodlawn Avenue.
So let’s offer a warm welcome to Safari Grill’s proprietors Mohamed and Gabriel, immigrants from Kenya and Somalia, respectively, who greet visitors with sparkling hospitality, excellent English, and an eager enthusiasm to share their homelands’ native foods.
Long ago the home of Tangerine restaurant, famous for its slogan, “Worst Food in Kentucky,” this small, well-kept storefront boasts bright walls the colors of turmeric and berbere, furnished with simple black-metal, red-leatherette chairs and glossy earth-tone laminate table tops.
Safari Grill’s menu, posted on a large sign behind the counter where you place your orders at the rear of the room, isn’t overly long, but it offers a good overview of East African food, which starts on a native West African base of corn, greens and chicken, beef and goat, but goes on to add distinct flavors of Arabian and Indian tradition, cultures historically linked by trade routes around and across the Indian Ocean. (All the meats, by the way, are halal, in Muslim tradition) ...
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/we-fi ... fari-grillYou'll also find this review in LEO Weekly’s Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/Safari Grill328 W. Woodlawn Ave.
915-0943
https://facebook.com/safarigrillllcRobin Garr’s rating: 86 points