Injera

This beautiful bevy of vegetarian goodness can be yours for $36, courtesy of Injera, an Ethiopian restaurant near where the West Village meets the meatpacking district. More so than most, perhaps, Ethiopian restaurants emphasize closeness, hearth and/or home, a kind of togetherness and connectedness that comes from eating with your hands, fingers brushing against those of your dining companion, as you reach for the same beet at the same time, or share a giggle as you let one another know about the dab of misir wot that dots the corner of a mouth. It's dining as entertainment, in the best, most life-affirming, joy-bestowing sense.