First of all, the giant pile of seasoned ground beef is served warm, right around body temperature. That’ll throw you. No matter how much you like a bloody burger, warm raw meat can still start the health alert sirens blaring. Get past that and you’ll bite into pillowy soft meat accented by the bright seasoning of Ethiopian berbere, each tender morsel carrying hints of chile pepper and coriander, ginger and cloves, subtle enough to add a little flavor while still allowing the beef a starring role. Scoop it up with tart Ethiopian injera bread, and you have one of the most exquisitely balanced flavor combinations in Tampa. Queen of Sheba owner Seble Gizaw claims her kitfo makes a mean burger, but we’ll decline. We like to rock it caveman style, 98.6 degrees, please.
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2008.