Ethiopian restaurant owner spends days at 1920 Commons grill

Although Dining Services grill chef Amare Solomon's Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurant, Dahlak, is located blocks away from Locust Walk at 47th and Baltimore streets, his imported spices occasionally find their way to campus in some of the cheesesteaks at the Class of 1920 Dining Commons. When asked about his special spices, Solomon raised his sweaty brow and after a minute of hesitation replied, "Yeah, once in a while, just for some of the people I know." Maybe that is just his way of bringing a little of Dahlak's success to the University's Dining Services. And with the top rating for Ethiopian food in the Zagat restaurant survey, the restaurant has enough praise to share. Solomon emigrated from Ethiopia in 1981. He then started working for the University as truck driver for Penn Caterers, a now-defunct branch of Dining Services. Soon after coming to Philadelphia, Solomon met his wife Neghisti and together they opened Dahlak. Building a clientele was not easy at first -- after all Solomon first had to dispel a few myths. People habitually doubt that Ethiopia has food at all. But Solomon explains that his country was, in fact, a major agricultural exporter until the 30-year Ethiopian-Eritrean war. And no one will walk out of his restaurant in search of a hardy meal. In fact, for most people it is a challenge to finish the table-sized platters of doughy pita-like bread topped with rows of spiced meats and vegetables. So, how did Solomon introduce his food -- which is eaten only with fingers, not silverware -- to utensil-trained Philadelphians? Well, when the restaurant first opened, the ladies' room was accessible only by way of the kitchen. This location forced women to pass through to see the immaculate appliances and enticing foods, and gush back to their husbands, "Oh, what's this? Oh, the kitchen looks so good," he said. The ploy was successful, it earned the restaurant the trust of even the most hesitant customers. And despite the off-campus location, Solomon manages to lure University students in and keep them as regulars. Solomon's popularity among University students could very well be responsible for its fame. He knows many of the students who eat in the lower section of Commons. And this is why he continues to work there, despite his restaurant's success. "When I'm working here, I meet people," he said. "You see characters, you make friends." And friends become customers. But the benefits of working in Commons are not limited to patronage. Solomon said working with a professional staff helps him to learn about management, personal relations and American customs. As for Americans, "The hardest thing to learn in life is using your fingers."

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